flavouring groundbait.

colin42 · Jun 28, 2017

Hello everybody,
I have just joined your forum and would like to ask a question regarding the flavouring of groundbait, i understand that this topic has already been covered but couldnt find an exact answer.
I am going to have a go at the method this season and have heard whisperings that Almond flavour is the thing to be on, my question is what is the best way to add almond flavour to my groundbait?, would it be in a liquid or to add it in a powder form?.
I have been looking at the almond essences in the supermarkets but wouldnt have a clue how much to add say to a kilo of groundbait, ive heard you can overdo it if not careful. Also could i just buy some fine ground almonds and add that to the groundbait?
I am also thinking of flavouring my pellets, i assume i could just add a few drops to the water i am going to soak the pellets in, would this work as its an oil?
Cheers in advance chaps.

binka · Jun 28, 2017

I was using almond essence from supermarkets as far back as twenty years ago and even on maggots.

It is true about being easy to overdo, it's a very sweet and potent flavour.

If you've been looking at the supermarket stuff in the baking section you will already be familiar with the tiny bottles, I would dilute half of one of those to the water you would use for a kilo of groundbait and go from there.

For maggots just sprinkle a small amount on as long before your session as possible and then riddle off the maize at the waterside to leave the sweet smelling maggots.

Roach absolutely love if for some reason and I hope it goes well for you.

David Rogers 3 · Jun 28, 2017

Sensas also do a Bitter Almond in their Aromix Liquid Additive range - I haven't yet used it myself, but I'm a big fan of their liquid brasem and if it's as good as that, it shouldbe worth trying!

peterjg · Jun 29, 2017

Add the liquid flavouring to the water then add the groundbait. Mix the groundbait the day before you go fishing, use rain water not tap water. You will have to experiment with flavouring levels, start off low then increase if necessary. Also different makes of flavour (even from supermarkets) can be very different!

Binka: as I am a keen roach angler your comment about 'almond' being good for roach is very interesting, I have never used it (yet). Tony Miles wrote that almond was especially good for tench fishing, I really must get round to trying it.

I must admit that I have not found tackle shop groundbait to be any better than my own mix which is just liquidised bread mixed with different amounts of seived layers mash (depending on venue) then with flavours added when wetting. Archie Braddock recommended desiccated coconut but coconut floats and on stillwaters this just attracts coots!

Interesting thread subject. Flavours really can make a huge difference to results!!!

Peter Jacobs · Jun 29, 2017

David Rogers 3 said:
Sensas also do a Bitter Almond in their Aromix Liquid Additive range - I haven't yet used it myself, but I'm a big fan of their liquid brasem and if it's as good as that, it shouldbe worth trying!

I am a firm believer in flavoured baits and ground baits, if for no other reason than it is a bit different to what others might be using.

Both Sensas and Van den Eynde have some very good and time tested flavours . . . . . the best thing is to experiment and see.

The only home made ground bait I ever use is bread crumb as I think that most home made baits contain far too much "feed" elements.

Just my views, other will differ . . . .

rayner · Jun 29, 2017

Plenty of shops sell ground almonds.

jasonbean1 · Jun 29, 2017

I reckon that most flavours catch the angler more than the fish, plain baits such as bread punch and crumble from a cheap white loaf can out fish many a bait.

plain sweetcorn un flavoured I find catches just as much as expensive stuff like bait tecs.

the list goes on.......plain maggots, worm, pellets, brown crumb, hemp, luncheon meat.

even washed out boilies are common on pressured waters to catch fish, I should imagine a plain un flavoured boilie would catch as much as flavoured.

but I am a total hypocrite and spend more than my fair share on the latest fad so what do I know

mg:

colin42 · Jun 29, 2017

Afternoon chaps,
Thanks for all the reply's to my questions, wasn't expecting so many.
I followed up David Rogers3 advice on the Sensas Aromix additive but i cannot get the bitter almond one anywhere, they do them in Angling Direct but was told on the phone that it comes direct from their warehouse and not in their shops and if it's not on the website they havn't got it, which is a shame as it looked very promising, comes in a 500ml bottle so it would last a while.
Iv'e tried most of the Sensas outlets but they all don't do the almond for some reason.I may go down the powdered almond route and give that a go, in the supermarkets they do a Whitworths ground almond for baking which i assume is very fine, i might add this to my homemade groundbait of liquidisied vitalin and custard cream biscuits, do you think it would bind together ok for the method or would i have to add something else to sticky it up a bit?.

jasonbean1 · Jun 29, 2017

I reckon that mix will stick together well, it sounds quite tasty!

Peter Jacobs · Jun 29, 2017

colin42 said:
do you think it would bind together ok for the method or would i have to add something else to sticky it up a bit?.

Given those two main ingredients then it will sink like the blooming Titanic . . . . . if you want it to break up more quickly then reduce the amount of water in the mix too.

What species are you targeting with this mix, and what volume are you making up?

David Rogers 3 · Jun 29, 2017

colin42 said:
I followed up David Rogers3 advice on the Sensas Aromix additive but i cannot get the bitter almond one anywhere

Fishing Republic carries it in many of their shops as well as online. As they're the biggest tackle chain in the UK, there may be a shop near you?

