| Ideally, we fishermen would deliver the hook on | | | | boilies’ attraction. ‘Bioactivity’ by |
| its own, direct into the mouth of the fish by | | | | natural bacterial enzymes can be used on any |
| magic! | | | | ‘chemically unpreserved’ fresh or frozen |
| Well, there is 'magic' available if we look a little | | | | bait. |
| deeper... | | | | This is one of the ‘secret’ methods |
| People have thought of many unique and | | | | those anglers ‘in the know’ have always |
| advanced methods to get their fishing hook | | | | used as an edge. Even use it on any frozen fresh |
| delivery ‘fool-proof;’ from using | | | | shop-bought baits. Defrost them an average 2 to |
| semi-permeable membranes filled with amino | | | | 3 days before use, and keep them warm until |
| acids, to ‘sponge hooks’ full of irresistible | | | | use! (Bring them more ‘alive’ by |
| goodies! The next best thing is to deliver a bait | | | | encouraging bacterial ‘bioactivity!’) |
| which is ‘alive’ with amino acids, because | | | | It is obvious that bacteria play a vital role in the |
| it is being actively digested by various means! | | | | way carp source and are able to synthesis food |
| There are various enzymes that act upon the | | | | because the digestive tract is so short and |
| different food groups, some which may be | | | | inefficient compared to our own. The carp |
| sourced, to use in your bait to predigest its food | | | | digestive tract has evolved in a way that reflects |
| group ingredients, making your bait a far more | | | | the aquatic food sources available. It seems to |
| energy-efficient nutrition source, so making it as | | | | extract maximum nutritional benefits in ways that |
| attractive as possible: | | | | are very different from our own digestion! What |
| Proteins (proteases): trypsin pH (3.5 to 6), | | | | a carp eats and how it prefers it in a particular |
| bromelain pH 3 to 10, papain, acetyltyrosine, | | | | state of breakdown may seem amazing and |
| actinidine, fincin | | | | even disgusting to us! |
| Carbohydrates and starch (amylases): amylase, | | | | Did you know that 10 out of 10 dogs prefer their |
| bromelain, diastase | | | | food sweetened! Specialist bacteria are put into |
| Fats and oils (lipase) | | | | dog food to create more of this effect to trigger |
| Milk constituents: lactase | | | | the dogs into ‘salivating’ and consequently |
| White sugar (sucrase): iron sucrose | | | | picking up their food and eating it. Dog food |
| Malt sugars and grains (maltase, diastase) | | | | companies spend £1000’s in research to |
| Dietary fiber / Cellulose: (cellulase) | | | | develop the best of this effect in their products! |
| The crystalline forms of trypsin, amylase and can | | | | The action of these enzymes has much in |
| be used for example. Fishing bait companies offer | | | | common with what we are aiming to achieve, in |
| it. They are the enzymes the carp use | | | | baits for carp! |
| themselves in digestion. | | | | Modern ‘Balanced profile’ carp boilie baits |
| For natural enzymic application, for example, | | | | mean ‘optimally attractive’, correct ratios |
| amylolytic yeast strain enzymes have shown | | | | of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and supplemental |
| similar optimum temperature and pH ranges in | | | | vitamins, minerals, salt, and trace elements. These |
| tests on wheat, as amylases from bacteria. | | | | are not at all necessary to catch carp, but they |
| Betaine is ‘closely related to’ cystine, and | | | | certainly have many many benefits on catches |
| is a proven attractor. Used in bait, it has been | | | | and carp general health and growth rates! |
| claimed to work best with the combined use of | | | | Remember, the carp has a very short, alkaline |
| plenty of amino acids. It is recommended at 1 to | | | | digestive tract! Ideally, this food needs to be in a |
| 2 grams per pound, although it is more effective | | | | form that is actively breaking down, for the carp |
| at far higher doses… | | | | to derive best benefits from it, or, in an easily |
| It is also used in aquaculture feeds and been used | | | | digestible form, like that in bloodworms, fly larvae, |
| by ‘select’ anglers for years as in | | | | shrimps or water snails, etc. |
| ‘Finnstim’ in milk protein baits. | | | | One thing in favour of paste or dough baits and |
| The crystal form of bromelain (from pineapple) is | | | | even pellets of different types, is they do not |
| supplied by health food companies as a | | | | suffer the harmful effects of boiling. |
| ‘tonic,’ and taken at up to 1000 mgs a | | | | Sometimes, this point is reached in ‘free |
