The red stuff.

[rayner]

OK for ever since I've fished commercials I've noticed additives on tackle shop shelves.
I'm not saying they weren't there when I fished natural venues, mostly rivers or canals. It's more like I rarely noticed them. Apart from Archie Bradocks flavours that came in little green bottles.
I reckoned I was sort of immune to the blurb and just ignored the shelf that was rammed with flavours.
One thing that's for some reason intrigued me over the last few months is Robin Red. I know it's not new, I've read it's spicy and that's about all I know. Do you use Robin Red, is it the colour or the flavour that makes it popular.

 

[rich66]

I use Robin Red 8mm pellets, they seem to work very well. Carp,Tench, Bream I’ve caught on them. Some days they’ve saved me from a blank. I like to put their micro pellets in my groundbait too.
Never tried the liquid stuff.

I think it’s the flavour rather than colour.

 

[mikench]

I've not used the liquid but have had success( modest of course) with the 6, 8 and 12 m pellets. Anecdotally there are a few waters where they are very popular with all species. A few months ago I went to a fishery with carp in mind. Prawns, meat and bread produced nothing. I switched to 12 mm robins red and had 12 over the rest of the day. Out of interest I tried other baits in between and nothing.

Mind you I went back a few days later sat in the same peg, using just Robin red and caught zilch- go figure. That was the last time I went without the full cornucopia of baits. Are you reading this Mark!

 

[103841]

My club has banned them on certain waters as they have with boilies too, something to do with the high oil content maybe?

 

[iannate]

Robin Red:

Analytical constituents:

Oil A: 13.03%
Crude Protein: 11.1%
Crude Fibre: 13.1%
Dry Matter: 93.8%
Moisture: 6.2%
Ash: 5.5%
Total Oil: 13.56%
Starch: 3.2%

Composition: Capsicum, Red Beet Extract, Sucrose, Vegetable oil, Maltodextrin

Opinions are divided, and the stuff can stir some emotive debates.

Personally, I think most flavours and additives are for the angler and may serve a better function as a libation; but I can't stop dabbling myself My personal experience of RR is that it won't harm a bait, but there are several things in my cupboard which are cheaper which I have more confidence in: marmite, sriracha, tomato sauce, brown sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and juice from a tin of un-salted sweetcorn.

If you can stand it, crushed garlic cloves are good to soak your hook baits in, keeps visitors (except dogs) away from your peg.

 

[seth49]

8 mm robin red pellets have been good for me this year, had quite a few carp on them.

Best bait by far this year, has been the chocolate orange wafters I’ve been using, had over a hundred carp on them this year, both have been fished on a method feeder, using dampened two mm pellets, if you use the screttings pellets I’ve found a one minute and fifteen seconds soak in water, is about right, for use on a method feeder.

 

[peterjg]

I have great faith in Robin Red pellets for above average size roach, they work in lakes, rivers and canals. Best used though where the fish are a bit used to pellets.
I also sometimes use RR flavour in groundbait and bread flake hook baits for roach.

 

[no-one in particular]

There does seem to be some relation to red and fish, maybe they see it better or it excites them in some way, maybe both but would they be as effective if they were robin greens?! There’s an experiment, dye some in different colours and see if they compare.
I read an article a few years ago where dying bread red was knocking them dead but, it seems to have not caught on.
I did a bit of experimenting with soft pellets but they struggled really on the wild waters I fish, a bit hit and miss, definately no better then sweetcorn and bread I would say.

 

[peterjg]

Markg, re your comments. The nearest things to 'universal bait' which more or less work everywhere are either bread or maggots. RR pellets work very well on some waters and are rubbish on others, I do think that they are the best pellets - but match the bait to the venue to the time of year.

 

[no-one in particular]

Markg, re your comments. The nearest things to 'universal bait' which more or less work everywhere are either bread or maggots. RR pellets work very well on some waters and are rubbish on others, I do think that they are the best pellets - but match the bait to the venue to the time of year.

Thanks Peter, I was after a soft pellet in my little experiment which I could't get in RR but I will try the RR's sometime. They may just work better where I fish, they seem highly regarded..

 

[seth49]

Robin Red Evolution Oil
You can use a squirt of this on soft pellets, groundbait, etc, a bit on the robin red pellets gives them more flavour too.

