Alternative baits

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Being a dog owner I'm often looking at hte pet food section for dog treats (yes I spoil the mutt) but also I've found dog treats make great alternaive baits (mostly for carp and chub)

I've found many are soft enough to hair rig with out drilling using a korum quick stop, and as a change bait will often nick a fish or two

one plus is that it's a fair bet that you'll be the only anlger using them on the water.

who else has tried these

[barbelboi]

Also as a dog owner started using these for carp about 10 years ago (tench have also taken a cut half) with a lot of success. An added bonus is an 8mm cork ball fits in the hole so may easily be used as a critically balanced hair rigged bait as well.
Jerry

[dannytaylor]

like the idea of inserting the cork ball. Will this make the bait a floater or critically balance it?

Tried the larger dog type chews as floaters a few years back but had no success. Im happy with my floater approach now and dont feel the need to change, like to use a mix of cat biscuits (seafood flavour), various size expander pellets and mixers. cut down pop-up as hookbait.

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

For floating baits I use the standard dog biscuits but I've found the dog treat make good change bottom baits, there is one that is a meat and cheese mix flavour, another that is tuna flavour and a little oily - both these work well

[dannytaylor]

like the idea of trying them for bottom baits, will have to give them a try, like the sound of the cheese one, had anything decent on them yet?

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Pedigree UK | Food And Treats | Snacks & treats | Cheesy Bites

I've had chub to about 2lb and carp to about 10lb

The treats are slim so you can hair rig 2 or 3 together or hair rig one with another bait

[blounty65]

look at cat treats aswell .. i am killing the bream and the tench on them

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Paul

Is it the pedigree mixers that you use as floaters?

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I've just bought a bag at hte week end - the previous floats were a bag of "no name" floating pellets from a tackle shop

I'm going to try some expanders and scald with boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute and then drain and put in freezer bags i nthe freezer next if the mixers don't work well

[barbelboi]

Originally Posted by Lord Paul of Sheffield

I've just bought a bag at hte week end - the previous floats were a bag of "no name" floating pellets from a tackle shop

I'm going to try some expanders and scald with boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute and then drain and put in freezer bags i nthe freezer next if the mixers don't work well

I use Got 11mm expanders straight out the bag on a banded hair - float well, don't take on water like mixers and the carp seem to like them.
Jerry