Paste problem?

[sumtime]

A bit of help needed here, lads, made a paste up but it's really sticky, I've kneaded in lots of flour to no avail, what's the solution?

My paste includes trout pellets, expanders, tuna and one egg.

 

[nicepix]

More flour.

 

[sumtime]

Anymore flour and it will end up a loaf I know paste will be sticky but there's more left on my fingers than say...halibut paste. I'll give it a go soon, results to follow.

 

[cg74]

First tip: Do not add normal flour (wheat)!

Using your ingredients, I'd crack the eggs into a bowl and mix in the tuna, ensuring that you breakdown the fibres into a max length 2-3mm.
Grind/crush the trout pellets, then slowly add the ground pellets to the eggs.

Leave for an hour, if its a bit sticky add a dusting of cornflour and rework your paste.

If the consistency of your paste is that bad, just use it as loose feed and save yourself the hassle.

 

[Keith M]

You didn't use fresh bread as a base for your paste did you?

I always use bread of at least 4 days old when I'm using bread for a base otherwise you get a sticky mess instead of a good paste.

Keith

 

[sumtime]

No bread used in it, Keith, CG, it's already mixed, mate but I'll try that another time, thanks for the info tho'.

 

[john step]

Sumtime. Do what I do and cheat. Knead a flavoured groundbait if your choice or ground pellets into shop bought flakey pastry. The amount is governed by how stiff you require.

Its not like the very sloppy commercial paste for pole fishing but it works a treat for rod and line fishing.

Made in batches it lasts ages in the bait freezer. Freeze in a flat shape for quick grab and go de-frosting.

 

[laguna]

The usual advice is to always add your powders to the liquids to the consistency of playdough and leave to rest. However this is wrong if you use gluten + eggs + oil/lard as binders.

Eggs bind well and as others have said; add a bit of flour. But its the gluten in the flour that binds not the flour itself. Normal flour contains a bit but what you need is strong flour or pizza flour. Oil and gluten counteract one another and prevent binding, water (the water from the eggs) helps it bind much better and becomes elastic. You should also add 10% oil by weight AFTER it has rested for a while. Cooking oil is as good as anything, fish oils are better.

The perfect paste is a base mix that rolls well. Match anglers tend to use it a bit too runny which is fine for the pole but impossible to cast. The consistency preferred on a river depends on flow but generally it should be firm enough to get to the bottom and stay on for at least a minute or so then strike off as you reel in.

 

[Titus]

I tend to use a boilie mix as a base and make it as per the instructions, add your own flavourings and freeze it in balls the size of an apple.

Bread paste is a different ball game and you will find as many methods of making that as you will anglers. Mine, when I can be bothered, is take the crumb from a stale tin loaf, soak it briefly and squeeze it in a clean tea towel to get the moisture out, then, knead it until if forms a silky paste which can be stretched out paper thin without crumbling. It should take around half an hour. You can then add your flavouring if required, or use it old school as it comes.

 

[no-one in particular]

I use flour when mixing a paste with added flavoring. It does go all sticky covering your fingers and hands which is a bit disconcerting. And it can seem like your adding loads of flour and not getting anywhere. However, it will eventually stiffen up, you just have to keep adding and kneading it in until it goes stiff. I like a stiff paste, keep going, if it goes too dry just sprinkle water over it and keep kneading until it goes back to stiff; which is not a bad idea anyway as you then know it is as stiff as it can be.
You have quite a bit of moisture with the eggs and tuna so it would take a bit of flour to get it stiff I think..
Sometimes if I have mixed something a bit wet, I flatten it out and leave in the sun. It will form a bit of a hard outer layer which is good for putting on the hook.

You could try experimenting with half baking some of it to form a harder cooked paste. this will keep better as well.

 

[Tee-Cee]

For summer fishing when the water is warm, I would go with those who advocate the stale bread method. I like mine to be very soft for roach fishing plus it takes on as many flavours as I need. It depends on what you're fishing for to some extent, but keep it simple is my motto !

Good post though, and I would just mention this has obviously been discussed in the past so some good back posts exist on the subject, via search....

 

[john step]

Titus. I used to freeze mine the size of an apple but nowadays I flatten that apple shape before freezing. That way If I forget to leave enough time getting it out of the freezer it defrosts on route very quickly.
Try it, it works a treat.

 

[arthur2sheds]

tip.... when mixing your paste by hand, oil your hands up with a bit of hemp oil or cod liver oil.... stops your bait sticking to your fingers and adds another flavour/scent to your paste

 

[sumtime]

tip.... when mixing your paste by hand, oil your hands up with a bit of hemp oil or cod liver oil.... stops your bait sticking to your fingers and adds another flavour/scent to your paste

This was in my thoughts on Monday, think I'll do that now, Arthur.