| * An introduction to making your own | | | | protein content from there (Using eggs / egg |
| homemade carp fishing and catfishing baits; | | | | powder to bind your bait, adds a great |
| choosing cool ingredients: * | | | | nutritional added profile as a complete |
| | | | protein food.) |
| 'Homemade' can mean 'simple or basic', but | | | | |
| when applied to making carp or catfish bait, | | | | Examples of binders: |
| the subject certainly deserves far more | | | | |
| explanation for optimum results and | | | | • Hen's eggs. |
| catches!to begin with, your bait really has | | | | |
| just one main function; to get the fishing | | | | • Egg powder / extracts. |
| hook into the carp's or catfish's mouth, so | | | | |
| giving the opportunity for it to be hooked! | | | | • Whey gel. |
| To achieve this, the bait needs either: | | | | |
| | | | • Bread crumbs. |
| • To emit a recognizable carp food | | | | |
| signal, or stimulate carp curiosity. | | | | • Full fat 'yellow' semolina. |
| | | | |
| • Be representative of, or a mimic of a | | | | • Maize meal. |
| natural food source. | | | | |
| | | | • Corn starch / meal / syrup. |
| Carp are curious and will examine any new | | | | |
| potential food item they come across. Whether | | | | • Potato starch. |
| paste / dough or boilies, it needs to be | | | | |
| resilient enough to be put on the hook or | | | | • White ground rice flour. |
| 'hair', for it to withstand the fishes' | | | | |
| attention and enter the mouth. | | | | • Wheat flour. |
| | | | |
| 'Boilie' baits are the more scientifically | | | | • Wheat gluten. |
| proven kind that have evolved from the days | | | | |
| of the 'Specials' baits. In the UK these were | | | | • Potato gluten. |
| often based on ground - up dog, cat, fish | | | | |
| foods and farm animal foods in pellet, | | | | • Full fat soya flour. |
| biscuit and tinned form. They were bound | | | | |
| together with eggs, and fished as pastes. In | | | | • Ground seeds. |
| the 1950 to the early 1970's these were often | | | | |
| fished 'free lined' with big hooks, with no | | | | • Ground 'Sluis CLO.' |
| weight, and individual baits could be the | | | | |
| size of an orange, in order to deter | | | | • Ground 'EMP.' |
| bait-whittling smaller fish! | | | | |
| | | | • Ground 'CeDe.' |
| Other common 'kitchen' type ingredients were | | | | |
| also incorporated to enhance paste | | | | • Ground 'Red band' pigeon seed mix. |
| effectiveness like minced tinned fish, curry | | | | |
| powder, bottled condiment sources, yeast | | | | • Beef gelatin based binding products. |
| powders, milk powders, grated cheese, salt | | | | |
| and pepper, herbs, yeast extract, cake baking | | | | • Chemical / 'Jelly style' foods. |
| flavours, whole - wheat flour, corn flour, | | | | |
| bird foods, ground fish meal pellets, and | | | | Some of the most effective attraction of your |
| animal / pet food pellets, beans, peas, | | | | bait comes from the water soluble fraction of |
| seeds, and many food oils have been used; | | | | particular ingredients used. Ingredients with |
| many of which have proved themselves. Many, | | | | this characteristic content could constitute |
| in original or extract form, are still used | | | | 10 % up to 30 % of the mix. Making a |
| in baits today. | | | | resilient practical boilie mix may require |
| | | | the addition or reduction of only one |
| Baits were originally boiled to allow them to | | | | ingredient. Some of the best baits you will |
| be thrown much further out into the water, as | | | | ever discover are made by this trial and |
| carp moved out in response to increased | | | | error process. The solubility of ingredients |
| angling pressure and tackle improvements. The | | | | is especially recommended if an ingredient |
| fact that nearly every other fish that swims | | | | has high protein value, such as sodium and |
| with carp can eat boilies, has shown that the | | | | calcium caseinates, calf milk replacers, |
| 'hard skinned boilie idea didn't really work. | | | | whole milk powder, yeast powder, hydrolyzed |
| In fact many species, like big roach, tench, | | | | fish and shellfish proteins etc... |
