Paste fishing

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Ive ever had much success using shop bought paste but recently I was shown by a match angler how to make a pâtés using ground bait

He used green swims stim beating ground bait mixed with lake water , I've tried this a couple of times and fishing the margins I'm getting some good catches

Now I've mixed up a batch to keep in the fridge for the next session but added some banana and blue cheese flavours

How long will it keep in a fridge and can it be frozen and thawed and used

 

[Laurie Harper]

It certainly can be frozen. I've got some in the freezer now. It will probably keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge sealed in a plakky bag. The Bait Tech Super G green makes an excellent paste, too. A dash of liquid krill when mixing makes it smell nicer (?... if you're a fish).

 

[anglerpaulm]

This may be a daft question, but how do you use a groundbait as a paste without it coming/dissolving off the hook? Is there a binding material which holds it all together?

I must say, I avoid using most groundbait pastes because of this. They tend to fizzle and dissolve really quickly. For me anyway...

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

This may be a daft question, but how do you use a groundbait as a paste without it coming/dissolving off the hook? Is there a binding material which holds it all together?

I must say, I avoid using most groundbait pastes because of this. They tend to fizzle and dissolve really quickly. For me anyway...

Mix the ground bait with water until it forms a stiffish paste

I've found using an old pop up contain and filling it with ground bait and emptying this into a bait box, then I fill the pop up container to about 75% full and add this to the bait box and mix in with the ground bait - you can add more water if it's too stiff
Then I mould a decent piece of the paste on to a size 12 hook and fish the margin - the paste will stay on the hook for about 5 minutes if mixed correctly and then it's dissolved. This leaves a smell and small particles of the paste/groundbait in the swim and you re-bait the hook and fish the margin

 

[peter crabtree]

Paulm, I can see your problem with paste dissolving and hope I can help.
You could try using Method groundbait, most of which have a binder in the mix.
Try a small amount first. Add water and mix well until the consistency is stiff enough to make a solidish ball in your hands.
Paste for me works best on the pole but if you are using a rod my method is this.
Set up a light insert waggler with just enough shot around the base to cock it, no shot down the line, then plumb the margin till the tip is just submerged. Now add Enough shot halfway between hook and float to leave the whole insert tip above the surface.
Pinch a ball of paste on your hook, big enough to sink the float tip down to a pimple. To place the bait in the exact place you have plumbed, wind the float up to the top ring of your rod so the paste doesn't touch the water. Swing the rod and rig round to your plumbed margin and open the balearm on your reel and gently drop the rig in. When the paste pulls the float tip down to a pimple you know the paste is still on the hook.
If the insert tip lifts up that's either a bite or the paste has fallen off.
If the float dips that's a bite too....

 

[laguna]

Here's a good (exclusive) tip:

Mix in 50% or more soya flour to your powder or use a 50:50 semo/soya base mix and form a paste with water as normal. Break off hook sized pieces and drop into boiling water for 30 seconds and put to one side until cool.

The heat will cause the soya to bind and will make a longer lasting paste, not so stiff like a boilie without the eggs but long enough to withstand a decent 20 yard cast. You can also add flavours and oils afterwards if you wish.

 

[sodthat]

Hello gents, i would like to weigh in on this one if i may.

The only "castable" paste that I am aware of (paste directly to hook that is,and i stand to be corrected) would be a bread and cheese paste.
I used to make this as a kid, for carp fishing,by removing the crust from white bread, preferably a doughy type,and grating cheese(double gloucester or red leicester) and combining the two together to form a dough.This was reasonably castable on the hook, however it is quite easy to make some very castable pastes (50+yds on the feeder or for general waggler work) with the aid of a paste spring or coil,which i also make my self in various size but which can be purchased from any good tackle shop.


You will need a spice or coffee grinder (the average food processor is not up to the job) and you can pick these up in Argos or on ebay cheap enough £20 or there abouts.

a set of kitchen scales and the following

1. Halibut pellets (i find micros bind best)

2. Soya flour (you can use plain flour if desired)

3. Demerara sugar (preferably the dark one)

4. Salt

5. Chilli flakes

6. A mixing bowl

7. A kettle


This recipe will produce a tennis sized ball of paste and you can alter the quantities to suit yourself.

First put the kettle on, i boil 1 cup of water for every ball i'm making (saves on the "leccy" don't you know)

Now to your ingredients, measure out 70 gms of pellets and grind to a fine powder,then place in your mixing bowl.Measure out 30 gms of soya flour,throw this in the bowl also.
Add a dessert spoon of sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of chilli flakes.

combine all your dry ingredients thoroughly. By this time your water will have boiled and cooled down just enough (it needs to have cooled between 5-10 degrees)

Add a small amount of water to the dry ingredients and begin to stir (wooden spoon is best initially and place the bowl on a towel to stop it spinning around while you're mixing).
slowly add a bit more water until the mix starts to come together, when this happens abandon the spoon and use your hands, being careful not to scald them.

The ball should come together like a ball of firm dough, leaving little or no residue in the bowl - place in a plastic bag (i use the small blue tesco freezer bag). Remove the excess air, over hand knot the bag and in the fridge with it.
This will keep for a couple of weeks like this without any probs.

Another good paste especially for tench is made the very same way but i substitute bloodworm pellets for the halibut.
Not only is this a castable paste(with the aid of a spring) but there's no reason why you shouldn't use it direct to hook while on the pole,it doesn't melt away as quick as proprietry brands do and isn't it nice to catch on something you have made yourself ?

Hope this was of some value, thanks for reading

Seán

 

[laguna]

The only "castable" paste that I am aware of (paste directly to hook that is,and i stand to be corrected) would be a bread and cheese paste.

PONDBOND water glue can be used instead of water to make a longer lasting paste that can be cast as far as you are able.
Apparently SB Fiber paste can be cast 60 yrds.
Paste fished on a rod has to be made stiff so that it will stay on when flicked out or cast. It has to be soluble though otherwise the hook wont pull through therefore making hooking the fish more difficult.