So, which protein boilies should you choose?

In the world of angling, especially among many beginner carp anglers, there is a common belief that in spring and autumn, so-called "stinkers" should be used, while sweet boilies are for summer. However, this is a misconception as it is actually the other way around.

Fish boilies, also known as the aforementioned "stinkers," contain many oils and fish meals, which have a considerable amount of fats. Using such bait in cold water is akin to butter in a refrigerator. The butter becomes much harder due to the cold temperature and the fat does not spread. Therefore, by using this type of bait in cold water, we make it much harder for the carp to locate the bait/groundbait, because the fat blocks the scent inside the bait and it does not disperse as it should.

However, it can't be said that carp can't be caught on typical fish boilies early in the spring, because if the fish are located correctly, they will certainly go for such bait.

For fans of these typically fishy boilies, manufacturers are increasingly introducing more boilies with broken scents and appropriate compositions to their offerings, which are all-year-round baits and can be used successfully in any water temperature. Among such legendary scents are boilies such as Scopex Squid and Krillberry, meaning krill and forest fruits:

UltimateProducts Top Range Boilies - Scopex Squid

Karel Nikl Ready Boilies - KrillBerry

However, early in the spring it is worth focusing on baits with typically sweet scent notes, which disperse best in cold water. The scents to pay particular attention to are:

MassiveBaits Limited Edition Boilies - Citrus Pearl

UltimateProducts Juicy Series Tutti Frutti Boilies

Pineapple MassiveBaits Top Shelf Boilies - Pineapplez Butyricco - which particularly pairs well with butyric acid

One must not forget also about boilies that have a scent of spices or garlic. Such scents can cause quite a commotion during spring sessions, and carps simply adore them. Below are examples:

Seafood and spices - Massive Baits Specials Boilies - Marisco:

Indian spices - Bait Zone Boilies PEG 72:

Garlic - MassiveBaits Limited Edition Boilies - Voodoo Blanco:

Each of us follows some beaten path in angling, which sometimes is worth breaking to achieve success or increase our efficiency. Personally, like most carp anglers, I am a proponent of using boilies with fishy scent notes, however, it's not worth closing off the possibility of improving our results on sessions and experimenting.