The known export of Ireland and Idaho, the potato, is good for more than French Fries. Potatoes and the starch the tuber produces are highly effective when fishing for carp. "Rollies," or small balls of sticky and boiled potato bits, attract the fish, enticing them for a meal and letting you enjoy the fight of reeling in your catch. Potatoes used in carp fishing need to be properly prepped to achieve maximum effectiveness for carp strikes on the hook.
Items you will need
Cutting board
Pot and water
Mellon baller
Corn starch
Carp scent, dictated by your carp fishing water
Wax paper
Cut up several potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Dump them into a pot of boiling water along with 2 or 3 tbsp. of corn starch and your choice of carp scent. The scent is based on what is found around your carp fishing area and is used to seep into the potatoes to attract the fish. Boil the water until the potatoes and starch create a paste.
Scoop out the paste into the mellon baller to make round little "rollies" (also called "boilies") and set the small balls onto the wax paper to cool and dry.
Pack the dry and cooled-off rollies into a plastic bag to take on the fishing trip.
Hook one rollie onto the end of the fishing hook when ready to cast and fish for the carp. The ball will eventually break apart after several casts, so be sure to check the condition after each cast and retrieve. Replace with a new rollie when the old is too decayed for further use.
Tips
- Let the old rollie fall into the water as this attracts carp to the area and hopefully onto the rollie on your hook.
References
Tips
- Let the old rollie fall into the water as this attracts carp to the area and hopefully onto the rollie on your hook.
Writer Bio
A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.
