Peperami in a PVA Bag - Does it Catch Carp?

Peperami in a PVA Bag – The Carp Went Animal!

Can you really catch carp using Peperami straight from the supermarket? I decided there was only one way to find out!

For this week’s fishing session, I returned to the wild farm lake that has featured in a couple of my previous videos. It’s a fascinating little venue, fed by the river and rarely fished, so some of its carp may never have been caught before.

The carp aren’t enormous, but they are incredibly powerful, pristine fish—and once hooked, they go like rockets!

A Simple Peperami PVA Bag Rig

My plan was to keep everything simple and fish Peperami inside solid PVA bags on both rods.

The rig consisted of:

• A piece of Peperami mounted on a standard hair rig

• A size 8 Drennan barbless hook

• A four-inch hooklink made from 18lb Korda Basics braid

• A small piece of silicone tubing to hold the hair in position

• A ring swivel providing plenty of movement

• A 2½oz flat pear inline lead

• Rig tubing and an extra-long tail rubber

There were no complicated additions or elaborate rig mechanics—just a short, strong and reliable PVA bag rig.

Making the Solid PVA Bags

I used 70mm × 150mm solid PVA bags with a speed-loader system. Each bag contained a mixture of pellets, ranging from tiny micro pellets to much larger pieces.

After placing the lead, rig and Peperami hookbait inside, I gradually filled the bag with pellets, making sure the hook was sitting flat and couldn’t become tangled.

I then twisted and sealed the top before folding and sticking down the corners to produce a neat, compact bag. Finally, I pierced the bag and injected some Peperami-flavoured oil for an extra boost of attraction.

One of the biggest benefits of a solid PVA bag is knowing that wherever it lands, your hookbait will be presented alongside an attractive parcel of free food.

The First Peperami-Caught Carp

Both bags were cast into open water because the carp in this lake are extremely quick and will head straight towards any nearby snags.

Within around 30 or 40 minutes, the right-hand rod ripped off. After a surprisingly straightforward fight, a beautiful mirror carp slipped over the net.

It was a pristine fish and probably weighed more than 10lb, possibly making it the biggest carp I had caught from the lake at that point. More importantly, it was proof that the Peperami PVA bag was working!

The Action Continues

The first fish was followed by a lively common carp, which took only around ten minutes after the previous bite. Every carp I have caught from this lake has been in fantastic condition, and this one was no exception.

Another common followed, displaying the incredible power these wild carp possess. It charged around the swim, threatened to wipe out my other rod and even jumped from the landing net before I finally managed to secure it.

Later, I hooked a much better fish that headed directly towards the marginal snags. At one point, I was convinced it had beaten me, but thankfully it managed to swim free.

After a determined fight, I landed a stunning mirror carp weighing just over 12lb. It had picked up a slight mark while fighting among the roots, so I treated it with carp-care spray before returning it safely.

Following the Signs

The middle of the day became much quieter as the temperature increased. I could see dark shapes and signs of carp higher in the water, suggesting they had moved away from feeding on the bottom.

As the afternoon began to cool, I noticed swirls and movement near a bush. Rather than continuing to fish the original spots, I repositioned a fresh PVA bag close to the activity—but far enough away to give me a chance of stopping a fish from reaching the snags.

The change worked, producing another cracking mirror that looked to be around the 12lb mark.

At approximately 7pm, just as I was considering packing everything away, the right-hand rod ripped off one final time. A lovely common carp provided the perfect ending to an excellent session.

Do Carp Really Like Peperami?

By the end of the day, I had landed six beautiful carp on Peperami and solid PVA bags, including several of the better fish I have caught from this lake.

So, does Peperami catch carp? Based on this session, the answer is definitely yes!

Its strong smell, high oil content and firm texture make it an interesting alternative hookbait. It is inexpensive, easy to find and can be cut into different sizes to suit the fish you’re targeting.

The session also demonstrated how effective solid PVA bags can be. They offer excellent presentation, reduce the risk of tangles and place your hookbait directly beside a concentrated pile of attraction.

Watch the Full Fishing Session

You can watch me prepare the rigs and PVA bags—and see all the action from the session—in the full Boilie Ben video:

Watch Peperami in a PVA Bag – The Carp Went Animal!

Learn Carp Fishing with Boilie Ben

Would you like to improve your carp fishing, learn how to use PVA bags or gain confidence with a completely new technique?

I offer friendly, practical one-to-one carp fishing tuition across West Sussex. Sessions are tailored to your experience and what you would most like to learn, with equipment available if required.

As an Angling Trust qualified coach, my aim is to make every session relaxed, enjoyable and easy to understand.

Visit Carp Fishing Tuition with Boilie Ben to view the different sessions, prices and booking information.