| * It is extremely valuable to discover as many true | | | | catfish, or bass. |
| reasons why baits and all their ingredients work; and | | | | For example I persisted in fishing using one version |
| how to maximize their effects for the most | | | | of a homemade bait, which I believed would work |
| unbelievable catches. * | | | | extremely well on a particularly hard fished 'pressured' |
| If you regularly use, pellets, or boilies, or dough baits | | | | water. But this bait did not even produce a 'bite' for |
| etc, how much do you really know about how these | | | | 7 separate individual nights spread over a period of 7 |
| really attract fish to take your hook? | | | | weeks! |
| I think it's sad that most anglers don't give their bait | | | | Just as I had nearly 'given-up' faith, I 'free fed' 7 |
| the thought it really deserves and most often, the | | | | kilograms of this boilie bait, at the start of the last |
| 'average angler' just copies what his friend or the | | | | night of fishing, to see if much more bait was really |
| most successful angler along the bank is using. Or he | | | | required for a response in this lake. It was also the |
| uses whatever 'favourite' fashionable shop-bought | | | | very last of this homemade batch that I had made |
| bait happens to be 'en vogue' at the time. | | | | so I was puzzled by this stage by the lack of fish |
| To me this is completely missing the point about | | | | caught. |
| 'effective bait!' | | | | Previously I had only been 'feeding free baits' while |
| Its role has changed since fishing became so | | | | actually fishing; with 2 kilograms of bait at the start |
| commercially and the thinking of anglers became | | | | of a night's fishing session. Well that penultimate night |
| conditioned and 'warped' by the power of powerful | | | | the fish finally got the 'message.' Some of the lake's |
| advertising - telling us "Our new pellet or boilie bait, or | | | | biggest carp succumbed to this 'failure' bait that night! |
| this new 'packbait' is the best - it has caught 50 lake | | | | Tactics for very big waters and smaller waters need |
| records!" Then the following month a completely | | | | to differ - because often your baits absolutely need |
| different bait, a new addition to their products range | | | | to pull fish from extreme distances. I have found |
| is introduced, and forcefully marketed! | | | | that some ingredients do this far more powerfully |
| It is no surprise that many anglers feel confused, | | | | than others, and it is the 'mechanism' of how this |
| and spend their hard earned money on 'the next | | | | works that is significant to success. |
| best thing' whatever it is; the amount of 'manipulation' | | | | Otherwise it's often the 'old routine,' of finding actual |
| is staggering! | | | | or 'likely' feeding spots and regularly baiting those |
| Obviously there are multitudes of reasons why baits | | | | areas, until the fish get in the habit of visiting with |
| work - one of the strongest is the availability of | | | | the purpose of eating your bait - if they ever do! |
| 'easy energy'. In this case bait merely supplements | | | | This can take more time and fishing bait to test |
| the carp's natural diet; it's for this reason that any | | | | different areas, than you may have available. |
| 'non-nutritional' bait will dominate a water if it is fed in | | | | It really helps to understand far more about 'why' |
| masses of kilograms, perhaps by the majority of | | | | baits make fish behave the way they do. Like most |
| anglers that fish the water. | | | | anglers, I have used 'shop-bought baits of many kinds |
| Even the notoriously angling pressured 'bait oriented' | | | | and there are many benefits of this habit. (But there |
| big carp and catfish fish water "Darenth" in the UK, | | | | are definite disadvantages too.) |
| was 'absolutely torn apart' by a simple semolina and | | | | In the UK the very biggest carp or catfish often get |
| soya flour bait. This bait was made by a commercial | | | | caught on the most frequently heavily baited areas, |
| bait manufacturer and purchased at the lake by very | | | | even if they have long since been 'eaten out' of |
| many of the anglers fishing the lake. | | | | natural food. (Where the fish would normally have |
| This bait's easy availability and continual abundance in | | | | moved on to regularly feed elsewhere.) In this |
| this lake, made it work so very well on this water | | | | situation, a complete beginner using a commonly used |
| especially. Within one season at least a tonne of this | | | | 'shop-bought' bait, can cast to the vicinity of this spot |
| carbohydrate based, 'flavour attractor' type bait was | | | | and get 'beginner's luck' in the form of the lake's |
| bought and fed in the lake! The manufacturer told | | | | biggest resident! |
