HOMEMADE CARP / CATFISH BAITS -- How to Make Them Instantly Attractive!

Many thoughts exist on making baits and so manyand emptied my reel, snapped the line, leaving my
ideas and opinions contradict each other; So how tofriends laughing, in a mixture of amazed shock and
find the truth about what really works?!jealous relief that I did not land it!!! I'd gradually stripped
Well, for example, in creating recipes for an instantlyoff down to my underpants and waded out 30 yards
attractive carp or catfish bait, (these very often workto chest deep water too! (I wonder if the video they
for both species) people argue over ingredients, andtook of the action still exists - eh Mr Grimes!?) I still
how baits actually trigger that crucial fish feedingwonder about that fish....
response.Please be warned: Be aware that highly flavored
A good sign when designing your homemade bait isinstant attractor type baits can badly 'backfire on you'
that it instantly attracts the attention of a wide rangeand actually be extremely repellant to many big carp
of species. This might be great if you want to target allon some waters, owing to high pH factors etc, and
these others, but your bait might be attracting 'bait fish'also where it has been used on a water, by many
around your hook bait that will attract the much biggeranglers, for quite some time.
predatory, or curious catfish, or carp.The biggest, most wary of fish can be terrified of
Such baits vary from just 2 ingredients and a flavour,overflavoured baits and even the average artificially
to the most advanced produced by fish nutritionistsflavored bait simply because it recognizes that signal
and biochemists. But for each extreme, there areas related to danger! You may wonder why you
ideas and principles common to each, so let's start byalmost never even hook a bigger fish on such a bait at
looking at what makes a 'simple bait':certain waters. Remember, the aim of the bait is to get
To begin with, the simplest baits often utilize cheapera carp to pick up the bait as confidently as possible, as
bulk ingredients as basic as wheat or corn flour, with athis gives the greatest chance of obtain a solid hook
'high energy value' but a low protein content.hold!
Such baits may seem easy to distinguish from theI took a quality milk protein and wheat germ bait to the
'balanced nutritional profile' protein based baits, butfamous 'Rainbow Lake' in France, and made a terrible
things overlap: Each type works and seems tomistake by putting the recommended synthetic flavor
contradict each other's theory of why they shouldin it, instead of leaving it out completely! This bait
work at all!produced NO takes at all, and I ended up catching fish
And perhaps the key is less to do with the effort andaround 50 pounds on other bait with no flavor instead!...
energy cost to the carp, of eating your bait, versus itsThe Japanese and American scientists have both
bio - energy reward for doing so. But more to do withproven that carp instinctively prefer a protein instead
exploiting methods of initial feeding response stimulationfor a Carbohydrate based food.
and initial bait small, taste and palatability. For example,In one of a series of similar tests producing similar
we all know that food that is very nutritious can beresults, a carp diet was supplemented with a
repellant because of its strong taste or smell; somecarbohydrate food. The carp regularly ate this food for
people hate fish, or garlic, or certain vegetables...only one week before stopping. This particular food
So what are the theoretical origins of carp baits madewas ignored for a total of 26 weeks, but when a
from 'humble' low protein and economicalprotein based food was then offered, it was eaten
'carbohydrate' ingredients, after all, we all know sweetimmediately!
corn is one of the greatest carp baits of all time, evenThe Japanese probably lead the world in knowledge
catching a British record or two, but is primarily aof carp nutrition and carp attractors, with over a
sweet low protein carbohydrate food?thousand years of history in carp breeding, testing and
Traditionally the best known low protein flavorso on.
attractor 'commercial bait' (used world wide) isI've read that in many tests carp are induced into
probably is Rich worth's or Rod Hutchinson's 'Tutti Fruiti'feeding less nutritional food, by adding PLANT
flavor / boilie. Fish love certain alcohols / combinationsEXTRACTS and NOT SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL
far more than others and a cheap semolina / soyaFLAVORS. For example, I've seen fenugreek extract
flour base mix were ideal to carry this attractor label,used, and this is a component of the extremely
and work anywhere.successful commercially produced 'maple' flavor. You
However, flavors were originally used in baits tomust assume that these scientists are at the top of
change their TASTE, when catch results achieved onthis whole game, so if they're using it in tests as a carp
the low nutrition baits were slowing down, and NOTfeeding trigger it probably great to use in bait!
because flavors actually worked as attractors in theirI also got the impression reading about the writings of
own right! (Although they have evolved to become sothe famous milk protein bait pioneer, Fred Wilton, that
today.)these baits were EQUALLY as effective or perhaps
There are still many cheaper flavors, sold as 'carpeven MORE so, when synthetic flavours were NOT
attractors' that are really only 'labels' for your base mix,used in them! (So give it a go!)
and do not have much in them that will trigger carp intoOnce, about 16 years ago, I was catching some good
feeding on your bait! Carp can be fooled for quite acarp using very successful instant attractor baits, when
while though; A very successful UK angler (Andy Little)the carp started head and shouldering, 'en mass',
who was the first to land thirty 30 pound carp in astraight out of my swim, without returning; someone
season, did this: he began catching by feeding a highhad just put out a large quantity of his own secret
nutritional value bait into the lake (SAVAY), and as'High Nutritional Value' bait (based on anchovy and
time and catches grew, his bait ran out.sardine fishmeal), and the carp had shown their
So, he put the same flavor label (strawberry?) in apreference immediately! This taught me a BIG lesson
cheaper, low protein, high carbohydrate base mix, andabout the advantages of really understanding essential
he continued to catch successfully for some time. Thecarp nutrition in bait and how carp feeding behaviour
carp had associated the flavor 'label' with nutritionalcan be manipulated by using the right bait at the right
benefit, and were fooled into carrying on eating thetime on a particular water!!!
