Hi all

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make small balls of Groundbait for catapulting (is there a mould available)?

My hands only seem to be able to make Orange size balls.  Invariably if I fire out six the first two or three miss the spot while I'm getting my range.  I'd like to be able to make them about Satsuma size so I can feed more accurately and make less disturbance.

Problem is if I try to make them smaller I don't seem to be able to squeeze them tightly enough and they break up in flight.

Any ideas?

Make sure your mix is stiffish, use dead maggots, each time you have made a ball, wet your hands and squeeze it again ,It does help seems to put a coating on it, but if they are still breaking up , just add a little more dry mix thoroughly, mixing a good grounbait takes lots of practice.

 Easier and better, use big cage feeders more accurate and doesnt break up on way out

If u want to feed ground bait, ive just got this neat little devise called the "e-z feeda".

Its great  for getting in pellets and little balls of groundbait. You can buy it with diiferent cup sizes, and the large one is great for getting out groudbait. Its really acurate as its on a stick, and u can ajust how far you fire it.

 If its breaking up, add a bit of sugar, say a cup per 1kg, and it will be a lot firmer.

Trouble is that I want a dryish mix but cannot squeeze it tightly enough in small sized balls to hold them together.  The bigger sized balls don't break up as I can compress them tightly. 

Seems to be the shape of my hands that won't let me compress them properly.

Or maybe you just need some training

Mike Humphries wrote (see)

Trouble is that I want a dryish mix but cannot squeeze it tightly enough in small sized balls to hold them together.  The bigger sized balls don't break up as I can compress them tightly. 

Seems to be the shape of my hands that won't let me compress them properly.

Mike.

Make your dryish groundbait as usual. Form the sized balls that you require, then dip your hands in the lake water. Then gently but gradually squeeze and mould the groundbait balls again. Wetting your hands puts a skin on the groundbait, but it breaks up easily once it hits the water. I was doing this last week and reaching 50 - 60 yds without breaking up in midflight.

And make up half a dozen or a dozen all at once before starting to fire them out.  That way you will get a tight grouping once you do start. 

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one) wrote (see)

Graham's looking for a part time job ............ and he's smaller than me !!

john conway (CSG - ACA) wrote (see)

A cheap binder if you are using ground bait in huge quantities. is scalded ewe nuts which you can get from any animal feed merchant in 20kg bags.  Ewe nuts or pellets contain CSL (corn steep liquor) You put the ewe nut or pellets in a container and just cover with boiling water, it only takes 1/2 and hour to an hour for them to break down.  As soon as the mixture as cooled down rum it between you hands to make a nice damp crumb to which you can add your particles.  Mould into small ball and as the lads have already said wet your hands for a final squeeze.  It normally takes me about 20 to 30 mins to make 40 balls.

Thanks for all the responses.  From reading the posts I think I am far too impatient and need to take more care when squeezing my balls .

Wetting your hands before the final squeeze is a new one on me and sounds like a good tip.

Tom - also interested to find out about these Drennan groundbait punches you mention - I've seen the Middy ones before but they are quite small.  Are the Drennan ones larger?  Also I would have thought that the cylindrical shape is not very accurate when fired from a catapult.