Bait additives

[John Keane]

I like to add Dynamite Baits Krill liquid to the water I wet my pellets with or pump expanders with. I have also been using Mainline Activ-8 for the same purpose, it’s very beefy!

For the last 3 seasons I’ve also been using Korda Goo Tiger Nut flavour on Method Feeders and pellet baits and I think it works (IMHO)

 

[peterjg]

When my kids were babies (they are both now in their forties) I used to try various baby stuff in my homemade boilies. I tried gripe water (no good) and I tried Panadol Elixier mixed with anniseed oil - that worked really well until Panadol changed their product. I also used to coat my baits with the white gunge made from Rennet warmed slightly in milk - that worked. Crazy ideas I admit but good fun! Now I am still messing about with baits and groundbaits for big roach - much more interesting than carp!

 

[Tee-Cee]

Question: Loads of different additives outlined in dozens of posts, but unless I've missed it nobody has asked what effect they all have on the fish themselves. All very well to dunk and soak baits in what can only be described as chemical concoctions (not all) I don't think we have a clue as to what we are doing to the fish.

Not for a minute am I saying we are killing fish but that doesn't mean we are not doing harm in some way and because we don't see dead bodies floating on the surface it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. We have the opportunity to decide what we put into our own bodies (well I do anyway!) yet, seemingly, without a second thought, we are happy to fill fish with all sorts of rubbish and I doubt very few stop to think if it is good to do so.................

I'm trying not to be alarmist but how many of us really know the 'possible' consequences of our actions? Ignorance is no excuse, either......

BTW, I use one or two myself so I'm not being holier than thou in any way, shape or form!

Just asking the question, is all.............

 

[peterjg]

Question: Loads of different additives outlined in dozens of posts, but unless I've missed it nobody has asked what effect they all have on the fish themselves. All very well to dunk and soak baits in what can only be described as chemical concoctions (not all) I don't think we have a clue as to what we are doing to the fish.


Not for a minute am I saying we are killing fish but that doesn't mean we are not doing harm in some way and because we don't see dead bodies floating on the surface it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. We have the opportunity to decide what we put into our own bodies (well I do anyway!) yet, seemingly, without a second thought, we are happy to fill fish with all sorts of rubbish and I doubt very few stop to think if it is good to do so.................

I'm trying not to be alarmist but how many of us really know the 'possible' consequences of our actions? Ignorance is no excuse, either......

BTW, I use one or two myself so I'm not being holier than thou in any way, shape or form!

Just asking the question, is all.............

Tee-Cee, I'm sure you have made a valid point though it depends on the ingredients used. The items to consider with most care are the fats and oils. For instance, a lake I used to fish sometimes in the '70s and '80s was bombarded daily with huge amounts of luncheon meat and this apparently resulted in a layer of fat and grease covering the bottom of the lake - I think fishing for a time was stopped and the lake drained! In the 80s it was fashionable by carp anglers in the Colne Valley to soak their boilies in fish oils, when these were put in it resulted in huge flat oily slicks being blown across the lakes!
As long as ingredients are used sensibly there should not be a problem. I also think bait companies are more informed, even fishmeal pellets are sold which are not literally dripping in oil like they used to be. Moderation in all things I suppose.

 

[Alan Tyler]

A shout of thanks to Ray Roberts for the lo-salt trick; I tried it out today and had roach, gudgeon, chub and an unseen hook-collector, species unknown.

 

[maggot_dangler]

For maggots I tend to rely on keeping them in tip top condition by changing the bedding regularly. Maize meal as good as anything but as I say it does need changing...
.

Try crushed weetabix or bixies as some shops call them i find it way better than maize meal just crush it up finely .

PG ...

 

[Tee-Cee]

Sounds expensive PG...

Out of interest, what advantages do you think they offer? How often do you change them, for example?

Always willing to try something different, IF it offers some distinct advantage!




ps Truth be told, I would probably end up eating the Weetabix. Haven't had them since youth....

 

[sam vimes]

Try crushed weetabix or bixies as some shops call them i find it way better than maize meal just crush it up finely .

PG ...

I'd have thought a simple bag of bran would involve far less effort, probably be cheaper and be less messy. I tend to have a packet of Mornflake Oatbran in the house at all times. It's available in normal supermarkets.

 

[Philip]

I go back and forth on additives and flavours. I used to spray meat with tutti frutti on the Kennet and did well on that then one day I thought why am I trying to make meat smell like something else?

