Flavourings a catch or a must

[wanderer]

I have read articles by people far better educated than me, that state that fish do not detect flavours at all and merely respond to chemical needs sensed through their skin. Being a fanatic for liquid molasses and cloves, with pineapple the winter favourite, i dispute this view, putting down beds of rock salt in the spring and fishing over it can produce amazing results. How do you guys feel about the pricey bait additives, corn steep always seems to gee up my baits, what about Korda Goo and the like, does it make a difference.

 

[thecrow]

what about Korda Goo and the like, does it make a difference.

Ha Ha Ha no.

 

[Nobby C (ACA)]

You can read a lot of science, some of it remarkably well informed (IMO) on the various forums regarding this. Olfaction and gustation etc etc etc, backed up with scientific papers.
And then you read Hutchinson's writings where he promotes flavours quite strongly (no pun intended) and attests to their attraction properties.
Fish, I am informed from these bait buffs,cannot detect oils yet Pukka Salmon was oil based and both McDonald and Springate witnessed fish swimming across their baited spots and then diving down to take the baits. On a day no-one else was catching so work that one out!!!! Was it the flavour or the oil that attracted them? You might assume the oil as it would have risen through the waters layers and been noticed by the carp cruising in the upper layers, was the oil carrying the flavour? Salmon oil would act as both surely?
I used little bags of boilies and salmon oil to good effect before but whether the oil was attractive or the boilies I couldn't say. Scopex and chocolate malt from Hutchie,Rosehip from Mistral and Richworth Tutti's are all winners proven time and time again. Mistral and Richworth are basically 'carrier' baits I believe so is it the carbs or the flavour that attract, or is it both.
In essence, (sorry), I work on the terms that if it gets results then don't mess with the formula regardless of what the science would have you believe. I think they do no harm and in a day and age when flavours are frowned upon by many it might just be an edge to use them.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

About 20 years ago I sat in a Norwegian hotel discussing flavorings with Stevie Gardner, Jan Porter, Dave Vincent and 2 or 3 of our Norwegian National Team.

The opinions ranged even then from, Jan and Steve who wouldn't consider fishing a bait without a flavours added (particularly maggot) to Dave who said he never saw a need to mask the natural sent of flavors in his baits.

Personally these days I rarely ever fish maggot without an added flavoring.

As for Goo?
In my club and syndicate waters the stuff has been banned . . . enough said.

 

[barbelboi]

Let's face it, fish are much smarter than us - for a start they don't need a lable on their food to tell them if it's good for them or not...................

 

[tigger]

I never use any extra flavouring, I just rely on the scent coming off my bait. Maggots must give off a decent scent and worms also because fish will find them in the dark when they're fished on the bottom wiith no groundbait or freebies.
Obviously baits like halibut pellets etc give off a strong scent of their own.

 

[iannate]

As for Goo?
In my club and syndicate waters the stuff has been banned . . . enough said.

Was any reason given as to why it was banned.

I've never used it, can't believe how much they charge for it and do not feel an urge to use it; but have seen it in my swim from someone using 500 meters away and no it didn't improve my catch rate.

Don't mind it being banned, but don't like bans based on mis-information.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

but have seen it in my swim from someone using 500 meters away and no it didn't improve my catch rate.

The earlier stuff remained in the water and coloured it for a very long time, as your comment supports.

The members and committee just decided it was really a "step too far" and had detriments effects to the water colour.

I've never met anyone who has really had great results with it other than a few very uncorroborated and fanciful catch reports . . . . . . and those were inconstant depending on which forum you read them on . . . .

 

[sam vimes]

You'll never get anything definitive or consistent when it comes to bait additives and flavourings. There are far too many variables. I've seen one thing appear to work well on some waters and fail miserably on others (over a decent enough period of time to make a judgement).

I've also always believed that colour can play just as big a part in some waters and for some species. That applies to maggots, boilies or anything else that can be coloured.

However, my experiences might be the complete opposite to the next bloke's, even if we're fishing the same waters.

Fishing is simply far too contrary to pin it down to definitives.

