| If you want to catch more big cold water carp | | | | penetrates baits more efficiently, and by boosting |
| but are in need a little sound technical advice | | | | the ability of bait substances to disperse more |
| about bait substances and bait choices to improve | | | | effectively in low temperatures, then more carp |
| your catches that have been very well proven in | | | | can become much more easily aware of your |
| winter - then read on! | | | | baits producing more bites. |
| Carp live in an environment ruled by water but | | | | Over-flavoured baits fished singly are often |
| why is this obvious fact something you can | | | | employed in winter but flavours can be many |
| exploit to catch many more fish?! Carp detect | | | | things (not stereotypical concentrated solvent |
| your baits by many actions and interactions of | | | | based synthetic chemical flavours.) You can |
| substances both upon their senses and upon the | | | | over-flavour your free baits to good effect too |
| water itself. So for instance take the example of | | | | without impacting negatively upon fish senses. |
| ethyl alcohol based concentrated flavours which | | | | Using liquid palatants or powdered palatants in a |
| are popular in winter. These are very highly | | | | warm water solution are very simple effective |
| soluble in water and so disperse very quickly | | | | edges that are often over-looked. Exactly what a |
| through the water. This dispersal through its | | | | palatant is represents a good question. |
| mixing with water produces a concentration | | | | Palatants are often referred to as substances |
| gradient of flavours that carp can follow back to | | | | that make foods for example taste better. In the |
| your bait easily. Many great winter flavours have | | | | case of many substances designed to help |
| this kind of effect. | | | | patients recover more quickly for example, easily |
| It makes a lot of sense to add extra flavour to | | | | digested liquid protein supplements based on liver |
| free baits or hook baits in winter to boost this | | | | and spleen extracts often include things like |
| effect as low water temperatures and | | | | flavour (such as raspberry,) along with |
| consequential denser water means flavours will | | | | sweeteners to make palatability much more |
| take longer to disperse compared to during the | | | | acceptable and make the product taste much |
| heat of summer. If you use sugary substances | | | | better. It is preferable for a substance to at least |
| such as corn steep liquor or black strap molasses | | | | not be rejected upon first contact and even |
| among others, by simple testing of these in a | | | | better if it is consumed with enthusiasm so that |
| bowl of cold water you can see very quickly how | | | | more is actually desired in the future! |
| fast a substance will break down, dissolve and | | | | Apparently raspberry was chosen for inclusion in |
| disperse in water. | | | | Minamino because it was found to be the most |
| In low temperatures using a mixture of | | | | universally liked flavour by human in flavour trials! |
| substances to ensure carp have substances to | | | | Minamino is a well proven good but unnecessarily |
| home in on from afar and also nearer your baits, | | | | costly addition to baits as there are cheaper |
| raises your chances of you baits being found | | | | options available that are not bulked out with |
| much more easily and sooner. The old trick of | | | | sweeteners and flavours etc. (Carp will strongly |
| adding vodka to baits helps ensure that a range | | | | home in on the amino acids in such products |
| of your bait substances are more easily dispersed | | | | whether they include a flavour or sweetener |
| through the water and are more easily detected | | | | anyway.) |
| by carp. Of course there are other implications in | | | | Sweetened milk type flavours find favour among |
| this too such as the possibility of slightly altered | | | | many winter anglers and condensed milk is just |
| pH of the water where bait substances are | | | | one flavour commonly used. But before you go |
| actually in solution at their highest concentration | | | | jumping the bandwagon like so many others just |
| near the bait and such changes can also attract | | | | remember that many great flavours are |
| the attention of carp. | | | | effective even if you do not like their smell. Some |
| Many anglers use intense sweeteners in their baits | | | | concentrated substances for example will blow |
| in winter. There is some evidence that certain | | | | your head off and even burn the receptor cells in |
| carp receptors respond to a range of sweet | | | | your nose if you are not careful and sniff the, but |
| substances and certainly this is no surprise as | | | | used in very low levels such as just 1 millilitre per |
| such signals often indicate the presence of an | | | | kilogram of base mix will really attract carp! |
| instant easily digested energy source. Glycerine | | | | As an extra tip, although carp apparently lack the |
| (glycerol,) is a prime example that is very well | | | | correct enzymes to digest many whole milk |
| proven and very useful in winter baits as it is | | | | proteins very efficiently, using milk products in low |
| totally soluble in water. | | | | temperature baits still works very well for many |
| Many chemical solvents have been used in winter | | | | reasons. For one thing, they contain many highly |
| carp baits for similar reasons and to good effect | | | | soluble amino acids plus milk sugars among other |
| although of course water itself is the most | | | | factors, that certainly attract and stimulate carp! |
| abundant solvent on the planet. Quite a number of | | | | Just for instance skimmed milk powders (note |
| carp bait substances are stabilised by the use of | | | | with less fat than whole milk) condensed milk and |
| low levels of solvent type substances, and just | | | | evaporated milk are cheap productive choices to |
| one common example is that of corn steep liquor | | | | add to winter baits, and even to add to your bait |
| which is stabilised using a very low level of | | | | dips and soaks. An exciting extra added bonus |
| isopropanol. | | | | with such ingredients and additives is they can |
| If you wish to use fish meal pellets in winter it is a | | | | cloud up the water around your baits very |
| very good edge to improve their performance by | | | | attractively too and attract visual-feeding carp |
| adding liquid lecithins and vodka plus a sweetener | | | | even better! There are many more potent edges |
| and a low level of a solvent based flavour for | | | | than these to improve your winter catches. (For |
| instance. Mixing vodka with corn steep liquor is | | | | more information see my website and biography |
| quite a neat trick too! By quickening and improving | | | | right now! |
| the hydration of your bait substances so water | | | | |