Imitation Fishing Baits

I’m a big fan of using imitation fishing baits for all types of fish species, including predator fish like pike and perch, plus non predatory coarse fish such as carp, skimmer bream, tench, barbel and chub.

Artificial baits come in all shapes and sizes, from brightly coloured crankbait lure like plugs, spinners, jerkbaits and spoons, to plastic or rubber look alike fake baits imitating corn, tiger nut, pellets, castors, bloodworm, bread, maize (sweetcorn), micro pellets, worms and maggots.

The best reason anglers use fake artificial baits is their very easy storage, they provide great presentation, are simple to cast and retrieve, hookbaits can’t be knocked off, they don’t break down in the water, provide increased casting range and their buoyant nature make them great surface floaters.

You’ll also find imitation baits provide a secure hookhold and are more difficult for fish to eject from their mouths.

Even though they are designed to be disguised as natural items, and create adequate movement and vibrations to attract fish, they have zero scent to draw fish in, so dipping your fake bait of choice in some flavourings will really get the fish excited!

Just like carp fishing boilies and groundbait include scented additives to act as attractants when dispersed in water, dunking an artificial bait in some strong smell flavouring works a treat.

They are also fantastic to use as part of various rigs to counterbalance the sinking weight of other baits. Rigs to try with fake baits include the hair rig, t-rig, medusa rig, mag-aligner, method feeder and flotillia.

My favourite imitation bait is a chunk of fake bread crust, the spongy construction soaks up lots of additive mixer, pops up great in the water with a few inline leads and because in much less fragile than the real thing make recasting very quick.

You can buy fake artificial bait from a wide variety of shops online, and you’ll find popular bait companies like Angling Direct, Amazon UK, Enterprise Tackle and Dynamite Floaters fully stocked with imitation fishing baits.

So, next time your fishing why not try laying a bed of grains or hemp with pva bags, and use a man made bait to temp a bite. You’ll find it’s fun experimenting which artificial baits prove most attractive to the fish your targeting. Hope you catch a monster!