russell_bush
Well-known member
I'm going to be doing some close range float fishing for crucians. Can someone recommend a brand/make of ground bait to use to attract and hold the tricky little blighters ?
Thanks.
Thanks.
I usually just loose feed with a mixture of particles and chop and change hook-baits until I find what they seem to prefer.
Hey Chris,Oh my aching arms!
Last year a mate of ours decided to target them towards the end of the day with 4mm skrettings hook bait dampened with banana? SAC juice.
- was it 'banana' flavour or not?banana? SAC juice.
Hey Chris,
Why put - was it 'banana' flavour or not?
I would guess you ought to know - if anyone does!!
I'm currently engaged on a CRUsade for TruCrus amongst all the Hybrids in our local waters - so anything that helps me target Crus is worthy of investigation - hence the interest.
Cheers & Tight lines :thumbs:
Me too. Where you on Milton yesterday Ray ? I couldn't see you.
Yes, I fished the far side, no Crucians at all but a cracking day for Tench 27 up to just over 5lb and one decent Roach, I thought the Crucians may have been spawning as I saw plenty swirling about.
knowing him he would have used banana SAC - its the one he has most confidence in but I do know most of them weren't true cruies sorry!
Thanks for the update Chris,
- and the piccy! Its a lot closer to a TruCru than most of the Hybrids I've been getting - I'll examine the piccy closer - shame I can't see the tail fin spread out.
As a matter of interest have you ever compared Banana SAC to real Banana chunks? That gives me an idea ...... !
Cheers - just off to hair-rig some of Fyffes finest (... other banana shippers are available ... - wouldn't want to be accused of product placement! )
Your point about the relative ionic K v Na attraction is amplified in Rays note about LoSalt where c.60% of the Sodium ions are replaced by Potassium in a readily soluble form.Potassium (the key component of banana) is more electropositive than sodium.
Ha ha yeah product placement, I try to keep an open mind...
This from what I posted before;
Feeding lumps of banana on the hook has never worked well in my experience. Adding banana to your feed as an additive in groundbaits or as a mash may be better but it will probably take time to work.
I believe this is due to the fibrous make-up and insoluble ingredients present, having tested this 'theory' on numerous occasions over the years compared when using banana 'maggot shapes' with tiny slivers of skin as hook bait also made little difference.
I'm of the opinion that solubility (and time needed to become soluble) is the key to attraction, that 'washed out look' has little to do with appearance more to do with solubility Imo. Solubility certainly plays a part in stimulation because fish have the innate ability (all fish to varying degrees) to detect ions in the water that excites their olfactory senses. However from a visual point of view; they are more likely to trust their own instinct once feeding confidently anyway and a stimulatory attraction (unless negative) seems to make little difference.
Potassium (the key component of banana) is more electropositive than sodium. Even so, because its 'bound' within the banana and not in the solute its therefore not solvated (dissolved in the water) - its macro and far two big a molecule to excite and attract.
In this regard; extracts made from a real food item (particularly Glycerite's made without alcohol) are full of nutritious soluble and solvated components. Its essentially why they're so more potent compared to the real whole fruit/food. An extract of banana like SAC juice will contain potassium and everything that is attractive to fish - more so than the banana itself.
The trouble with bait and 'flavours' and such Greenie; how do we as anglers single out a single species? I mean fish will generally eat whatever they find attractive anyway (on the day) so I guess its down to using the best quality extract you can lay your hands on :wh together with the method that best works when targeting our quarry... One other point worthy of consideration; I would always have a change bait - not because the one we use is **** simply because fish seek out certain nutrients and need a variety of foods to sustain themselves just like any creature, no single food item is nutritionally complete - reason why our bait will work well one day but not the next?
An extract made with real food is 100% natural and nutritious and least unlikely to blow imho even long term!
Good luck.