It really hisses me off when I see folk missing out on such productive baits such as bread, hemp, tares, elderberries and chickpeas ! All so relatively cheap, clean to use, readily available and oh so productive....
Yes, I know all the ' all waters are different ' thingy inside out and some baits will never catch on some waters (?) but the above baits, ( with more than a little patience ) in all cases can produce some great fish, although I also realise many anglers do not have the patience to stay with some baits and if they don't catch immediately,so they move on...
Not for one minute am I saying I'm better than anyone else, 'cos I'm definitely not, BUT I do have an inbuilt ' I'll die before I give up mentality ' so maybe that's why I, MOST of the time catch on ' average success ' baits.
The following is based on MY experiences on mainly still waters (apart from hemp and berry which id=s fantastic on running waters as well) - okay ?
Chickpeas......Without doubt the plain chickpea does take some time to catch and getting them to the right softness takes time. However, IMHO if you are starting out with this bait please get yourself to an Indian supermarket or suchlike and buy a couple of tins of Pakstar Curried Chick Peas (or similar ). Strain them off and keep the juice. Bag up the peas in some small quantity bags and freeze.
Yes, you can use immediately but they are harder at this point so hooking them takes more care. Over time, and this is the patience bit, in and out of the freezer will gradually soften the pea ( eventually they are unhookable ) but even when very soft they are okay for gentle casting and not casting toward Pluto ( topical ! ).....
Fished off the bottom with brown feed with the juice mixed in has caught me almost all of my best roach in recent years. Fishing other baits only producing small fish, but try a pea and better roach almost immediately.....Also great for better CRUCIANS, given time...
Used the juice to flavour plain peas but never as successful !
Hemp/Tares.....I have outlined hooking methods of hemp in other threads; 18 hook of the Drennan maggot type or 511's home tied. Squeeze almost closed seed at ends until open and place bend of hook into the split, then release seed which than grips the hook. With practice it works EVERY time !
Tares are all about the cooking; Buy some, place in a pan and bring to the boil. reduce to a simmer AND STAND NEXT TO THE STOVE WITH A 16 HOOK. EVERY FEW MINUTES, TAKE OUT A FEW SEEDS AND TRY THE HOOK INTO THE EDGE ( UNDERLINED ) OF THE SEED, TYING TO PUSH IT AROUND THE BEND OF THE HOOK. FEW MORE MINUTES SIMMERING AND TRY AGAIN.
Eventually the seed will just slide on the hook nicely BUT IT IS A TRICKY TIME AS TOO MUCH LONGER ON THE SIMMER AND THEY ARE USELESS !!
Remember, the tare is a HARD bait to begin with so it's NEVER going to become soft and still stay on the hook - NEVER !!!
Fished at all sorts of depths they can be deadly with very light hemp feed, but most of my success with them has come when hemp fishing and catching, and then introducing the tare on the hook. IT DOES TAKE TIME THOUGH......................and on some waters some WEEKS to finally catch on them. I've had bags of 40/50 roach on them when nobody else catching, and many times, so worth a really good go.
As I say the secret is in the COOKING....................................................NO SHORT CUTS - BELIEVE ME !!
ps I'll do bread / elderberry later as I'm off out .......................
pps Sorry, I forgot to say the chickpeas are around 60p a tin - enough for several sessions - but you can buy them by the tray of a dozen tins which last for yonks ! All oversoft peas can be used in the ground bait so no waste ( love it ! ) AND THEY CAN BE CAREFULLY SPLIT IN HALF FOR USE ON AN 18..
Hooking; Either through one of the ' cheeks ' of the pea or when soft though the pointy end. Sometimes the ' outer skin ' of the pea will come away when soft but still hookable with care.....Size 14 fine wire also good, but experiment !
NEVER failed on any of my still waters, although some took more time than others to come good....