Fake Decoy Guide: Arm Your "Immortal Toy Soldiers" and Become Unstoppable [2025]

"But why would a carp swallow a piece of plastic?"

If you've asked yourself this question, you're in good company. It's the number one skepticism I've heard since I started using and recommending plastic corn back in 2009. At the time, it seemed like heresy. Today, an army of carp anglers have been "converted" and would never go back.

The answer to that question is the simplest and most important truth in our world: carp don't have hands.

If a fish is intrigued by something, if it wants to "test" the texture or flavor of an object on the bottom, it has only one way to do so: by sucking it in with its mouth. At that point, whether it's a real boilie or a kernel of fake corn, it makes no difference to us. The die is cast. Our rig goes into action and the big bait is ready for the landing net.

Once you understand this, a whole world of possibilities opens up before you. Fake lures stop being a stopgap and become what they truly are: "immortal toy soldiers" always ready in your bag, a weapon that never lets you down.

Our Credibility? We Are the Pioneers

We're not following a trend. We created it. When everyone in Italy was relying exclusively on natural baits, drawing on my personal experience and field tests, we began to spread the word about plastic. We listened to our customers' problems—baits eaten by shrimp, presentations that lost their effectiveness—and we realized that fake baits were the solution. Our authority comes from there: from being the first to believe in it and from having built an entire community of anglers who now can no longer do without them.

The Superpowers of Plastic: 4 Unassailable Benefits

Why can a fake decoy make you "omnipotent"? Because it has four superpowers.

1. Infinite Resistance: Shrimp, catfish, turtles, nuisance minnows. They all love our expensive boilies. A fake bait is your insurance policy. You can cast and be mathematically certain that your hook will always be set and fishing, even after 48 hours in the water. That's peace of mind.
2. Perfect Balance: Rig mechanics are everything. With a pop-up bait, you can perfectly balance a bottom boilie, creating a critically balanced wafter hookbait that will fly into the carp's mouth at the slightest suction. You have complete control over the mechanics of your rig.
3. Visual Attraction (The "Highlighter" Effect): Carp eat not only out of hunger, but also out of curiosity. A single kernel of neon-colored (yellow, pink, white) fake corn amidst dark groundbait acts as a "highlighter." It's a visual trigger, a target the carp can't help but notice and then "test" with its mouth.
4. Absolute Safety: Have you ever made a stellar cast only to spend hours wondering if your delicate boilie or corn kernel has cracked or broken off upon impact with the water? With a fake bait, that fear disappears. It's indestructible. You cast and you're fishing. Period.

The Arsenal of Fake Baits: A Guide to Recognition

Your army of "immortal soldiers" can consist of several different units. Here are the main ones.

• Fake Corn: It's the king, the common soldier who wins wars. Versatile and deadly, it's perfect both alone on a small hook or as a "topper" to make a boilie more visible. Having a selection of fake corn in various colors is the first step.
  • Recommended product: The Korda Pop-up Corn IB Yellow It's a timeless classic. Infused with an attractive aroma, it has perfect buoyancy and a highly visible color.
• Boilies/Fake Dumbbells: They're the ideal choice for creating combination hookbaits or for a pop-up that never loses its buoyancy. They allow you to experiment with balancing in a scientific way.
  • Recommended product: I Korda Plastic Wafter 18mm They're brilliant. They're already balanced to sink slowly, eliminating the weight of the hook. Creating the perfect bait has never been easier.
• Alternative Imitations: The world of fake baits is vast. Maggots, worms, pellets, tiger nuts, hemp, cooked ham, bread... they are unconventional weapons to surprise the most astute fish.
  • Recommended product: I Fox Edges Pop-up Maggots They're incredible. A cluster of floating, fake maggots can be key in waters where the fish are used to eating fine groundbait or larvae.

3 Deadly Baiting Techniques with Fake Bait

Now that you know your troops, here's how to deploy them on the battlefield.

1. The Balanced "Snowman": This is the most popular technique. You hook a bottoming boilie (the one you use for groundbait) and place a half-fake pop-up on top. The pop-up offsets the weight of the boilie underneath, creating a light bait that pops into the carp's mouth.
2. The "Highlighter" Rig: Simplicity pays off. Place a single kernel of neon yellow or pink fake corn amidst a dark boilie mix. It'll be the first thing the carp notice. It's a deadly technique in clear water and with inquisitive fish.
3. The Visual "Topper": Want to make your regular boilie more interesting? Add a single kernel of fake corn to the top. It won't change the look, but it will add that pop of color that can make the difference between an inspection and a bite.

Conclusion: Build Your Stock of "Immortal Toy Soldiers"

Stop thinking of artificial baits as a stopgap. They're a strategic choice, a guarantee, one of the most powerful and versatile weapons you can have. They give you the confidence to always be fishing, the ability to create perfect presentations, and the chance to pique the interest of even the most apathetic carp.

Start building your little arsenal. All you need is a can of yellow corn, a can of pink corn, and a few plastic wafters to cover 90% of your needs. Recruit your immortal soldiers and prepare to never again be left blank because of a missing trigger.