| As you probably know by now, I have been | | | | components of such fruits is just one idea. |
| writing about bait for 5 years now and it seems | | | | You can take advantage of such things (and |
| many anglers are taking up my ideas and being | | | | discover many more such things) if you keep an |
| inspired into bait creation far more than maybe | | | | open mind! |
| anglers have been doing for 15 to 20 years or | | | | Here is just an observation on normalised and bait |
| more; so try the ideas given here - they are well | | | | industry conditioned anglers behaviours and |
| worth trying because they really work! | | | | perspectives! How many anglers expect to see a |
| Boosting bait is not all about substances such as | | | | red fish meal boilie, or a pink shrimp pop-up bait, |
| amino acids or flavours or palatants, appetite | | | | or yellow Scopex or Chocolate Malt readymade |
| stimulators and other things either well known or | | | | baits? Think about it; have you been conditioned |
| totally new to bait-making. Boosting your bait | | | | to expect to see smooth firm round boilies or |
| potential is really geared to how fish have begun | | | | pellets that are dyed red and flavoured with Tutti |
| to respond to any established that fish may have | | | | Fruiti flavour for instance? (Note even dumbbells, |
| been hooked on already and now is a bit heir of it | | | | barrels or pellets are still very common rounded |
| than before - but still wants your bait. | | | | shapes carp are well-used to dealing with! |
| Well-designed baits that supply a broad or even | | | | The bait tones of red and white obviously show |
| minimal range of essential nutritional factors to | | | | up well in terms of sight feeding carp in various |
| carp, or even factors that simply boost | | | | conditions. However, bait colour can seriously help |
| metabolism or health or digestion in some and so | | | | or hinder confident feeding. For me bait colour is |
| on all work very effectively. This is why nutritional | | | | just no important because you actually want carp |
| baits for example go on working for years | | | | to feed with confidence and not admire what a |
| needing relatively minor changes to give them a | | | | wonderful Day-Glo florescent colour tone a bait is. |
| new lease of life. | | | | These things really do sell bait for bait makers |
| Most of the present readymade baits on the | | | | however. The point is that it is very wise to |
| market are made from a collection of mostly | | | | make your baits a totally alternative colour to |
| very standard ingredients, additives and flavours. | | | | what fish are used to - or mimic tones of natural |
| It is no surprise then when fish receiving such | | | | baits. Much of the natural proteinous food items |
| baits every day decide they may not be so | | | | carp eat cannot even be seen because of the |
| hungry or excited about them after all and pick | | | | dense bottom silt they feed in. |
| and choose much more. | | | | Often carp will suction and filter feed head-deep in |
| There are so many bait substances that offer | | | | rich deep silt for hours on end. Many senses are |
| benefits to carp that are not used in the majority | | | | used simultaneously such as sensitivity to |
| of any readymade carp baits. This could be due | | | | vibrations and electrical fields, internal and external |
| to a myriad of reasons, from incredibly high cost, | | | | stimulation by dissolved natural chemical traces in |
| irregular supply, import regulations and restrictions, | | | | solution such as ammonia and amino acids (even |
| lack of scientific knowledge of the actual | | | | betaine) etc, given off by various natural food |
| concentrations or combinations that best exploit | | | | items as they go about doing whatever they do |
| potential of substances and so on. Obviously | | | | in their life cycles. I really like to catch carp with |
| some bait company bosses are decades ahead of | | | | black heads or that are a black colour right up to |
| others in terms of technical knowledge and | | | | their shoulders where their silt-feeding habits have |
| feedback from users, substances combinations, | | | | stained them! |
| levels, ratios and best applications of substances | | | | On a clay or gravel bottom or silk weed bottom, |
| known to date. | | | | I was successful using white pop-up baits 30 |
| Very often one of the biggest reasons an | | | | years ago fished 2 feet off the bottom, especially |
| additive or ingredient is mostly not used in | | | | at range but then I was also successful using |
| readymade baits is because the time, labour and | | | | black baits on the bottom in exactly the same |
| costs it takes to prepare it simply may not be | | | | spots using foam glued to the back of hooks to |