 

[tom_moran]

I've not used a huge amount of them, but this summer I used crab and krill juice on pva bags of pellets and it did seem to work but without two identical baits next to each other how can you tell?

 

[laguna]

The only fish that doesn't detect and respond to its environment is a dead fish.

 

[robtherake]

I've not used a huge amount of them, but this summer I used crab and krill juice on pva bags of pellets and it did seem to work but without two identical baits next to each other how can you tell?

They'd have to be inches apart. How many times have you caught all your fish on the same rod despite the baits only being a few feet from one another?

 

[wanderer]

The only fish that doesn't detect and respond to its environment is a dead fish.

Yes, but you know more about bait than most off us, does the carp seek minerals and sustinence by default rather than taste, i think not but others have different opinions, please give us your educated view on this one.

 

[iannate]

I used crab and krill juice on pva bags of pellets and it did seem to work but without two identical baits next to each other how can you tell?

I'll throw this thought / puzzle your way Tom:

If you had two baits next to each other, one with a pva bag with stuff in it and the other bait cast on its own, how would the fish know which bait had the bag attached (i.e. it dissolved and spread its contents throughout the surrounding area (to include your other bait)) ergo, how would you know that the fish took the bait because of the bag and its contents in the case of the pva rod or took the other bait because it didn't have a pva bag?

 

[laguna]

I believe they do wanderer. Its hard to imagine any fish 'wired' into their environment could or would ignore the essential and electrolyte minerals; sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, phosphates and sulphates.

Although Koi (carp) are the most widely studied and understood by aqua-culturists/fish keepers (often described as opportunistic, prolific feeders), all fish have receptors that are highly 'tuned into' chemical stimuli and 'excite' the olfactory to a degree. Fish do seek minerals and sustenance by default rather than taste no doubt about it. Unless you know of another reason, the need for variety, why a bait will work one day but not the next?

As far as inclusion levels go, its not what's in, but what is ON the surface of the bait that counts as far as solvation is concerned. In other words; as ions dissolve in a solvent (water) they spread out and become surrounded by solvent molecules with the potential to attract fish (or repel them). Those trapped minerals (and flavours) inside are often described as being 'locked in' and serve no purpose of attraction until the bait has had time to break down... that washed out look?

 

[tom_moran]

I'll throw this thought / puzzle your way Tom:

If you had two baits next to each other, one with a pva bag with stuff in it and the other bait cast on its own, how would the fish know which bait had the bag attached (i.e. it dissolved and spread its contents throughout the surrounding area (to include your other bait)) ergo, how would you know that the fish took the bait because of the bag and its contents in the case of the pva rod or took the other bait because it didn't have a pva bag?

Interesting thoughts, I think the only way to know would be to speak fish, which sadly for me(and probably my bank account ) I dont. I get where your coming from though. From my experience on the lake I spent many evenings after work fishing this year, I found that a golf ball sized bag of 4mm pellets on the hook and an 8mm pellet on a band worked best. We actually tested it a couple of times fishing the same swim with the same hookbaits and the pva bag got more bites. I think the method has its time and place though as later on in the season a single decapitated worm caught better on the same lake. This fishing lark really does keep you on your toes doesn't it

 

[iannate]

This fishing lark really does keep you on your toes doesn't it

It certainly does

As Sam pointed out a few posts ago, there are so many variables, we'll never know the answer; but it's fun trying to find out

 

[trotter2]

I don't use them, tried them and IMO not impressed at all sorry.

If flavourings do draw any fish into your swim I would imagine they would soon depart without any food source to hold them stationary.

Make a good draw in a match, get your feeding right and presentation correct any you will catch. Flavourings wont make a winning peg.

 

[law]

Ha Ha Ha no.

Ha ha ha Yes.

Does that mean that all glugs don't work too? After all, that's all it is.

 

[laguna]

Don't work? It depends on its composition, not too dissimilar to a Magnet... some repel (-) and some attract (+)

Glycerite extracts (alcohol-free) work like Neodymium's!