| bream, catfish etc, seem to use boilies as | | | | |
| part of their staple diets and their improved | | | | Some are used at much lower levels, e.g. 0.2 |
| growth rates can attest to this fact. | | | | % to 6 % ; e.g., hydrolyzed fish protein, |
| | | | hydrolyzed spirulina extract, squid extract, |
| The ideal 'average' size established for | | | | anchovy extract, green crab / lobster / |
| boilies used to be a recommended 15 | | | | scallop / shrimp / oyster / baby clam |
| millimeters in diameter, although today | | | | extracts, green lip mussel extract etc. These |
| highly pressured waters often see better | | | | are also effective as most are extremely |
| results on much smaller sizes and some do | | | | quickly and efficiently digested with |
| very well on even 35 millimeter ones as have | | | | immediate benefits that the carp can feel. |
| done in the UK and France. | | | | |
| | | | I prefer to fresh freeze baits, or 'air dry' |
| If you were an average carp angler, fishing | | | | them naturally, or preserve them in a flavour |
| in around 1980 in the UK, then you were most | | | | / amino acid / supplement compound, rather |
| likely still experimenting with many of these | | | | than using a chemical preservative in the |
| ingredients, to give you an 'edge' over those | | | | bait like ascorbic acid. |
| pesky carp! However, there were an advanced | | | | |
| minority, who kept the latest bait and rig | | | | Carp require oils (essential fatty acids) but |
| secret developments private among themselves, | | | | only in small amounts e.g., up to 5 % of your |
| and pockets of carp anglers developed | | | | total dry mix. Oily fish meals and shellfish |
| different edges and formulas which could | | | | meals are already rich in these, as are flax |
| totally out - fish the old 'specials'. | | | | seed, hemp seed, sesame seeds, salmon oil, |
| | | | cod liver oil, crustacean oil, etc. To meet |
| This was because they were based upon, and | | | | minimum carp dietary requirements try adding |
| maximized, scientifically proven data, on the | | | | perhaps around 1 milliliter to 3 milliliters |
| carp dietary preference mechanism! | | | | of a good quality nutritional oil per egg, |
| Understanding the scientifically proven carp | | | | (maximum,) depending on oil level in the dry |
| data, on the carp's dietary preference | | | | mix. |
| mechanism and baits designed on this basis, | | | | |
| resulted in more highly nutritionally | | | | At times of year when water temperatures drop |
| balanced baits. So giving carp the maximum | | | | below 55 Fahrenheit / 13 Degrees Celsius, |
| energy and dietary requirements, for the | | | | it's sensible to drop the oil levels used or |
| least cost in effort! | | | | use emulsified oil. It also pays to reduce |
| | | | some of your 'whole protein food' content and |
| The real missing ingredient, for very many | | | | substitute it with e.g., 3 ounces of wheat |
| carp anglers, even today, is in understanding | | | | germ; this is a proven method of improving |
| why a carp eats any of these carp boilie | | | | the biological conversion of your bait inside |
| foods at all! And why carp can actually | | | | the carp by making your bait more 'carp |
| prefer some baits to the exclusion of all the | | | | digestible' |
| rest! | | | | |
| | | | Carp love to crunch food and in doing so send |
| This is an important area I feel, that has | | | | out all kinds of feeding signals to other |
| been neglected, leaving many modern carp | | | | carp, allowing attractive food particles to |
| anglers with less understanding of the baits | | | | pass out of the gills. |
| available to him and how best to choose how | | | | |
| and when to use them, because this can be a | | | | Nutritional ingredients can be used for this |
| very important 'edge' in itself! Also I feel | | | | effect, e.g. bird foods - 'Robin Red', 'Red |
| it is as important to really understand why | | | | Factor','Nectarblend', Ground 'Red Band' |
| your shop-bought bait catches and doesn't | | | | pigeon food, prepared ground mixed nuts and |
| catch in different circumstances, seasonal | | | | seeds; prepared tiger nuts and hempseed, |