| profitable to make it worthwhile. This does not | | | | balance and negate hook weights to various |
| mean that making the effort will not massively | | | | degrees. |
| pay you off as a homemade bait angler! This | | | | It is obvious also that where fish feed |
| scenario is rather like the sae anglers fishing off | | | | predominantly with their heads buried it is normal |
| the East coast of America for cod. In years gone | | | | to hook fish with a short rig fished actually within |
| by these fisheries were basically fished out so | | | | the silt and not over it. This kind of fishing gets |
| they became too unprofitable to fish and even | | | | me into bait design for silt and the ways you can |
| endangered the actual survival of the species | | | | make the power of a bait far greater without |
| completely in an area - as in the saga of the | | | | making baits repellant are very many indeed and |
| depletion of the now gone gigantic shoals of cod | | | | certainly not limited to concentrated flavours. |
| at the Grand Banks in the North Atlantic or the | | | | In terms of tones and colours, I have used |
| massive shoals of herring off Southern island. | | | | flecked baits tinged with red, green, white and |
| However, with the right refinements in baits, | | | | black with success as well as homemade baits |
| tackle, rig and fishing location and depth you can | | | | skilfully moulded in red and white made using one |
| make some crazy catches of cod, but if you | | | | base mix or even two completely different base |
| were a commercial trawler for instance the costs | | | | mixes molded by hand to make individual baits. |
| to catch this small amount of fish simply would | | | | How many other anglers will try this I do not |
| not pay a profit. | | | | know but it really hedges your bets on all kinds of |
| Homemade bait makers really can profit big-time | | | | levels and I seriously recommend it (So feel free |
| from using even small amounts of very | | | | to let me know what your results are doing it!) |
| expensive additives and ingredients because | | | | I personally feel that preparing or making up your |
| although such things work incredibly well, few bait | | | | hooks and rigs with small fake red worms, or |
| companies will invest in such substances and | | | | special hook skins, or paste or actually threaded |
| expect to turn a profit. I am not going to tell you | | | | onto your hooks is much more important than |
| some examples here that I have discovered but | | | | what colour your bait is. After all, the vast |
| relate to you some examples of things to get | | | | majority of hooks on the market reflect light |
| your mind thinking about further possibilities - and | | | | instead of absorbing it and up close carp eyesight |
| many clues are found in bait ingredients in popular | | | | is far better than anglers imagine; especially when |
| use today. | | | | teamed with barbels, lips, fins and so on and |
| Garlic is used in many commercial baits and is | | | | pressure sensing cells etc feeling for lines, |
| cheap. But garlic is not packed with protein and | | | | abnormal tension or unnatural movements of |
| amino acids is it; so garlic effects have to do with | | | | potential foods etc. |
| other factors that are very potent indeed. | | | | In my case I have tested all kinds of really weird |
| The smell of garlic is different to that in air - | | | | and even shocking things on hooks and found that |
| different molecules are formed. It is wise to | | | | removing the coating off most hooks improves |
| remember that carp can have many differences | | | | numbers of bites. This coating removal is done |
| in the experience of substances in water that are | | | | well in advance of fishing and my hooks are |
| often different to the experience of the same | | | | soaked in water to allow a coating of rust to |
| substance we have because of us experiencing | | | | develop. It may be carp are somehow attracted |
| substances in air. | | | | by this maybe for electrical-field related reasons, |
| Maybe a bit more detail is required to illustrate this | | | | curiosity or maybe just the fact that this object |
| sort of aspect of bait. For example, many bait | | | | is different to 99 percent of other objects in the |
| ingredients, additives, flavours etc contain volatile | | | | water they experience regularly - including other |
| substances which when heated evaporate into the | | | | hooks. Maybe it is partly to do with how light hits |
| air - and we detect these substances very well - | | | | such prepared hooks contacting a matt rough |
| even with our dumbed-down senses! Ethyl alcohol | | | | surface instead of a glossy smooth one?! |
| is an ideal example that most people can relate to. | | | | I always sharpen the final 4 millimetres of the |