On the Carp front I dont often add anything to over the counter baits as I work on the assumption the bait is already the "finished article" when I buy it and the company in question has worked out the flavour and additive levels so I tend not to mess with them. That said I occaionally stick some CSL baits in to a glug of CSL which I think is a good additive. For home made baits the world your osyter literally and you can go mad knocking up your own concoctions and trying to come up with a killer secret formula..fun too !

I usually have a few squirty flavour bottles in the bait bucket in the back of the car. Nowadays I only tend to spray them on bread occasionally if the water is very coloured or I am just in the mood to try it.

I also tend to keep anything left over from home that I am about the throw away that i think I can chuck in groundbait to add a bit of a kick..things like out of date coco powder or nesquick and things like that. Economy Fishey Cat food is a good additive to basic groundbaits when sea fishing.

The water Particles and seeds like hemp re boiled in can be an excellent additive for groundbait. Even better, if you cook them on the bank then getting the particles and liquid in while they are still hot will mean they are still pumping out attraction by the bucket load.

I am sure flavours and additives can make a difference on occasion but I think you need to be careful as well as sometimes too much flavour can work against you.

 

[no-one in particular]

Economy Fishey Cat food is a good additive to basic groundbaits when sea fishing.

Just caught that line Phillip reading your post. I never ground bait when sea fishing but have toyed with the idea. I imagine that could help when fishing off jetties or piers, is that when you use it and what do you mix it with, does it help?

 

[maggot_dangler]

Sounds expensive PG...

Out of interest, what advantages do you think they offer? How often do you change them, for example?

Always willing to try something different, IF it offers some distinct advantage!




ps Truth be told, I would probably end up eating the Weetabix. Haven't had them since youth....

I find i use one weetabix in a pint of maggots and never have a problem with keeping them a week without changing , I find Maze meal goes damp and clumps up the weetabix (or bixies or whatever) stays free and dry ..

 

[maggot_dangler]

I'd have thought a simple bag of bran would involve far less effort, probably be cheaper and be less messy. I tend to have a packet of Mornflake Oatbran in the house at all times. It's available in normal supermarkets.

Never tried it so could not comment i use the Lidl equivelent of weetabix bixies normally as we have a couple of packets in stock i known porrige oats do not work .

PG ...

 

[Philip]

Just caught that line Phillip reading your post. I never ground bait when sea fishing but have toyed with the idea. I imagine that could help when fishing off jetties or piers, is that when you use it and what do you mix it with, does it help?

My sea fishing tends to be limited to holidays nowadays Mark and as you mention Jetty, rock or estuary type situations for species like Mullet. I used to just buy basically the cheapest groundbait I could find in any local tackle shop and then mix in any cheap fishey ingredient I can find...cat food tends to come in fishey flavours and is cheap and you can usually find it in any local supermarket so I use that. The cheaper ones (apart from being cheaper) also tend to be more liquidy and runny which is ideal. I'll mix it with the groundbait & throw in nuggets of that on a regular basis and I do get the impression it makes a difference. As I say I use any cheap groundbait as the bulk but basically I think any binding agent will do the job, even mashed up bread.

I remember sitting on the wall of a small harbour once and had half a baguette with me. I started to throw in tiny specs of bread every few seconds and almost out of nowhere small fish began to appear to attack the bread specs as they sank. I continued to feed and more and more fish joined in. By the end of the half bagette I had a huge swirling mass of fish in front of me boiling in the clear harbour water. ...it attracted quite a crowd of people behind me to watch it !

That was just half a bagette so it wasnt the quantity, it was the regular action of feeding that attracted the fish. I dont see too many people actually feeding their swims when sea fishing !

 

[no-one in particular]

That's interesting Phillip. I might try that when I get going again. As you say not expensive and the scent trail must help with the cat food especially off the harbour wall. If I get my small boat next year for some close in fishing along a bay I fish or just off a rocky point might work well as well, just dropping balls over the side on a regular basis, there is not much current there. I have thought of trying to attach a small bit of sponge to my main line soaked in something when beach fishing in the past, might give that some more thought as well with a thin mixture.
Thanks...

 

[liphook]

The Channel Island anglers swear by 'shervy' or 'chervy' (depending on the island you're on) groundbait. Stale white bread mashed up with fresh mackerel and a dollop of fish oil. Use a big spoon cable tied to a stick to administer