Pick plastic corn, maize, imitation dumbbells and zig bugs for carp, each one priced live at reputable online tackle shops so you can stock the tackle box for very little outlay.
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About Artificial Baits
An artificial bait is a plastic or rubber copy of a real bait or insect that never breaks down in the water, used on its own or alongside a real hookbait.
Fake baits are used by carp anglers who want a hookbait that cannot be stripped off, never loses its buoyancy and can be balanced exactly. Fake corn is the classic choice over a spod mix of sweetcorn and particles, and zig bugs copy insect larvae up in the water.
The decision that matters is buoyancy, because the same bait comes in pop-up and slow sinking versions that do different jobs. The range listed here covers both, plus 8mm, 12mm and 16mm pop-up dumbbells and packs of 12 corn grains with matching hair stops.
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How to Choose Artificial Carp Baits
Plastic baits look like the real thing but hold their shape, colour and buoyancy for as long as they are in the water. They can be fished alone, stacked on top of a real bait or used to balance a hookbait that would otherwise sink.
Choose by buoyancy first, then by the shape and colour that copy your feed.
Pop-up corn and maize float and need putty or a shot to hold them down, so they suit chod, Ronnie and snowman rigs. Slow sinking versions drop gently and rest on or just off the bottom over a bed of particles.
Mixing one pop-up grain with a real bait can turn a heavy bottom bait into a balanced one. The more buoyant the plastic, the higher it lifts the bait.
Fake sweetcorn copies a particle that has caught carp for generations, and fake maize copies the larger, harder grain. Both are fished over spod mixes, beds of hemp and corn or loose fed particles.
A grain of buoyant corn on top of a small pop-up or boilie is a common way to match a sweetcorn spod mix. Two grains on a long shank rig is another popular approach.
Plastic dumbbells copy the shape of a boilie hookbait and come in 8mm, 12mm and 16mm sizes. They can tip a real boilie or be fished alone as a long lasting pop-up.
A zig bug is a hook dressed with a small imitation of an insect or larva, such as a damsel nymph. It is fished on a long hooklink so it hangs up in the water where carp are cruising.
Zig bugs are for carp feeding up in the water rather than on the lakebed. They are a different job from the bottom fishing fakes, so treat them as part of a zig setup.
Plastic does not hold smell on its own, so many anglers soak fake baits in a sweet dip or the same liquid as their feed. Others fish them straight from the packet and rely on a small bag of pellet or stick mix next to the hook.
A fake bait never breaks down, so a rig lost after a crack off can stay intact in the lake. Check knots, hooklinks and leaders carefully so a fish is never left towing a rig.
Some anglers also avoid fakes where crayfish are very numerous. Real hardened baits are the usual alternative there.
Artificial Bait Prices Explained
Even the dearest pack here costs only about twice the cheapest, and every price is checked live with reputable online tackle shops. A single pack of fake corn or dumbbells lasts many sessions, so the cost per session stays very low.
The zig bug sits at the top of the spread because it comes tied to a hook. The fake corn, maize and dumbbells cost much the same, and the choice comes down to buoyancy and shape.
Every fake bait listed links to its own page with the colours, sizes and pack contents. The fake baits and real baits that pair well are set out in our best carp bait guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do artificial baits work for carp?
Yes, fake corn, maize and plastic dumbbells catch plenty of carp, especially over a bed of matching particles. They work best when the plastic copies the free bait around it.
What is fake corn used for?
Fake corn is used as a hookbait over sweetcorn or mixed particles, or added to a real bait to balance it. It never comes off the hair or loses its buoyancy.
Should artificial baits be pop-up or sinking?
Use pop-up plastics for chod, Ronnie and snowman rigs, and slow sinking ones to sit among particles on the bottom. Many anglers carry both.
Do you need to flavour fake baits?
Many anglers soak fake baits in a dip or liquid to give them smell. Others fish them unflavoured with a small bag of pellet or stick mix by the hook.
What is a zig bug?
A zig bug is a hook with a small imitation insect or larva tied on, fished on a zig rig in the upper water. It copies the natural food that carp feed on off the bottom.
How do you rig fake corn?
Thread one or two grains onto the hair and lock them with a hair stop, or add a grain on top of a boilie. Use putty on the hooklink if the bait is pop-up and you want it held down.
Why do some carp anglers avoid fake baits?
Some avoid them because a rig lost with a plastic bait stays whole in the lake. Others prefer real hardened baits on waters with lots of crayfish.
Can you use fake baits to beat nuisance fish?
Yes, plastic baits cannot be nibbled away, so they stay on the hair when small fish are pecking. On waters with many crayfish, hardened real baits are often used instead.