| * Have you ever wondered why one 'lucky guy' | | | | 11. If you use 'boilies' rather than paste or dough baits, |
| seems to catch the biggest fish again and again, while | | | | try chopping edges off your hook baits as if other fish |
| the majority of other fishermen just seem to get the | | | | have been 'playing with your bait and taking small |
| average catches? Why is that? * | | | | chunks out of it; this can really make the bigger fish |
| Many of us would love to catch those big catfish, carp, | | | | 'feel' safer when they sample your hook baits - try |
| bass, trout etc, every time we go fishing. It may just be | | | | piecing your hook baits right through to release the |
| that the guy is a genius angler, but real fishing success | | | | maximum attraction even from the center of your bait; |
| is often simply about using bait that is more effective | | | | it really works! |
| than most other anglers baits at getting round fishes | | | | 12. Try wrapping your bait and your hook (except the |
| natural fears and resistance to eating it!... | | | | point) in a paste or dough. Try a mixture of ordinary |
| But how can we achieve this? Well here's a few of | | | | flour, marmite, parmesan cheese, garlic granules, curry |
| some of the best most proven methods of increasing | | | | spices, sea salt, eggs and liquid amino acids - this |
| your catches, especially for carp and catfish, but can | | | | mixture is pure 'dynamite' and really makes them bite! |
| be applied very effectively to many other species: | | | | 13. One of the most successful paste / dough baits of |
| 1. Try taking a look at the most popular baits where | | | | recent times is made from a mixture of fish meal and |
| you fish and eliminate any similarity your homemade | | | | a couple of pre-digested ingredients like pre-digested, |
| bait has with them. This especially applies to your own | | | | liver powder, fish meals, pre-digested yeast powder or |
| unique fishing bait recipe or formulas. This removes the | | | | pre-digested shellfish extracts. Try binding them |
| fishes 'danger reference points'. This gives your bait a | | | | together with just ordinary flour and loads of liquid |
| massive 'edge' because the fish will not associate your | | | | amino acids / protein food supplement. |
| bait with danger, anything like as much as with the | | | | The addition of corn steep liquor powder or liquid, and |
| baits everyone else are using - after all , the whole | | | | pure betaine is a massive boost to the power of |
| point of a bait is simply to fool the fish into taking a | | | | attraction. (But use no eggs, or water in the mix; just |
| hook into it's mouth! | | | | 'liquid protein' amino acids. (A body building supplement.) |
| 2. Make your bait different sizes, odd shapes, density, | | | | This can be used as bait 'soaks 'and dips for pellets |
| colors, flavors, with different attractors and additives, | | | | and boilies too. Experiment with different proportions to |
| the more different to the usual bait the fish experience, | | | | get your dough / pate to hold and last on your hook |
| the more effective your bait will be potentially be. | | | | for different times. When you 'bait up' or 'chum your |
| Making your own bait puts the odds back in your favor | | | | swim with free baits like this, to attract the fish - hold |
| and the power back into your hands - literally! | | | | on to your rods!!! |
| 3. Absolutely pack your baits with "powerful 'free | | | | 14. Add natural ingredients to your bait, for example, |
| amino acids' (the type bodybuilders use as a liquid | | | | bird foods contain all kinds of fantastic foods fish love, |
| protein food supplement.) Even if you're making a | | | | like insects, seeds, grubs and worms. Many times, |
| proprietary bait using a 'commercial base mix' that | | | | these encourage smaller fish to find your bait, and |
| anyone can purchase, this will really set your bait apart | | | | these can lead the bigger ones to your hook. Spirulina |
| and make it preferable to fish! | | | | is a great attractor that attracts natural aquatic animals |
| 4. Pack bait with minerals, vitamins and trace elements | | | | to your baits. These gather and form a brilliant natural |
| - get a health tonic supplement from your local drug | | | | 'free bait' so attracting fish 'naturally! |
| store. Very few people realize that these are in fact | | | | 15. Add a 'crunch factor' to your bait - many fish have |
| amazing attractors in their own right! An astounding | | | | food detectors inside their gills, and allowing fish to |
| edge is to massively increase the attractiveness and | | | | experience eating your bait like it was natural food, e.g., |
| soluble nutritional message leaking from your bait, by | | | | like shrimps or snails or mussels, is a great way to 'turn |
| soaking your hook bait in a mixture if fresh liquidized | | | | them on' and get more confident feeding and more |
| sweet corn, molasses and liquid protein food (so-called | | | | bites! |