| day as a human digestion aid. It efficiently | | | | baits’, days after you’ve gone home, as |
| ‘hydrolyses’ most soluble proteins at pH | | | | bacteria act on them in the water. It is more than |
| 3 to 10, at a wide range of temperatures for | | | | likely that this is the easiest form for the carp to |
| liquid and many amazing carp attracting | | | | digest! |
| substances. | | | | The absolute ‘cutting edge’ of carp bait |
| Casein, hemoglobin, gelatin, soya protein, fish and | | | | production, may be in keeping enzymes stable in |
| shellfish proteins, etc. These are converted to | | | | baits after boiling, and may even involve using |
| peptides and amino acids. It has (very | | | | natural bacterial enzymes in combination with |
| conveniently for us) a wide range of effective | | | | balanced casein / soya bean ‘peptone’ |
| acid-base levels (pH), and temperatures. | | | | content, for example. It may be possible that |
| Mixed with base mix ingredients, they gradually | | | | more enzymes are produced as more |
| reduce the structure to a mush, if levels are too | | | | pre-digested materials are produced inside the |
| high; a teaspoon per pound is sufficient to begin | | | | ‘active’ boilie bait, (like pork or milk, or |
| the effect. Once boilies and other baits have been | | | | yeast, or liver extracts,) as bacteria levels are |
| prepared and left to cool and dry after boiling, | | | | improved and become more abundant? |
| freeze immediately, to prevent baits predigesting | | | | One important area is the science of retaining |
| too quickly in advance of fishing. Enzyme-treated | | | | enzyme stability in heat and changing pH |
| baits lose much of their unique attractiveness if | | | | conditions in the bait. PH ‘buffers’ are |
| the enzyme activity is reduced or stopped for | | | | involved to protect enzyme potential and activity. |
| any reason, before ‘backside’ use. | | | | In experiments involving ‘thermos table |
| In the 1980s, I once met the world carp record | | | | alkaline enzyme and industrial bacteria’, the |
| holder (at that time), Kevin Ellis, while he was | | | | best naturally produced, protein digesting enzyme |
| fishing. He was throwing his free baits out before | | | | (protease) levels, occurred using: (Peptone 1V), |
| casting out. He explained that the large drum, full | | | | ‘Soy tone’, Corn steep liquor, Casein, |
| to the top with bait (looked like many | | | | Gelatin and beef extract. |
| ‘kilos’) would all have to go into the | | | | Enzyme production using the industrial |
| water immediately – before it all | | | | ‘peptone 1V’ was dependant upon its |
| ‘melted;’ because it was so extremely | | | | concentration: too much, and there was an |
| enzyme-active! (But obviously very highly | | | | excessive nitrogen build-up, as in amino acids and |
| effective!) | | | | ammonia, which then reduced the protease |
| Using enzymes, it’s recommended by some | | | | production. (The peptone was the nitrogen and |
| to keep hook baits in a pre warmed flask, e.g. 60 | | | | carbon source). ‘Soy tone’ produced the |
| plus degrees, to keep the enzymes active right | | | | second-best enzyme production, and the third |
| up to the point of use. This is all worthwhile. | | | | was corn steep liquor. |
| Results on such baits can be truly amazing when | | | | I would surmise from this, that not only can corn |
| sufficient bait has been applied to a water, | | | | steep liquor be effective in translating whole food |
| extracting the very biggest fish, even, at times, in | | | | proteins into digestible forms by bacterial enzyme |
| days rather than weeks! | | | | or other means, but also it may stimulate the |
| I’d always keep my hook baits warm, even if | | | | production of free L-glutamic acid, within the bait |
| only to allow more bacteria to act and begin | | | | ingredients producing a self digesting, self |
| ‘bioactive fermentation’ on the bait, | | | | taste-enhancing bait! |
| making them feel ‘sticky’ and smell | | | | Top catches are mostly achieved by those people |
| slightly ‘sickly’, as sugars and alcohols are | | | | who 'push barriers a little,' who think and do things |
| produced. | | | | a little differently to the majority. So go on; why |
| You can use a pre warmed flask to keep your | | | | not be a little bit different; the fantastic rewards |
| hook baits actively curing, even if you’re not | | | | are just waiting for you! |
| using enzymes in your bait. Getting your baits to | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait |
| begin to ferment is one of the best ways to | | | | ‘edges’ up his sleeve. Every single one |
| deliberately maximize your ‘finished’ | | | | can have a huge impact on catches. |