Spod mix recipes for carp

Three easy recipes

Always cook or soak particles like hemp and maize properly before you use them. Raw particles can swell inside fish, and many fisheries ban them.

• All-rounder: 2 parts hemp, 1 part sweetcorn, 1 part 4mm pellet, a handful of chopped 15mm boilies
• Summer heavy feed: hemp, maize, groats and fishmeal pellet with fish oil
• Winter light mix: a little hemp, crumbed boilies, maggots and a sweet liquid

Make it work in the water

Add liquids (a boilie dip, hemp oil or a liquid food) to create a cloud that draws fish. Keep the mix wet so it leaves the spod cleanly. Freeze portions in tubs so each session is ready to go.

Spodding accurately

Clip your spod rod to the same distance as your hookbait, and line up on a far-bank marker. Get the bait in before you put your rigs out, and in summer top up after each fish. In cold water, put less in and do it less often.

Common questions

What is the best spod mix for carp?

Cooked hemp, sweetcorn, small pellets and chopped boilies with a glug of liquid is cheap, easy and catches everywhere.

Can you spod in winter?

Yes, but use far less. A few spods of light, attractive mix can draw fish without filling them up.

Do I need to cook hemp?

Yes. Soak and boil hemp, maize and other particles until they're soft, or buy them ready-prepared. Many fisheries ban raw particles.

More carp fishing guides

• Boilies explained: choosing and using carp boiliesFishmeal, nut and milk-protein boilies, pop-ups and wafters, and how much to feed in each season.
• The best bait for carp — and when to use each oneBoilies, pellet, particles, bread and floaters — which to use, how much, and at what water temperature.
• Carp fishing setup: the complete kit listRods, reels, alarms, fish care, terminal tackle and shelter: the full carp kit list.
• Carp fishing for beginners: how to actually startLicence, kit, first water, bait and safe fish handling — the whole start-up in one page.
• Pack it with the session plannerPlan the session and tick off bait and kit on the packing checklist.
• Carp waters near youSearch England's carp lakes by postcode and county.