| 'free amino acids.) | | | | The 'chitin' in this hard material is also a massive natural |
| 5. It has been proven that when tested carp were | | | | dietary requirement for carp, essential for healthy liver |
| provided with a number of complete foods providing all | | | | function, healthy blood, and repair and growth of |
| their nutritional requirements, preferred the food that | | | | skeletal structures. It is also high in nitrogen; an |
| had been sweetened. E.g., try sweetening honey and | | | | important building block of protein, also essential for |
| molasses, fruit sugar (fructose), or saccharin. | | | | repair, growth and other processes and functions in |
| 6. Add Sea salt to your bait - this is one of the most | | | | carp. |
| proven and unbelievable fish feeding triggers, and a | | | | 16. If you use 'boilies' for carp catfish, etc there is a |
| great nutritional taste enhancer full of minerals. Nearly | | | | simple method of improving them: If you buy your baits |
| every animal and fish cannot live without salt! | | | | frozen in a bag, then open them up and let them |
| 7. For many fish including catfish and carp, pack your | | | | defrost and 'warm up for 3-4 days in advance of |
| bait with fresh good quality digestible protein - it doesn't | | | | fishing. This gives bacterial enzymes the time to start |
| need to be a large proportion, no more than a third of | | | | breaking down your baits and releasing very attractive |
| your bait. Ingredients such as trout pellet powder, meat | | | | alcohols, sugars and amino acids for example. It really |
| and poultry meals, blood meal, fish meals and shellfish | | | | works well for better catches and can even promote |
| meals and liver powder are great. | | | | quicker bites! |
| Add energy rich carbohydrates to provide balanced | | | | Making and adapting your own and readymade shop - |
| nutrition and binding. For example, soya flour, semolina, | | | | bought baits to make them different to the rest, and |
| or even ordinary white or brown wheat flour. For carp | | | | far more effective than normal is a science, and a |
| try adding some wheat germ it has excellent | | | | very satisfying 'art'. When you have armed yourself |
| properties! | | | | with a range of great baits, the confidence you feel is |
| 8. Add a small amount of oil to your bait for a | | | | awesome and especially satisfying when you've |
| balanced nutritional value. For catfish this could be you | | | | designed them made your own homemade baits |
| favorite fish oil. For carp the best is probably pure cold | | | | yourself; and they catch your next 'personal best!' |
| pressed hemp oil; it's natures 'super food' and is one of | | | | I could show you many real life examples of how using |
| the richest and most healthy and nutritional oils known | | | | edges like these and others, have resulted in fantastic |
| to man and fish! | | | | big fish catches. |
| 9. Give your bait some protein that's been | | | | I love researching and writing about fishing bait |
| 'pre-digested' or 'hydrolyzed.' This is easily achieved by | | | | because it is one of the fastest short-cuts to success! |
| adding a small amount of proprietary powder, like | | | | I am into bait in a big way, having even researched the |
| pre-digested liver, fish meal or shellfish extracts to your | | | | subject with a PhD biochemist to reveal the reasons |
| bait; available from bait companies all across the | | | | why and how baits really work to catch fish. I've found |
| worldwide web. | | | | that a little bait knowledge can catch you more fish, but |
| This method is incredibly effective, improving the fish | | | | the more you know - the more consistent your |
| attractive 'amino acid profile of your bait. Fish are | | | | catches can become - and the more big fish you |
| extremely efficient at detecting and utilizing amino | | | | catch! |
| acids, and you may well find that with the higher the | | | | The truly amazing thing is, ANY angler can achieve |
| rate of inclusion of these highly fish digestible | | | | truly amazing catches with just enough of the right bait |
| ingredients, your catches and numbers of bigger fish | | | | knowledge! Then other anglers will wonder what his |
| soar too! | | | | 'secret to success' is... |
| 10. Allow your bait to 'cure' for 3-4 days prior to use; | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait 'edges' up |
| this allows your bait to start to ferment and lets | | | | his sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact |
| bacterial enzymes release alcohols, sugars and | | | | on improving your catches. (Warning: This article is |
| increase the level of pre-digested proteins in your bait; | | | | protected by copyright, but reprints are OK with a link.) |
| all amazingly extremely good fish feeding triggers and | | | | By Tim Richardson. 'The thinking angler's expert bait |
| attractors. See the difference this makes to your | | | | making guru. |
| catches! | | | | |