| * The importance and bait significance of | | | | the proteins in the bait. |
| ‘First Limiting’ Amino Acids! * | | | | • Each protein ingredient in your bait is most |
| There are about 25 amino acids found in proteins, | | | | deficient in one particular amino acid, called the |
| but the most important to carp are the | | | | ‘first limiting amino acid’ and prevents any |
| ‘essential amino acids’ for carp. | | | | further digestion of other amino acids in that |
| These are not made in the carp’s body, and | | | | protein ingredient; no matter how abundant they |
| must be consumed in the diet. Carp are always | | | | are in your bait! |
| deficient in one amino acid more than any other, | | | | • Conversely, a different bait ingredient may |
| and this definitely drives their dietary feeding | | | | have a different essential amino acid |
| behaviour and bait preferences. | | | | ‘profile’. However, it could have an |
| Mixing whole food ingredients, like milk protein | | | | abundance of the ‘first limiting’ amino acid |
| derivatives and fish meals together in your bait | | | | in the other ingredient in your bait. |
| counteracts the carp’s main amino acid | | | | • The two ingredients together will therefore |
| deficiency! Doing this makes your bait extremely | | | | counteract each other’s ‘limiting’ |
| desirable. | | | | digestion effect. |
| In my research, the most common ‘essential | | | | Therefore it is essential to mix food ingredients |
| amino acids’ in individual carp foods, have | | | | that have different weaknesses in their essential |
| been: | | | | amino acid distribution. This produces a |
| * Lysine. | | | | ‘balanced amino acid profile’ in your bait. |
| * Methionine. | | | | An individual bait will have a totally different |
| * Threonine. | | | | combination of types of ingredients to another |
| * Valine. | | | | ‘balanced amino acid profile’ style bait, but |
| * Isoleucine. | | | | still have a balanced beneficial protein content. |
| * Leucine. | | | | For example, bait consisting of milk proteins, or |
| * Phenylalanine. | | | | made of fish and shellfish meals, or one made |
| * Histidine. | | | | from poultry meals, or one made from bean and |
| * Arginine. | | | | nut meals. Each has a balanced amino acid profile, |
| * Tryptophan. | | | | but different ingredients. Each bait is limited by a |
| Cystine and tyrosine are synthesized in the carp | | | | different amino acid. And each bait may be most |
| body, but only if the essential amino acids | | | | abundant in a different amino acid too, depending |
| methionine and phenylalanine are consumed in | | | | on individual ingredients used and their quantities |
| sufficient amounts. | | | | used in the bait. |
| You may have been confused about the most | | | | The key therefore is not to favour the individual |
| important levels and ratios of ingredients to use in | | | | ingredients that have produced catches historically, |
| nutritional baits, to maximize nutritional carp bait | | | | but rather, the effect of those ingredients in |
| attraction. The following points might help: | | | | different combinations, as part of an attractive |
| • A carp is deficient in one amino acid more | | | | balanced ‘food’ type carp bait. |
| than any other at any one time, depending on its | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait |
| personal diet. | | | | ‘edges’ up his sleeve. Every single one |
| • The amino acid that is most deficient in the | | | | can have a huge impact on catches. (Warning: |
| carp, limits the digestive level of all the others, in | | | | This article is protected by copyright. |