| In fact you can smell different compounds in | | | | hook anyway because in my personal opinion, the |
| different wines before you take them into your | | | | sharper and thinner this is the more fish will be |
| mouth. Some of these substances will give you a | | | | self-hooked effectively. The importance of this |
| gut response too which I think in terms of fishing | | | | finesse of 4 or 5 millimetres or so is lost on far |
| baits is extremely important. | | | | too many anglers I think, and after many years |
| But not all substances that easily mix with air and | | | | of sharpening my hooks and fishing them against |
| disperse very rapidly will mix with water so | | | | all kinds of chemically-sharpened hooks on the |
| readily! Many substances that when heated in air | | | | markets none have ever beaten the hooking ratio |
| are released into the air with ease can in fact be | | | | of my extremely manually sharpened hooks - |
| surprisingly insoluble in water. | | | | fact!) |
| I do not just mean certain compounds in liquids | | | | I even went through a phase of testing those |
| we use in baits but in the plethora of dry powder | | | | ready-painted green hooks against my |
| form additives and ingredients too. The relative | | | | coating-stripped megs-hand sharpened hooks and |
| densities of substances can have a huge impact | | | | found that 4 millimetres is what really counts! The |
| on bait performance too and can either impact on | | | | fact that I have actually hooked a carp (with a |
| fish at long range or when fish are right next to | | | | run achieved) by preparing a hook like this and |
| your bait - and effect the weight, firmness or | | | | using no bait is food for thought at least. If you |
| texture and buoyancy of baits too. | | | | have doubts - try testing for yourself but bear in |
| When we talk about flavours, so many anglers | | | | mind sharpening a hook really does takes hours to |
| jump to ideas such as diacetin, glycerol, esters | | | | do right - my hooks are literally thinner and |
| and so on, but milk caseins have flavour profiles, | | | | sharper than needles and never have I ever seen |
| just as soya flour, L030, cheese powder, Marmite | | | | another angler do much more than a couple of |
| or even maize flour do. | | | | runs up and down the point with any forma of |
| It amazes me how many carp anglers are | | | | sharpener. |
| actually shocked to discover that they can catch | | | | So really do yourself a big favour and do it right |
| fish using baits made with zero additional flavours. | | | | and you will experience the difference big-time! It |
| I think that the majority over-look all the | | | | is true that I have lost a couple of big fish |
| combined flavour profiles of mixed dry ingredients | | | | because the tip of my hooks have bent out |
| when they form a solution (i.e. with water.) | | | | usually just prior to netting stage. But would these |
| For instance, how many anglers realise that the | | | | have actually been self-hooked using less sharp |
| pretty well known liquid additive butyric acid is | | | | hooks?! I know these fish would not have been |
| present in Marmite and in mature cheeses for | | | | properly hooked if I had not done the preparation |
| example. Everyone knows by now how | | | | as so many big wary fish can shake hooks very |
| potently-smelling butyric acid is. You really can | | | | easily with enough practice and developed skills |
| make boilies an many other baits that do not | | | | over thousands of hours of being fished for. |
| scare off fish by exploiting ingredients, liquids and | | | | In fact I think that in general the fish we actually |
| additives that contain natural compounds etc; that | | | | land are the minority of the fish that actually get |
| attract fish and stimulate feeding behaviours - | | | | hooked on pressured waters because the |
| without using any additional flavours whatsoever. | | | | majority of the time these fish shake the hook |
| You read so many anglers in magazines explaining | | | | without giving much more than a single bleep if |
| that they wanted to make a long-term bait for | | | | that! Also the vast majority of so-called |
| the biggest wary fish, so they omitted using | | | | self-hooking rigs are simply dependant on a fish |
| flavour, or used only a low does of flavour. I | | | | going upright against a lead to pull in the hook, or |
| many ways, if you use enough of a particular | | | | moving a distance far enough to create pressure |
| soluble dry powder ingredient or additive for | | | | on the hook point from line drag and so on, yet |
| example within your bait you can in effect | | | | we all know fish get off hooks attached to 5 |
| provide a similar amount of minimum dose that | | | | ounce leads and get off running rigs with light |
