Give up those secrets!

[Graham Elliott 1]

Now I'm and old fashioned old Guy, and I still find good old (thats a useful word) Monster Crab does the business as an additive for the colder, coloured water rivers.

Anything new that could be recommended?

Graham

 

[steph mckenzie]

Black Pepper?

 

[tiinker]

Malaccan sweet corn

 

[peter crabtree]

I'm such an old fahioned bloke I don't use any additives at all. waste of time and good money.

 

[steph mckenzie]

No coloured maggots for you then

 

[Paul Boote]

I'd happily tell you what is successful for me, but I don't know just what it is!

It came in a large, unmarked, glass bottle (4 pints) from someone I knew, nearly ten years ago now. Bulk lot from some firm either going or gone. It smells of Seafood - proper shellfish smell - but isn't any commercially available brand that I have smelt in various shops over the years since.

Barbel like it, though!

 

[richiekelly]

Powdered garlic rather than garlic oil which doesn't leak off so much during colder weather.

 

[steph mckenzie]

Garlic powder and Ground Black pepper i like the sound of that as a combination to go along with the Monster Crab (Rod Hutchinson?)

 

[sumtime]

Garlic powder and Ground Black pepper i like the sound of that as a combination to go along with the Monster Crab (Rod Hutchinson?)

Sounds better in my gob than the fish's.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Good thread, okay , here goes:

Secret number 1 . . . . . . .


No, hang on if I tell you then it won't be a secret anymore, will it . . . . . .
























oh, well, just one mind, Pineapple essence injected into luncheon meat

 

[Judas Priest]

Chinese 5 spice

 

[badgeroo]

hot chilli powder:w:w

 

[nicepix]

Garlic Spam. And, on small rivers the humble lob worm especially when the river is up a little and coloured.

 

[mick b]

My secret additive, a good dollop of rum in my flask of coffee, the ideal winter warmer.....oh sorry your on about bait aren't you mg:

Well Im a true beleiver, never used an additive in my entire angling career!

Oh, it hasn't stopped me catching a few decent fish mind.....or is that what additives are....all in the mind?

If you use them and catch fish you never really know if the unadulterated bait would have caught the same fish would you?
Therefore your obviously going to believe they work, otherwise why are you using them???

 

[robtherake]

Malt extract - as a sticky dip, or diluted in your groundbait/ pellet water.

Energy drinks as a pellet soak for the method. I've fished it side-by-side against plain water and seen catch rates increase fourfold. Even swapped the rods round to make sure it wasn't location in the swim that made the difference, but it was definitely the flavoured pellets that were doing the business.

 

[john step]

Here is an alternative line of thought on additives and flavours. Not new but worth thinking about? I first heard of it in an angling magazine years ago.
I believe flavours(smells) work on different levels. Obviously they seem to attract fish and that gives confidence but I started using garlic and cod liver oil years ago as I believed I had bad hands! I also used to rub my hands in the grass as a smell camouflage. I had very greasy skin and became convinced that put fish off. Nowadays, with age they are not so greasy and I catch a lot more even without enhanced baits.
That may of course be with more confidence but as a youngster I did experiment by getting a mate to bait my hook and it did seem to make a difference.
Anyone else think along these lines?

 

[binka]

essence injected into luncheon meat

Nice one Peter, i'd never thought of injecting meat with an essence before... must try that.

Spicy shrimp for me.

 

[peter crabtree]

If you smoke fags or cigars your fingers could taint your bait was the cry years ago. Bolarks....
Makes me laugh when I see liquid potions @ £12 a throw.
Goo! Bolarks.
Monster anything! Bolarks.
Spend ages liquidising bread then smother it in some funky, scientifically made spicy concoction for max attraction?
It's bread ffs? Fish like bread as it comes.

 

[binka]

Spend ages liquidising bread then smother it in some funky, scientifically made spicy concoction for max attraction?
It's bread ffs? Fish like bread as it comes.

And you have a good point!

My best barbel bait over the last few weeks has been crust, only problem is I've been trying to catch some chub

 

[symonh2000]

I have had the best sucess with plain sweetcorn mixed with hemp.

Then just add one or two grains to the hook.

I have tried coloured and flavoured corn, but it doesn't seem to work as well as original.