These are the most common types of particle baits used in carp fishing in the past and today.
Particle Seed Mix
Their small size resembles the carp's natural diet of seeds and snails found on the lake bottom, so carp have to get their heads down and rummage around for each particle. Particle seeds keep carp longer in one area and induce competitive feeding. They help make clear patches in weeds by laying big beds of particles in dense weed areas. After a few days this place will be weed free; a perfect place to present your hook bait.
Maize Particle
These have a good yellow colour, which is useful against the dark lake or river bottom. They're hard too, so most coarse fish will not take. Maize particles can also be flavoured with sweeteners or salt for added taste. Their low cost means heavy pre-baiting is a cost effective solution of getting carp back to a particular spot time and time again.
Sweetcorn
Sweetcorn is a particle, and as mentioned in 'carp hook baits' it is also an excellent ground bait feed with a wining combination of fishing sweetcorn over hemp. Due to its light weight it's difficult to fish at distance unless your spodding in your mix or using a bait boat.
Peas, Chickpeas, Black-Eyed Beans, Butter Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Borlotti Beans or Haricot Beans
All of these are available in super markets pre-cooked and ready to be fished with. In farm shops, health or vegetarian shops you can purchase larger, dry quantities in raw state which you have to self prepare before fishing. Mainly used as cheap pre-baiting feed or for week-long fishing to keep fish active in your swim for longer periods.
Hemp Seed
Hemp seed is the most successful and therefore the most popular particle for carp fishing today. The seeds resemble small water insects and have an oily consistency when cooked, and carp adore it. It can be attached to a fine hair, but is probably best used as an attractor with larger hook bait lay on a bed of hemp. It has outstanding pulling power and can provide fantastic results.
This product is ready to be fished with and has carefully made carefully to with hold all the natural oils inside the package. The seeds have been cooked perfectly. Either use in their natural form or add a Pro-Match liquid booster flavour. See Pro-Match ready prepared flavoured Hemp Seed for more information. Picture of hemp & Liquid flavours
Tigernuts & Peanuts
Tiger nuts and peanuts must be pre-soaked and boiled like hemp and maize. A bait drill will useful if you find that the tigernut or peanut is still to hard to penetrate with a baiting needle. These particles are perfect for long casting. When cooked and fermented, tigernuts will release high levels of natural sugars and become slimy. Also, both kinds of nuts have crunch effect resembling mussels and snails naturally found in the carp's habitat. The larger Tigernuts are more desirable as hook baits and the smaller version for lose feed. A rarer type is the Black Tigernut, which produce more sugars than the common yellow ones.
Pellets
The Pellet can be fished the same way as hemp, with a larger hook bait over a bed of pellet. The advantage here is that with the pellet being dry, it can be used in PVA bags for accurate, loose feeding by simply nicking the hook in the bag and casting the hook bait and feed out at the same time. Each pellet has a slow breakdown time, dissolving the pellet feed around your hook bait. One key advantage when fishing pellet is you can never over feed your swim, as the pellets all breakdown to nothing in a short time.