| me this himself. | | | | With using 'shop-bought' though thing can just |
| However, as fish wised up to this bait, catches | | | | become too easy and catch numbers orientated |
| dropped, and then there were anglers who simply | | | | rather than in appreciating and enjoying the fishing |
| followed this current bait 'fashion' and had no-where | | | | process. One of the major disadvantages is the fact |
| to go, and starting 'blanking' in style! Some have | | | | we lose some aspect of the joy of fishing that |
| never caught like it since then, and blame every | | | | comes from catching your personal best fish, time |
| reason except their bait. | | | | and time again, on baits you designed and made |
| With genuine knowledge of how and why baits | | | | yourself. (And knowing why they worked |
| really do their work, this situation can never happen. | | | | successfully!) |
| There are waters that have seen practically every | | | | Sure, it is a busy world, and it takes time to |
| productive commercial boilie and pellet style bait ever | | | | experiment with making bait, but fishing is an art |
| made. Mostly catches on these baits seem especially | | | | form and a passion and not just a 'results orientated |
| cyclical depending on numbers of anglers using these. | | | | sport.' |
| At any one moment in time, most fish caught, will | | | | Very many bait-making anglers are more successful |
| appear to result from the use of one particular bait - | | | | than 'average anglers.' They know it pays great |
| or method and very frequently, this is purely due to | | | | dividends to make records and give close attention |
| the fact that most anglers are using that bait / | | | | to every detail that could give them an 'edge.' This is |
| method! | | | | not so much about achieving results; but how they |
| Surely the whole point of 'bait' as a concept is to | | | | are achieved. These lucky anglers reaps rewards in |
| create a 'safe hook delivery mechanism.' So many | | | | terms of satisfaction that cannot be measured! |
| people forget the difference in quantities of baits fed | | | | We all go fishing to enjoy it, so why not enjoy it |
| by anglers, especially in the UK and European waters | | | | even more; and actually gain far more control over |
| now far exceed that in fed into fishing waters in the | | | | your catches and increase your personal satisfaction |
| past. | | | | by discovering more, how your bait influences fish |
| The great increase in anglers and the practice of | | | | behaviour and responses. |
| actively 'baiting-up' their swims as part of the | | | | If only you know how your 'personal bait' works, |
| 'modern' carp fishing method has massively multiplied | | | | and what ingredients you are using; your bait won't |
| and exaggerated the effects of fishermens' baits. | | | | 'blow' because everyone else is using it! I find |
| ('Mass baiting' a swim with far more than just half a | | | | catching on a 'shop-bait' to be far less exciting, and |
| pint of boilies, or pellets as 'free offerings' is simply | | | | OK they may catch fish, but how much more have |
| another 'method' is it not?) | | | | learnt and enjoyed the experience? |
| In the case of overstocked waters, hopefully baits | | | | As international angler Kevin Maddocks once said (in |
| with no harmful side effects, (and preferably health | | | | so many words,) "It is just as important to |
| promoting effects,) are eaten with confidence. But | | | | understand the reasons why you don't catch fish, as |
| are they? | | | | why you do!" |
| Even with the balanced food baits or old concept of | | | | I know that just one scientific insight or scientific |
| high nutritional baits ('HNV') style baits; it's the same | | | | new nutritional revelation can improve an individual |
| mission; to deliver a hook into a fish's mouth. (And | | | | angler's catches and often, the size of fish caught |
| not to give the fish various expensive baits with | | | | too! Don't we owe it to ourselves to understand |
| 'optimum nutrition values' for the sake of their | | | | more? After all, we get what we give! |
| 'health.') Are not anglers' baits specifically meant to | | | | Of course, on the great rivers and lakes in the |
| hook fish, and only incidentally supplement the carps' | | | | States, Canada, or Europe, there are many waters |
| natural diet so promoting fish growth gains? | | | | that are so vastly stocked and so little fished, |
| Only on 'unbalanced waters' like those that are well | | | | (especially for carp) that any bait will catch fish of |
| overstocked for the volume of water available, that | | | | various sizes! |
| perhaps some 'bait dependence' sets in and natural | | | | The key to very big catches of large numbers of |
| growth and weight gains are exaggerated. | | | | fish, (and therefore perhaps, greater numbers of |
