Laguna, to save me a hour or two on the internet (I'm very slow) do peanuts contain Rotenone? Or have I misundersood.
Yes Stu, Rotenone is used as a pesticide/insecticide but is also naturally present in peanuts. Its a truly effective, non-selective, deadly piscicide - fish killer. It also kills wild birds. To my knowledge there hasn't so far been any proven mass fish kill attributed directly to Rotenone in any UK water (thanks to those bans) but that's not to say it hasn't happened, its potential as a fish killer is just too great for it not to have happened. Personally I would ban them outright.
If I may I will ask just one question and that is, if peanuts are any good for fish and keeping them in good condition why are they not used by the fish farming industry in place of more expensive pellets? they are much cheaper and cheaper means more profit.
Good question. Because they are harmful in the extreme is the short answer Crow. It works by interfering with the fishes cellular respiration and no amount of careful preparation of particles affected will make them safe, fish are very susceptible to it. Rotenone is routinely sprayed on crops as a pesticide/insecticide and is taken up in the roots and tubers BUT the main danger comes from the naturally present mould that grows on (and penetrates into) peanuts in the soil. The mould itself is responsible for producing the toxin - both before and after harvest. Poor storage, distribution and handling is a major contributing factor, especially sun-dried groundnuts of the Americas. All peanuts contain it albeit in varying amounts, it might well be cheap but is totally unsuitable as a feed ingredient, more suited as a fish killer.
Digs and such aspersions wanderer? my comment was a cautionary note of the dangers of using peanuts because of Rotenone. They might catch fish but they are far from being the 'best' bait bar none - they are potentially very harmful, more dangerous than anything else I know!
For the record, I have no interest in either frozen or shelf-life baits and boilies made in the 'traditional' way or indeed any artificially preserved baits or additives. We're much too anal to be worried about that sort of thing. But agree, always have, those grievances of yours are probably justly founded, its my opinion the angler has far better and cheaper bait choices than some, touted by (some) other commercial entities... just not peanuts, its just not cricket.