Best Commercial Fishery Groundbaits (Carp, Bream, & Tench)
Groundbaits are absolutely essential in commercial fisheries. They are incredibly versatile and can be used in a multitude of ways. But which one is best? There are many brands creating endless iterations and variations of groundbaits; at some point, you’re left wondering which one to buy.
I was in the same predicament a while back, so I went through many groundbaits and sifted through the range to find something that stands out. I concluded that unless you know about the venue (species, size of fish, venue size, etc) where you’re fishing, its quite difficult to decide when it comes to groundbait.
Listed below are some of our favorites for commercial fisheries, however, there are plenty more great options out there, which is why its worth speaking to other anglers and learning what works best at each venue.
Types Of Groundbaits
The other significant difference you’ll find across groundbaits is the size of the crumb. Or, simply put, how fine the groundbait is. Really fine groundbait is better for small silverfish like bream and roach because it will keep them feeding for long periods of time and won’t make them full. However, for larger fish like carp, you’ll probably want something slightly more substantial.
This is why I’d recommend that you visit your local tackle shop for advice on a specific venue and hopefully they should be able to provide some insight into what type of groundbait is most effective at the fishery. That being said, there are a handful of groundbaits that have developed a reputation for being remarkably effective across the board.
Sonubaits Super Crush Carp Method Mix Groundbait
This is one of my all-time favourite groundbaits and probably the groundbait that I use most frequently. What I really love about this groundbait is its simplicity. It is made from fishmeal, along with some other types of crumb, and a handful of other ingredients.
It isn’t particularly pungent as far as groundbaits go, however, it definitely still has a distinct fishy smell. This particular groundbait from Sonubaits has caught hundreds of carp over the years for me. I mainly use it with a method feeder but can also be used in a cage feeder. I also like that its not super fine, I find that whenever I use really fine groundbait, I can often get plagued by silverfish if they are prevalent in the water.
Frankly, while this is a great “all-around” groundbait, it wouldn’t be my first choice if I was in a match as I consider it quite hearty compared to some of the other baits on this list. The Super Carp Method Mix is perfect for those who want to spend a few hours on a commercial fishery pleasure fishing and catching big wiley carp.
Dynamite Big Fish Margin Mix
The Dynamite Big Fish Margin Mix is an excellent choice for match fishing. While it is quite heavy it will keep the fish in the swim for a long period of time. As the name suggests, this mix is perfect for holding fish in the shallows and margins. It can be used in a method or cage feeder but it is really well suited to pole fishing and being tightly dispensed around the area that you’re fishing.
The groundbait is a mix of pellets, biscuits, and fishmeals. This means that it is a heavy groundbait but since it is so fine, it will keep the fish grubbing around for a long time in your swim. You can fish with basically anything over this bait but I’d recommend using a pellet or some maggots.
Bait-Tech Big Carp Method Mix Tigernut & Peanut
I used to use the groundbait by Bait-Tech a lot when I was fishing in bigger venues where the fish aren’t so densely populated. It breaks down slightly slower than some of the other groundbaits but is still really effective on the method feeder.
This mix also contains Tigernuts and Peanuts both of which are incredibly attractive to carp. Of course, all bottom feeders will be drawn in by this mix but I feel carp have a particular inclination toward tiger nuts in particular. This would probably be my groundbait of choice if I was specifically targeting larger carp and I’d probably couple it up with a bait-up method feeder with a Tigernut hookbait.
Dynamite Baits Krill Method Mix
Dynamite Bait’s Krill Method Mix is sticky, smelly, & strong. It is perfect for drawing fish into your swim with its strong smell and keeping them there. These kinds of baits are always effective in commercial fisheries where the fish are accustomed to artificial baits.
It can be used in a multitude of feeders or you can just ball it into your swim. It is made from quite a fine particular so it breaks down relatively quickly hence why it is so effective for feeder fishing.
Sticky Baits Manilla Active Mix
This groundbait will be much more familiar to the carp anglers. However, it can be an effective mix for commercial fisheries too. However, I probably wouldn’t use this kind of mix for feeder work. Its really good for creating big clouds and drawing attention but since it floats around so much it won’t keep the fish pinned to the bottom. It will certainly draw them into your swim but it’s not quite the result that you want when competitively fishing.
The Sticky Baits Manilla Active Mix is predominantly effective in PVA bags. While this technique isn’t typically used in commercial fisheries, it can sometimes be an effective tactic. Particularly in larger lakes when you won’t be recasting as often.
SonuBaits Supercrush Bream Feeder
To be quite honest, I’m not exactly a bream fisherman. In fact, they are rarely ever a target species for me. However, I totally understand why they are targeted by match anglers and I’ve heard excellent things about this groundbait from those who do target bream on a regular basis.
The bait is composed of a fine crumb and it can be very useful for a bream-oriented bait with you. Particularly, if you’re a competitive angler.
