Why are these baits.....

[Darren Wainwright]

Hi everybody,
I am new to this fishing lark and while looking through magazines to find local fisheries I notice that a lot of them ban certain baits. In particular bloodworm, Joker Pellets.
My question is why? Someone said pellets polute the water..... Seems strange to me, especially when some places will only let you use their own bait. But whats wrong with bloodworm & Joker?

 

[Robert Draper]

A lot of bloodworm and joker bans are hangovers from match fishing and also to prevent people scraping for them. Bloodworm and joker were a vey expensive bait so matches regularly banned them to make it more competetive for the less well of anglers (which was all of us in the 70s and 80s). Also there are reasons that collecting bloodworm is bad but I can't remember why (sorry!). There may be other reasons today but that was what I was told years ago.

There was a scare about high-oil baits such as pellets harming fish a couple of years ago which may account for pellet bans. I don't remember whether there was any resolution to the scare, anyone care to enlighten?

 

[Robert Draper]

D'oh, thats "less well off", we were healthy, just poor that's all...

 

[Dave Rothery]

the high oil thing would only apply in a small very highly stocked pond with no naturals ie no variation to diet. any normal water it isnt a problem. cynically, it is a way for the owner to make huge profits on their own "specially formulated" pellets - ie buy 25kg pellets for ?12 (40p/kg) add a bit of flavour, sell it at ?3/lb (?6.60/kg). nice bag with a picture of a fish on though!