 

[rayner]

It appears very popular, especially the pellets.
My thinking was more for the RR powder than the normal shop bought treated products. I had the idea that the colour was the thing that attracted the fish not the flavour. More or less in the vein that markg touched, one things for sure I think a little more investigating will go on over the next few months.
By the way, I'm not expecting anything like a wonder bait.

 

[seth49]

Robin Red: buy direct from Haith's or an Approved Bait Firm
This is the original, direct from the manufacturer.

 

[sam vimes]

My club has banned them on certain waters as they have with boilies too, something to do with the high oil content maybe?

Robin Red in itself doesn't have a high oil content. It depends on the underlying bait that it's applied to, or mixed with. Similar story with boilies there's nothing particularly high oil about most. If a club has blanket banned either, it may just be a well intentioned, but slightly misguided, reaction to something that they don't really understand. However, unless you get the actual reasoning from them it's difficult to second guess.

There are certainly sound reasons for fisheries to ban high oil baits when it comes to fish health and water quality. There's also valid environmental and economic reasons to get away from using fishmeals as a protein source. However, many bait manufacturers are only too well aware of both. Most boilie manufacturers have been falling over themselves to find alternatives to fishmeals for several years. Most pellets intended for use as coarse fishing bait have been steadily reducing oil content for quite a while too. The actual manufacturers of halibut and trout pellets never intended that their product be fed to coarse fish. Nor do they manufacture it specifically as a bait.

 

[Philip]

Robin Red has a long history in Carp bait circles. Its an attractor but it also has a nutritional element to it. I seem to recall its origins were as a bird food supplement that then was found to be a good bait additive. It played a big part in the early bait experiments on places like Darenth down in Kent where it led to some amazing catches. The spicy aspect to it is due to peppers and spices in it.

When Carp really get onto baits with Robin red they can actually take on a red coloring. Carp with a distinct red hue on their bellies is usually a sure sign someone’s using Robin red on the venue.

Lots of bait companies use it in their bait ranges although its not always directly named so its not always obvious its in the bait.
For general fishing I would imagine it would be a good additive to sprinkle on maggots or add a little to ground bait. I would not go too OTT on the amount however. You only need a little. I could imagine it being a good Roach additive.

I suspect allot of the fisheries banning it are probably trying to deter Carp anglers on their water.

 

[iannate]

Robin Red: buy direct from Haith's or an Approved Bait Firm
This is the original, direct from the manufacturer.

That's only to be used for hook baits

Please note: Not to be used for fish consumption - use for hookbait (lures) only. Use Robin Red naturals for bait / groundbait.

 

[rayner]

I seem to be giving all my spare time to this topic. I can't make my mind up whether to believe what I have read regarding how good Robin Red is or if it's all guff.
I know I'm a little late with my search for information, I have in my defence been forced onto commercials with a natural venue ethos.
My background is all river and canal based, whilst it gives what I think is a good grounding method wise the change to commercial to my mind is a totally different mind-set to get the best fishing from a venue. Catches have improved since I changed my attitude regarding commercials.
I was thinking rivers were the be all and end all of fishing with commercials nothing more than a place to fish in close seasons.
I'm still on the fence regarding Robin Red but if it gives me a chance to catch a few more
fish at the end of the day, then I will give it a go.

 

[no-one in particular]

It appears very popular, especially the pellets.
My thinking was more for the RR powder than the normal shop bought treated products. I had the idea that the colour was the thing that attracted the fish not the flavour. More or less in the vein that markg touched, one things for sure I think a little more investigating will go on over the next few months.
By the way, I'm not expecting anything like a wonder bait.

It's noticable that nearly all coarse fish have some sort of red or orange on them, must be a significant colour in thier world and probably red maggots are the most sucessful maggot and casters, another very sucessful bait are red/orange.
I remember once having a very good day on mixed colour maggots and red had most fish by far and green the worst, which I thought odd as they looked liked small caterpillars.
Is it the same for other baits, do red boilies fish better? Would other baits catch more fish dyed red? Worms, bread, sweetcorn, luncheon meat etc. Just a thought.

 

[103841]

That's only to be used for hook baits

Is this stuff good for colouring maggots?

 

[spenbeck]

Remember that the colour red changes to black when it reaches about 20 feet depth in water. Oddly through, pink still stays pink at that depth?