| and weather conditions, and different at | | | | millet, egg - biscuit myna - bird rearing |
| types of waters. | | | | food, niger seeds, 'RRR', ground birdseeds |
| | | | 'Ce De', 'PTX', ground insects, dried larvae, |
| Of course it is not vital to know, or | | | | coarse kelp meal etc. |
| understand these things to catch carp. But | | | | |
| only the most exceptional outstanding anglers | | | | Also used are crushed oyster shell and |
| catch big carp consistently, using a normal | | | | eggshell. These also allow bait to release |
| number of fishing hours to achieve this. | | | | attractors faster, putting more out to |
| Compared to the 'average' majority, who are | | | | attract carp quicker and more effectively, |
| usually those having taken up carp fishing in | | | | especially in lower water temperatures. They |
| the last 5 to 15 years or so and often to | | | | also help the fish to eat more bait by |
| struggle to maintain big fish catches | | | | helping them pass it through their systems |
| consistency all year round unlike much more | | | | faster. |
| experienced and 'bait wise' anglers. | | | | |
| | | | Test each individually because their |
| So I feel it is important to help explain how | | | | properties vary. Use, e.g., 0.5 ounces per |
| to become more satisfied and consistent in | | | | pound for shell through to e.g., 2 ounces |
| your carp fishing, because these days it can | | | | per pound of course kelp meal, to e.g., 3 |
| be a large sacrifice, both in time and money, | | | | ounces per pound of 'Robin Red', ground |
| to pursue this sport. I believe, especially | | | | birdseed e.g., 6 ounces per pound, up to 8 |
| newer carp anglers, need impartial guidance | | | | ounces per pound of 'Nectar Blend'. |
| when it comes to the importance of bait | | | | |
| (often a complete afterthought!), when | | | | Here are some examples of recognized |
| frequently thousands of pounds have been | | | | 'nutritional' bird food ingredients: |
| spent on carp fishing tackle! | | | | |
| | | | • 'PTX.' |
| An introduction to the boilie ingredients: | | | | |
| Boilies are usually made using dry mixture | | | | • 'Robin Red.' |
| ingredients of either 500 grammes or 1 pound. | | | | |
| Using a combination of natural and synthetic | | | | • 'Red Factor.' |
| materials, bait may be bound together usually | | | | |
| with eggs, to form dough balls or shapes. The | | | | • 'Nectar Blend.' |
| most effective size and dimensions vary | | | | |
| depending upon your fishing situation, and | | | | • 'RRR' Spanish peppers. |
| could be 8 to 30 millimeters plus. (Never | | | | |
| underestimate how fish preferences alter over | | | | • 'Prosecto Insectivorous.' |
| time and even at different times during a | | | | |
| session!) | | | | • 'Sluis' CLO. |
| | | | |
| It pays to make different sizes, shapes, and | | | | • 'Sluis'Universal. |
| densities boilies: this helps take away a | | | | |
| 'danger' reference point, i.e., it stops the | | | | • 'Sluis' Mynhah bird food. |
| fish recognizing it and fools the carp into | | | | |
| eating the hook bait with the hook (which is | | | | • 'CeDe.' |
| the point, isn't it?!) | | | | |
| | | | • 'EMP.' |
| Boilies have conventionally been and are | | | | |
| often labeled in terms of the food group | | | | • 'Red Venom' carophyll red liquid |
| which forms the majority percentage of the | | | | pigment attractor. |
| bait, i.e.: | | | | |
| | | | • Ground-up wild bird food. |
| Milk protein (whole milk and it's | | | | |
| derivatives) | | | | Other ingredients are used to change |
| | | | resilience, texture, attractor leak-off,e.g., |
| Carrier carbohydrate (soya flour / semolina) | | | | milk powders, whole milk, 'Vitamealo' at, |
| | | | e.g., 4 ounces per pound),or in a very |
| Bird foods (seed mixes, rearing foods and | | | | soluble bait to bind it 'tighter' e.g., whey |
| extracts, etc) | | | | gel at 3 ounces per pound, or make it harder, |
| | | | e.g. blood powder at e.g. 4 ounces per pound, |
| Fishmeal (ground trout pellets, oily fish | | | | egg albumin at e.g., 2 ounces per pound, |
| meals, crustacean meals, seafood extracts, | | | | whole egg powder at, e.g., 3 ounces per |