new bait - despite its lack of food nutrition benefits!In some circumstances where there is sufficient baits
This category of basic dry mix consists mainly of highof nutritional quality, fish mass population / density/
carbohydrate ingredients which also roll and bindcompetition with other species / natural food supply
together easily. A basic combination of 50 / 50 %etc, low protein carbohydrate baits can still continue to
semolina flour and soya flour is the most commonlybe effective, and consistently catch almost all the fish
used base, although this has often added nutritionalin a lake: The key seems to be in, if enough large
factors added like vitamins and minerals, cheapquantities of a particular bait are introduced, and the
fishmeal, an amino acid source like corn steep liquor forattractors, e.g., chemical flavour labels are changed
added attraction etc.regularly enough, then they will continue to be
These baits are often highly coloured with 'fluorescent'successful.
edible dyes to get carp to see them more quickly andOne outstanding example of this happening on a water
easily, black, pink and white and backgroundwhere quality protein and balanced nutritional profile
contrasting colors are often ones I've done well onbaits had been used for many years there, was at the
when I've made these baits.famous UK water; Darenth. In one season most of the
You have to ask how carp see these colors in waterwaters biggest carp were landed on a carbohydrate
at different light intensities, of day / night, water claritybait based on full fat semolina and soya flour.
etc, and to come to your own conclusions. WhiteIt may seem surprising, but then perhaps the fish
seems good as anything, and I've caught plenty oftreated it as a low energy cost food source as over 1
good carp on this.tonne was put in and it was used consistently by the
Other ingredients are added to give a 'variety' or initialmajority of the anglers on fishing the at that time! Only
difference to the bait, as a carbohydrate bait canwhen the anglers' fashions changed and they tried
'blow' very quickly compared to high nutrition baits onother types of baits in large quantities did this trend in
some water, for example a difficult, low stock density,results on 'instant baits' reduce.
high natural food / exceptionally high water quality lake.They do work well however and on a bait of a similar
It can take much work in pre - baiting for example, todesign, the old French "Rainbow Lake" record carp of
keep ahead of the carp's natural wariness having76 pounds was landed in 2006.
been caught on these baits, and even to get them toThere are increasingly more countries and waters
eat such baits initially!..where 'carp bait selectivity' is now a common
You can change your bait characteristics; type ofoccurrence owing to intensive fishing pressure on carp;
attractors, color, rate of attraction leak - off, 'crunchthey can eat foods selectively while ignoring or
factor', etc. Instant attractor baits are often highlypreferring certain baits above others!
coloured and 'over - flavored' with sometimes withWorldwide carp do seem to literally eat almost
natural juice incorporated flavors; solvent based flavorsanything used as bait. Overall, however, the majority of
(e.g., acetates and similar groups of chemicals), orthe heaviest carp caught in the UK seem to be caught
alcohol and oil based flavors for example, andon nutritionally based baits, but questions still arise
attractive extracts like that of fermented fish /shellfish.concerning those captures by 'instant attractor baits'
Changing the flavors, especially of 'non solvent' basedand why they can 'trip - up' many of the biggest carp
ones, can keep the bait working purely on the basis ofat times... after all, carp are only conditioned by anglers
flavor attraction. (Some say these baits work byand THEIR habits and preferences!
'simulating' the carp's natural food signals, ionizing theThe author has many more fishing and bait 'edges' up
area of water around the bait but there is far more tohis sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact
this and it is a very advanced area to really begin toon catches. (Warning: This article is protected by
understand.)copyright,but reprints with a link are OK.)
Cheaper ingredients, like ground cereals or beanBy Tim Richardson. 'The thinking angler's fishing author
derived flours and meals, make this style of bait costand expert bait making guru.'
effective, simple, and very quick to produce. YearsFor more expert bait making information and 'cutting
ago I used to soak my baits in a mixture of pure ethyledge' techniques see the expert acclaimed new
alcohol flavors, oil based flavor extracts and liquidebook / book:
'Robin Red' extract. The main cost was flavors and"BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" at:
added attractors and they keep working when">
changed regularly although I always use a liquid proteinTim Richardson is an internationally acclaimed carp and
source as a bait soak / and in the bait as I have foundcatfish bait-making expert, and a highly successful big
carp caught by doing this are often much bigger!!fish angler. His best selling bait making and bait
I recall the first time I experimented with overloadingenhancing books / ebooks help beginners and
baits with 'raw' undiluted flavors around 1980... I caughtexperienced anglers alike, to improve and enhance
all night, trebling my catch rate at that time. But I usedtheir baits achieving far greater catches of big fish.
this bait only over 6 weeks, as 90 % of the carp were* His books are even used by members of the 'world
smaller ones 6 pounds to 16 pounds. Very niceelite' "British Carp Study Group" for expert reference. *
catches despite this.Your catches could gain from more understanding,
I tried this approach on a giant water in the south ofexpert bait making experience, powerful insights and
France (Lac Du Salagou) about 15 years ago. I hookedcutting edge fishing information and techniques; take a
a fish only 15 minutes after arriving. It was gigantic too,look at Tim's dedicated fishing bait making website.