Many anglers love trying new baits, and I am sure that you are the same. That’s most likely the reason you are reading this article right now. It’s always interesting to try out new baits.
So, do carp like pineapple? Yes, carp do love the flavour of pineapple and it’s best used as an additive as chunks of pineapple is hard to keep on the hook which is why it’s not used often as a hook bait.
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Tinned Or Fresh?
It appears that people prefer to use fresh pineapple. The reason for this is that you can buy it from the shop before it’s fully ripe. This means that you can cut it up when it’s slightly harder and it then stays on the hook a bit easier than tinned pineapple. Tinned pineapple has been soaking in juices inside a tin for months so it’s always going to be a bit soggier when compared to fresh pineapple.
Therefore, fresh is best!
Could You Liquidise It?
One thing you could do is to get a full pineapple (or a tin) and liquidise it so that there are no chunks left. You could then add a touch of water to it and use it to soak your pellets in, or add it to some bread crumb to make a groundbait. The options are endless really.
Could You Hair Rig Pineapple?
Yes, chunks of pineapple should definitely be hair rigged as they will stay on the hook for longer than hooking it directly.
What Pineapple Flavour Baits Should I Try?
Pineapple Flavoured Sweetcorn
I always remember as a kid this was the bait I wanted to use. Not because I thought the fish would like it, but because I loved the smell of it. By the end of the day, my hands would be coloured yellow and I would smell amazing. However, did it catch me more fish? I am not sure, but I definitely caught fish on it.
Pineapple Boilies
These have been around for a while now and it’s probably my “go-to” flavour of boilie and one that many companies produce. It’s definitely worth a try.
Do Carp Like The Colour Yellow?
I had heard this before, but it was something I had never really looked into. Pineapple is yellow though, right? So I did some light research.
Rob Hughes covered it in this article here.
The overall thought is that yellow actually blends into the colour of the lake bed more compared to say a red or pink bait. It is also believed that the eye of a fish works in a similar way to ours, and if it does, then yellow is not going to stand out as much as some other colours.
Is There Any Proof That Carp Prefer Pineapple Over Other Baits?
While doing research for this article, I came across this piece of content written by a group of college students. Over in America, carp, are becoming a real problem and damaging the waterways. A bunch of students were tasked with catching a lot of carp from the river to stop them from reaching Lake Michigan. They used all sorts of baits but found that the one that produced the best results was pineapple. You can read more about their interesting story, here.
Final Thoughts
How have you got on using fresh pineapple as bait? And if not fresh pineapple then what about pineapple boilies or other similar products? Let me know in the comments below.
Mike has over 30 years of fishing experience in carp fishing and general coarse fishing. He is always looking for the latest fishing kit to try out and talk about and needs a bigger shed due to all the fishing tackle he owns. You can read more about him here.