| etc) | | | | pound, or whey gel, e.g., 1 ounce per pound. |
| | | | |
| Meat meals (beef, poultry, pork flakes, | | | | To avoid silt / to make baits more buoyant, |
| hydrolyzed feather meal, etc) | | | | include ingredients like sodium caseinate, |
| | | | e.g. 5 ounces per pound, or shrimp meal, e.g. |
| And so on… | | | | 3 ounces per pound or krill meal at e.g., 3 |
| | | | ounces per pound. Try raising your flavours |
| Of course, these labels are misleading to | | | | levels too! |
| some folks these days because baits have | | | | |
| become more complex. The benefits of mixing | | | | Vitamins and minerals are great attractors |
| the nutrients of different food groups in the | | | | too, being essential for carp health and |
| same bait mix, means there may be no single | | | | growth. Many of the above extracts supply |
| food group in any given bait! | | | | these, but they leach out of bait very fast. |
| | | | Adding black strap molasses, betaine |
| So how do you choose which ingredients to | | | | hydrochloride to the mix and as liquid soak |
| use, which ratios of these to use and why? | | | | really help. |
| The first step is commonly practicality; can | | | | |
| you put these things together into a dough or | | | | Other ingredients can be added in very low |
| paste, to produce a boilie mix that will bind | | | | levels to enhance your bait, or give it an |
| together and roll well? | | | | 'extra special attractive note' e.g., 1 |
| | | | teaspoon per pound, of powdered taste |
| To produce a boilie from various ingredients | | | | enhancer, sea salt, or sweeteners like sodium |
| without instructions on ratios of each | | | | saccharin and fishing company proprietary |
| ingredient takes some preliminary testing. So | | | | brands liquid and powdered sweeteners with no |
| it is wise to start by using one large hen's | | | | 'chemical back taste'. |
| egg (or similar), mixed with a small amount | | | | |
| of any liquid ingredients, to confirm that | | | | When you mix new ingredients together always |
| your test dry ingredients when mixed actually | | | | test your mixture first. Try using one egg as |
| bind and roll well into balls to make boiled | | | | a binder, to see if you have your ratios |
| baits. If not, add more egg, a small amount | | | | right for practical binding and rolling |
| of vegetable oil or 'binding material'. | | | | purposes. Always prepare your wet ingredients |
| | | | first and add dry ingredients to the wet ones |
| Ideally start by putting the carp's dietary | | | | gradually as you become accustomed to the |
| needs first when making bait, and begin with | | | | ingredients you're using, this part will |
| the bulk 'whole protein food' content of | | | | become simple! |
| ingredients at 25 % to 50 % of your | | | | |
| preliminary 100 % dry mixture. Such examples | | | | You can refine your bait's 'nutritional |
| used could be combinations of some of the | | | | profile' content, attraction properties and |
| following: caseins, lactalbumin, fish meals, | | | | additional practical physical properties, as |
| meat meals, whey protein. | | | | you become more familiar with getting a |
| | | | practical bait together; that works right for |
| Usually you will require a binding material | | | | you and catches carp consistently! (Big ones |
| to hold the protein food together in the | | | | preferably! You will soon find it's very easy |
| bait. This may require using dry binding | | | | to make all kinds of baits, and your secret |
| ingredients like semolina, wheat gluten, | | | | bait armory will fill you with confidence and |
| wheat flour, soya flour etc for up to 50 % of | | | | your photograph albums with big carp! |
| the mix, necessary for many types of coarse | | | | (Warning this article is under copyright; |
| bird food meals, shellfish meals, meat and | | | | only reprinting with a link is OK.) |
| fish meals. Different bait materials will | | | | |
| alter this approximate ratio, but use the | | | | By Tim Richardson. 'The 'thinking angler's |
| ratio that rolls first! and increase the | | | | bait making expert. |