Artificial hemp and other artificial baits question

[markg]

I have never used any of these; I suppose it is a thing of confidence. However, a mention of artificial hemp was made on another post and I was interested. I had never heard of this before. How, does this work and is it any good? Do you loose feed with normal hemp? I imagine you have to really so, probably a silly question but, where do you buy it and do you just put the hook through it or do you glue it? Is it expensive. Also, is there an artificial worm and if so , is it any good and do you flavour it. Can you flavor artificial hemp? maybe silly questions but, I have no experience of them but, was thinking of giving them a try. thanks

[Fred Bonney]

mark, I've used artificial hemp for nearly 50 years, it started with the old eraser trimmed into small balls with a white touch of paint. It's now out in plastic you can hook it, I use it with hempseed as the feed .
The advantage is that it doesn't come off the hook!
Other plastics are used wirh some success and some are able to accept a flavour. Enterprise are the main suppliers and the type of "bait" on offer is expanding.It should be in your tackle shop. Enterprise Tackle Products

[mark brailsford 2]

Originally Posted by Fred Bonney

mark, I've used artificial hemp for nearly 50 years, it started with the old eraser trimmed into small balls with a white touch of paint. It's now out in plastic you can hook it, I use it with hempseed as the feed .
The advantage is that it doesn't come off the hook!
Other plastics are used wirh some success and some are able to accept a flavour. Enterprise are the main suppliers and the type of "bait" on offer is expanding.It should be in your tackle shop. Enterprise Tackle Products

I use artificial maggots, casters, and sweet corn and they are fantastic when you need to keep the crayfish from eating your hook bait!!
Have a look for enterprise tackle in your local as fred advised, most have it in stock.

[peterjg]

Artificial hemp works well once you have got the roach feeding confidently. It can easily be made from a black bead of the correct size threaded twice with a bit of white pole elastic. Hook the artifial hemp in the pole elastic.

[john m h]

Enterprise hemp; does it come in 56lb bags

Some small bore microphone cables makes good imitation hemp, black outer with a white centre, and its very soft for good hooking.

Its a hell of a job cutting up enough to make 56lb though, it doesn't boil well and its useless for pre baiting - it floats.

[bennygesserit]

I fish floating casters sometimes in the summer , especially after an ant hatch , using a whip for roach.

I tried artificial casters and never got a bite, so maybe that particular set of circumstances doesn't suit.

[markg]

Thanks Fred and all for the info, I have had a look at the enterprise website and cheap as well. I will give this a go in the summer. Not used hemp on the hook since a boy in the 1650,s (quite). Dad used to push the bend of a 14 hook into the soft bit but, never sure if it was still on the hook and constant re baiting. I think I have been missing a trick.

Hello Mark B... thanks for your help-Your mention of crayfish got me thinking so, a couple of questions. Do crayfish go for hemp? If using artificial sweetcorn is it best to fish it popped up and if so how do I do this. If I float fish it off the bottom it will wander about so, should I fish it ledger on the bottom or would popped up be better, given that crayfish will be all over the ground bait corn. The same question applies to Benny's artificial casers/maggot. and do crays eat maggots?

I fished a canal last year that was full of crayfish and didn't bother again but, I did not think of trying artificial bait because I am so dumb at times!. The crayfish were everywhere in huge numbers, do fish get amongst them and feed as well and would using hemp not attract them?

[barbelboi]

Originally Posted by bennygesserit

I fish floating casters sometimes in the summer , especially after an ant hatch , using a whip for roach.

I tried artificial casters and never got a bite, so maybe that particular set of circumstances doesn't suit.

Benny, as I stated in another thread, I have been a user of artificial baits for many years and in my experience the caster/maggot variety do not seem very productive for roach however they are presented (even the soft texture ones).

Of the ones I mainly use this is how I find them most effective on still waters:-

Float set-up
Most artificial baits will take carp on the drop with maggot/caster/hemp/pellet/corn and just about anything else working

Hemp – Roach on the drop – Crucian, carp, tench, bream on the deck.

Lead/Feeder/funnel web, etc
Corn – Crucian, tench, carp, bream.
Pellet – carp, tench, bream.
Maggot/caster – Carp, tench, bream
Jerry

[Fred Bonney]

I always use artificial maggot/caster baits to get through hoards of rudd, to get to the better fish waiting below.
Rubber hempseed was used for the roach, and the occasional manic carp!!

Crayfish I'm sure will eat anything.

[mark brailsford 2]

Thee best way to solve the signal crayfish problem is to introduce loads of snapper turtles in to our water system, what about giant Amazon otters, now that WOULD really upset the Anti-riverine mammal association (ARMA)