In Autumn, Rubbed Bait Outperforms Pulled Bait for Crucian Carp by 10 Times! Nail These 2 Details

As autumn rolls in, many anglers find themselves frustrated: “Crucian carp are getting harder to catch. The nest is overrun with small fish, and landing a decent-sized crucian carp feels like a dream!” But the issue isn’t that the fish aren’t biting—it’s likely because the bait isn’t properly prepared. Autumn crucian carp are picky eaters, and small fish are extremely active. If your bait doesn’t match their "appetite," you’ll either catch nothing or only small fish. Today, I’m going to reveal how to prepare bait specifically for autumn crucian carp fishing. Get these two details right, and you’ll target big crucian carp every time—without the small fish getting in the way!

1. The Bait Must Be “Heavy Enough” to Sink Straight to the Bottom

Small fish love to swim in the upper and middle water layers, making them quick to grab light, flimsy bait. If your bait is too light, it won’t reach the bottom where the bigger crucian carp are waiting. Instead, small fish will snatch it up before it sinks.

Solution: Make sure your bait is heavy enough to sink straight to the bottom. There are two easy ways to make your bait heavier:

Mix wine-soaked rice into your bait. The rice sinks quickly and helps keep the fish in the area.

Use less fast-atomizing powder and add more cornmeal or flour to increase the weight of the bait.

For example, when I fish for crucian carp, I mix cornmeal with some commercial bait, then add a handful of wine-soaked rice and roll the mix into ping-pong-sized bait balls. These sink fast to the bottom—too quickly for small fish to chase—giving big crucian carp a chance to feed.

Why does heavy bait work?
Big crucian carp prefer to stay near the bottom, while small fish dart around in the upper layers. Bait that sinks quickly bypasses the small fish and lands right in front of the crucian carp, providing a “private meal” just for them. Small fish can’t steal it, and you’ll catch only the big ones!

I tested this method last week in a wild river. The disturbance from small fish was greatly reduced, and the crucian carp I caught were significantly larger. Meanwhile, an angler nearby using light, fluffy pulled bait struggled with a constantly dancing float, but caught less than half of what I did.

2. The Bait Must Be “Soft and Sticky” – Small Fish Can’t Swallow It, But Big Crucian Carp Love It

While the bait needs to sink quickly, it also needs to be soft and sticky. Small fish have tiny mouths and can’t swallow overly hard or crumbly bait. If the bait breaks apart too easily, small fish will peck at it, while big crucian carp will ignore it.

Solution: Use soft and sticky bait that small fish can’t easily bite into or swallow, but big crucian carp can. The ideal bait will stay intact, giving it time to sit on the bottom until the larger fish come in to feed.

To make the bait sticky, simply add sticky powder or knead the bait longer so that it holds its shape when squeezed but slowly dissolves in water. A mix of cornmeal and flour kneaded with warm water works perfectly. The bait is soft to the touch, maintains its shape when cast, and slowly breaks down after sinking to the bottom—perfect for attracting big crucian carp.

Why is sticky bait so effective?
The softness means small fish can’t swallow it, so they’ll give up after a few attempts. The stickiness helps the bait break down slowly on the bottom, releasing its scent and luring big crucian carp from a distance. Think of it like underwater advertising—the scent spreads, drawing the big fish closer and keeping them in the area longer. This leads to faster, more frequent bites.

Rubbed Bait with Wine-Soaked Rice – No Need for Pre-Baiting

In autumn, rubbed bait is far more effective than pulled bait for catching crucian carp. Pulled bait is often too light and crumbly, making it easy for small fish to steal. Rubbed bait, however, can be made both heavy and sticky, addressing the two key factors we discussed earlier.

If you’re worried about taking too long to activate the nest, dip your rubbed bait in wine-soaked rice before casting. This will attract fish and keep them around without needing a separate pre-baiting process, which saves time and effort.

Here’s how I do it: I roll the bait into small balls, then coat them with wine-soaked rice. When cast, the wine-soaked rice disperses slowly, attracting crucian carp to the area, while the bait ball sinks straight to the bottom. This method allows the bait to settle quickly and stay fresh longer, leading to faster bites and more fish gathered.

Important tip: Make sure your bait balls are slightly larger than a thumbnail—too big, and the crucian carp won’t be able to swallow them. The texture should also be soft enough to squeeze out of shape with a gentle press. Hard, oversized bait will make the crucian carp lose interest.

Nail These Two Details – Catch Big Crucian Carp, One After Another