Congrats @ouchthathurt. It doesn't seem 5 mins ago that I was up with the bottle at 3AM so I know what you're going through. And I understand the struggle of not being able to get out. A healthy bait obsession is just prefect to keep the juices flowing.
Ultimately carp have evolved over millions of years to harvest the food sources available to them and one the most abundant is in the silt. I have even known them to feed in the horrible stinky black stuff. It's all about natural cycles and when the beds of naturals are ready for harvest. That horrible 'dead' silt does contain food, just not as frequently as the 'live' silt beds that hold bloodworm for long periods throughout the year. You're dead right that it's not feasible for a carp to reject baits tainted by silt. Silt is probably the #1 source of sustenance for the species.