| adding a small amount of pure flavour component | | | | leads. |
| would add. | | | | For me the hook finesse is the key to rig |
| Winter and the cold water conditions of spring | | | | success, the mechanics of curved hooks and |
| time are excellent times to try new things | | | | weight-negated hooks etc are all secondary |
| because let us face it - if your readymade baits | | | | however a curved hook is obviously maximising |
| are not hauling then trying other approaches | | | | your chances with very many rigs combined with |
| certainly can work. In fact there have been many | | | | various curved stiff links, or coated hinged links, |
| times when I have fished using maggots in low | | | | very supple and stiff combi-links etc. In my books |
| temperatures and used my homemade pastes on | | | | if you make black and green baits that have a |
| a different rod and had the maggots left | | | | natural unami taste and boosted with certain |
| un-touched while hooking fish on the pastes. | | | | probiotic and prebiotic additives and ingredients |
| In my view, once maggots stop frantically | | | | (which I will disclose in my further ebooks) |
| wriggling around and have already excreted the | | | | impacting on bait performance and fast efficient |
| bulk of the ammonia etc they expel upon the | | | | digestion, such things are far superior to be sold |
| shock of entering water, they can be very limiting | | | | on Day-Glo pinks, reds and yellows that are used |
| in terms of attraction. Meanwhile a soluble | | | | by the masses! |
| specifically-designed paste can keep on breaking | | | | Being different in terms of bait is not about taking |
| down and releasing plumes of attraction without | | | | risks, but adapting to what fish may become |
| over-filling fish in the slightest. | | | | wary of and giving them alternatives that also |
| Here I will provide you with a very simple | | | | exploit their sensitivities and their simultaneous |
| example of a soft paste you can mold onto your | | | | uses of them all! You can boost bait attraction |
| rigs that does not involve milk or fish ingredients: | | | | using natural fructose concentrate and lactose |
| Why not try liquidised maggots, Marmite and | | | | concentrate from CC Moore for instance, or try |
| whole wheat flour with the addition of | | | | their green-lipped mussel flavour, or their Belachan |
| enzyme-treated yeast powder, and | | | | flavour and or other more alternative essences |
| enzyme-treated liver powder. Add a dash of dried | | | | for instance. You might use such things not in |
| crushed shrimps and insects pre-soaked in black | | | | neat form but cut with dextrose or powdered |
| pepper essential oil for example and CC Moore | | | | amino acids or liquid betaine or milk shake |
| liquid Red Venom, and away you go. | | | | powders or whatever you wish to test next and |
| Try CW Baits for the dried shrimps and try CC | | | | my ebooks go into such things far more. |
| Moore for the insect and other natural little feasts | | | | Such simple ideas are a great change from the |
| in their ground bait section. You might also like to | | | | usual protein-based and other intense sweeteners |
| try spraying some maggots with neat Scopex, | | | | used in the majority of commercial baits today. |
| Tutti Fruiti or Bun spice flavour for instance and | | | | The strong natural aroma and solubility of the |
| include these in your stick mix, spod mix, PVA | | | | potent compounds in Manuka honey for example |
| bag mix, method mix etc to get some extra | | | | will make your baits extra-different and even |
| vibration and movement into the proceedings. | | | | more appealing! (Honey flavour is very |
| If you are wary of using flavours then flavour | | | | over-looked; why not try it with Scopex or a |
| maggots avoiding synthetic and more familiar | | | | popular flavour like Chocolate Malt for instance!) |
| type solvent-based flavours and go for natural | | | | All this might sound pretty obvious to some of |
| flavours or nature-identical flavours for example; | | | | you or this might well really get you thinking much |
| these are much more easily found these days! | | | | more about doing things differently yourself. |
| Many homemade natural flavour creations can be | | | | Whatever the case, the impacts of such ideas will |
| produced in concentrated forms by using your | | | | be pretty obvious to your fish and your catches - |
| own imagination and creativity. Simply warming up | | | | even if your lake is freezing over as you exploit |
| fresh cranberries and blackberries pulped and | | | | them! (For much more valuable information see |
| warmed up to evaporate water content without | | | | my website and biography right now! |
| damaging the live enzymes and bioactive | | | | |