Ben,
Take a look at the "vitalin" thread, and for a decent boilie take a look at the Richworth range in general and the frozen ones in particular, in my opinion their tutti frutti has stood the test of time and it still catch's plenty of carp.
Ben take some time to work out where the fish feed.This involves visits without the rods just looking.Get some polaroids and look for the Carp.You will notice them in weedy or snaggy areas during the day but nearby you can bet your boots will be areas that they feed. This may well be areas of clean gravel.If this is not possible when you are fishing look for signs of fish and try 'ambush ' points which may be a channel between weed or an island and not forgetting the margins.Try fishing for one fish at a time by limiting the amount of bait and fishing tight to the free offerings.Once you have done your homework and found good areas to place your baits the actual type is of relativley little importance.It does depend on the type of lake (or river) you are fishing but like Paul say's good old Tuttis are an old favourite but try to find out if there is a going bait on your lake. It may be that fishmeal baits are the best in summer or one of the more popular freezer baits such as Assasin 8 or Formula One.I would advise keeping free offerings of highly flavoured baits like Tuttis to a minimum and maybe adding just a few to an amount of Trout pellets or hemp.Whatever you decide on try not to chop and change this is the most common mistake , changing rigs baits etc will not change the fact the fish are simply not feeding or the spot you are fishing is wrong. Have faith, use your watercraft and have confidence in your ability.