Alternatively, they do free P&P on online orders over £20, if you fancy ordering a few bits and bobs (which soon add up...).

https://www.fishingrepublic.net/sensas-aromix-amande-amese-bitter-almond-78848.html

Edit to say - Damn! Just spotted it's marked as Out Of Stock on that web link!

laguna · Jun 29, 2017

You cant go wrong with the powdered almond. At least you know there is nothing synthetic about it.
Good luck.

Philip · Jun 30, 2017

Slightly off topic but something I have often wondered that perhaps the Groundbait buffs can put me right on…

I understand some of the proprietary mixes are not just attractants but claim to be laxatives as well. The idea being if you make the fish poo its going to get hungry and eat more of your bait.

However I can’t help but think that even if the groundbait has a laxative effect surely its going to take longer for it to work than the average time an angler is sitting in his swim after throwing it in and if in the event it WAS potent enough to take immediate effect I suspect the fish wont feel too great and will probably lay low for a few hours.

So basically both are self-defeating outcomes from an angling point of view ?

laguna · Jun 30, 2017

Philip said:
Slightly off topic but something I have often wondered that perhaps the Groundbait buffs can put me right on…

I understand some of the proprietary mixes are not just attractants but claim to be laxatives as well. The idea being if you make the fish poo its going to get hungry and eat more of your bait.

However I can’t help but think that even if the groundbait has a laxative effect surely its going to take longer for it to work than the average time an angler is sitting in his swim after throwing it in and if in the event it WAS potent enough to take immediate effect I suspect the fish wont feel too great and will probably lay low for a few hours.

So basically both are self-defeating outcomes from an angling point of view ?

Laxatives lol
I have heard the same said, but none that I know intentionally include ingredients to make a fish 'go'!
The argument particularly falls flat on its face where carp are concerned as their digestion times, although fast (particularly in warmer weather), doesn't make them eat more of your bait. They are much more likely to indulge in coprophagy (auto/allo) - preferring a pre-digested meal than another mouthful of something fresh.

*Other poop tubes and evacuation times will vary.

colin42 · Jul 4, 2017

Peter Jacobs said:
Given those two main ingredients then it will sink like the blooming Titanic . . . . . if you want it to break up more quickly then reduce the amount of water in the mix too.

What species are you targeting with this mix, and what volume are you making up?

Hi Peter,
hopefully i will be targeting carp, i have invested in a bottle of almond essence from Tesco and am looking to add this to the mix too, i was going to start with 10ml to a kilo of mix, do you think this is too much or too little?, another member on here recommended that i dillute half the bottle to a kilo but to be honest that sounded a bit too much, i'm assuming it's a case of experimenting with the doseage.

binka · Jul 4, 2017

colin42 said:
Hi Peter,
hopefully i will be targeting carp, i have invested in a bottle of almond essence from Tesco and am looking to add this to the mix too, i was going to start with 10ml to a kilo of mix, do you think this is too much or too little?, another member on here recommended that i dillute half the bottle to a kilo but to be honest that sounded a bit too much, i'm assuming it's a case of experimenting with the doseage.

T'was I who recommended the half a bottle as they are so tiny

The best thing I could say is that if you're uncertain then start with the 10ml and add more if need be, after all you can't take it out if you put too much in.

When I was using it on maggots I could use half a bottle when they were really having it but the bites would die very suddenly when roach were the target... Whether or not a pike or perch had turned up or whether I had overdone it I don't know but it was a pattern I noticed on different waters and I suspect it may have been the latter.

---------- Post added at 16:22 ---------- Previous post was at 16:12 ----------

Low and behold look what a quick rummage in the bait drawer produced...

I think it's been in there a fair while but I'm glad you raised the question initially as I reckon it could do well with barbel.

As you can see the bottles are only 38ml so the difference between the 10ml and half a bottle isn't that much more in terms of physical quantity but as said it is potent stuff so err on the side of caution if you're not sure.

colin42 · Jul 7, 2017

binka said:
T'was I who recommended the half a bottle as they are so tiny

The best thing I could say is that if you're uncertain then start with the 10ml and add more if need be, after all you can't take it out if you put too much in.

When I was using it on maggots I could use half a bottle when they were really having it but the bites would die very suddenly when roach were the target... Whether or not a pike or perch had turned up or whether I had overdone it I don't know but it was a pattern I noticed on different waters and I suspect it may have been the latter.

---------- Post added at 16:22 ---------- Previous post was at 16:12 ----------

Low and behold look what a quick rummage in the bait drawer produced...

I think it's been in there a fair while but I'm glad you raised the question initially as I reckon it could do well with barbel.

As you can see the bottles are only 38ml so the difference between the 10ml and half a bottle isn't that much more in terms of physical quantity but as said it is potent stuff so err on the side of caution if you're not sure.

Cheers Binka,
The bottle i got from Tesco is 60ml so i think i will go with 10ml per kilo to start with to be on the safe side, putting it in with the water you are going to mix with the groundbait sounds the best way to me.
Love doing experiments like this as you never know if it's going to get you more or less bites, hopefully more. Thanks.

flavouring groundbait.

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