| (Obviously, anglers' like this 'artificial produced' | | | | bigger fish,) is then solely determined by the length |
| situation on heavily fished waters, because the fish | | | | of time those fish remain feeding in your swim |
| they catch just keep getting bigger, artificially faster, | | | | before moving on. It would take too much money to |
| which is certainly a continuing egos boost for the | | | | 'hold them' with 'dough' baits, boilies or even pellets, |
| captors! | | | | except for the wealthiest fishermen. |
| I have tested baits on pressured 'bait oriented | | | | Even when using maize as chum 'free bait,' there is a |
| waters' and hooked big fish immediately on new | | | | physical limit to the amount of kilograms of maize |
| baits. Carp instinctively are drawn towards baits that | | | | you can physically feed a swim with, in order to hold |
| exploit their own 'food' detecting receptors - | | | | a large number of carp in your swim, while fishing for |
| especially those 'positive' for proteins, minerals, | | | | them. With such intense activity, 'angler exhaustion is |
| vitamins and 'saccharide' sweeteners for example. | | | | inevitable!' |
| Notably, carp are especially sensitive to 'sensing' | | | | Waters of the opposite extreme contain 'highly |
| amino acids 'signals' via receptor sites all around their | | | | educated' fish. This has resulted fish by being caught |
| bodies, using at least 4 different specialized neural | | | | by anglers over long years, in a highly pressured |
| networks in this process. | | | | angling environment. As in pay lakes, syndicate lakes, |
| Any bait you use could hook a fish immediately, if it | | | | and other commercial waters run for a profit. This is |
| stimulates a confident feeding or even 'curiosity' | | | | truly where homemade baits, knowledge, and |
| response, and there are thousands of permutations | | | | understanding of how your own bait works is and |
| of baits and lures all round the world for doing this! | | | | added 'edge.' Knowing how best to leverage and |
| Your bait does not necessarily need any particular | | | | apply it correctly, in direct response to what the |
| individual ingredient to be successful. A bait that has | | | | 'majority' are doing, is a major advantage. |
| been given no flavour, no protein, no oil source, no | | | | I am not against 'shop-baits,' these are allowing |
| additives etc, will still produce 'bites' in the right fishing | | | | 'instant' anglers the opportunity to sample the delights |
| situation. For example, the use of plastic sweetcorn! | | | | of catching very big fish. But it is sad how the easy |
| Anglers don't need to be too scientifically technical | | | | availability of products can induce a 'conditioned |
| to make great productive baits. But it is a massive | | | | expectation' of great results for very little effort |
| advantage to really understand how your baits affect | | | | input, where everything can be 'bought off the shelf.' |
| carp or catfish in specific ways, to stimulate the | | | | In contrast, the greatest appreciation and satisfaction |
| most dramatic immediate feeding response. This is | | | | in any endeavour are actually earned. |
| knowledge is 'true' fishing enlightenment because it | | | | 'Average' angling ability, knowledge, tackle and the |
| can convert into far better catches. | | | | methods used to catch fish, can be very similar, |
| Most anglers do not know or care how their baits | | | | when compared among the fishermen at any single |
| 'tempt' and catch their fish. This presents a real | | | | water. But bait knowledge can be a huge 'edge.' |
| opportunity for those curious enough to find out and | | | | Consistently producing 'above average catches' of big |
| exploit these 'secrets' for maximum effect! | | | | fish for the 'minority angler,' who is better educated |
| Great power comes with developing an awareness | | | | and really knows how to exploit bait and apply it |
| of the broad 'alternative opportunities' for making | | | | creatively. |
| 'different' baits that really catch fish; because they | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait 'edges' |
| are different to 'the norm', and also perhaps stimulate | | | | up his sleeve. Every single one can have a huge |
| a fish in slightly unusual you're Your bait might work | | | | impact on catches. (Warning: This article is protected |
| either instantly while actually fishing, or after a period | | | | by copyright.) |
| of 'pre-baiting' with 'free baits' in advance. | | | | By Tim Richardson. 'The thinking fisherman's expert |
| Baits can be so vastly different in the way they are | | | | bait making guru.' |
| recognised as food and in how they can 'trigger' a | | | | *** FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THE NEW |
| search and feeding response whether carp, trout, | | | | POWERFUL EXPERT BAIT MAKING BOOK SEE: |