I have used many paste baits over the years and as a rule I go for very soft and smooth pastes. But now and again when the bites have become fidgety I have found that by pressing the crushed ingredients into the paste so they are exposed that the fish hit it like their life depended on it. I first found this about 1970 when I was using a paste made with Datom pond pellets. I baited a swim for two weeks prior to the opening night and sat there waiting for the midnight start. After putting in a couple of tubs of pellet the tench were milling about with the odd carp it was a small swim and I used one rod. I nodded off and woke about 1 am put a nob of paste on and flicked it out free-line six pound platil strong a size six hook on my glass Avon Master holding the line between my finger and thumb I was getting pulls from the off but no really good pulls. After an hour of frustration and re-baiting many times I took some of the raw pellet in the palm of my hand and squeezed it onto the paste on the hook flicked it out and BANG a good solid take in the next hour I had nine tench but only got the good takes if the paste was textured plain paste just got knocked about. I have had the same experience with trout pellet paste and even with Gram flour flavoured with minced liver. In this instance I would squeeze crushed chick pea on the onto the paste. Has any one else experienced this with paste baits.