Quest Baits Blog

by Shaun Harrison

Since James Harrison’s first piece in this magazine about carp captures being a result of many things coming together at the same time and most captures basically being ‘meant to be’, I have got to thinking an awful lot. Obviously, the more experienced angler will always catch a few more because he/she makes sure to be there when the right factors are coming together and the rig is in place ready for where the fish will undoubtedly turn up.

I have looked long and hard at my own fishing and, these past couple of weeks apart, I have never particularly struggled to catch carp and for many years I have used exactly the same rig for all of my bottom fishing on everything except soft silkweed. continue reading…

Paul Bedford wrote;

Hi, I am going to Jonchery, France, in August ’08 and I’m just wondering what flavour boilies and pellets you would recommend to take as I have never fished in France before.  Thanks very much
Paul

Hi Paul,
I haven’t fished Jonchery but have seen the lake. Certainly if I were going myself I would take either Liver B8 boilies or the Special Crab (or both) at that time of the year and back them up with the Garlic Feast particle mix. continue reading…

Richard wrote:
When air drying boilies to re-hydrate in hemp juice is it best to use fresh or shelf life baits.

Hi Richard,

I have air dried both shelf life baits and fresh frozen for re-hydration purposes. Originally I only ever used to use fresh frozen baits so all of my early experiments were with these. I did prefer to freeze them down first though before starting to air dry them as this speeds the process of air drying.

These days I use shelf life boilies for most of my fishing. I know what goes into the Quest Shelf Life boilies and have total confidence in using them. Left out in the same way as fresh frozen baits they will shrink and dry in the same way.

Hope this helps. Basically I always used to use fresh but now I’m happy with either.

Best fishes, Shaun Harrison

By Shaun Harrison

Another month passes by and, indeed, almost another year. So what has happened in the few short weeks since I last poured out my thoughts to the Carpworld readers?

Quite a lot actually, but most astonishingly the editor’s exploitation of Brook, my Staffordshire bull terrier – who, incidentally is a bitch, and not a dog, as Martin wrongly stated – in the November edition of Carpworld. I don’t know, you would have thought after seeing her puppies that he might have cottoned on to the fact that she is actually female, wouldn’t you? continue reading…

by Shaun Harrison;

Whoops, I was a little too late last month in getting my work in on time – not like me at all. So, with possible relief for some, you were spared my often inordinate ramblings. I had half written my piece then found myself desperately running out of hours of the day. I had a French trip looming and with just one evening left before my ferry was due to leave I still hadn’t sorted out any tackle. Talk about not being prepared!

The tackle was thrown in the motor, a bit of bait over the top, then a last minute thought about cold weather clothing and I was away. Article unfinished, tackle unsorted, brain all over the place and a tidal wave forecast to come down the east coast to coincide with my ferry crossing – and I am not joking!

My first holiday in two years without having a cameraman in tow and I was as ill-prepared as I could have been had I planned for weeks not to prepare – if you know what I mean!

continue reading…

by Elie Godsi
If I were to ask you to come up with the ‘ultimate’ test for a new carp bait – like Shaun’s Liver B8 – what would it look like?

Maybe you would fish that bait on one rod alongside your other baits and compare your captures? Maybe you could compare your results with other anglers using other brands of boilies on the lakes you fish? Maybe you could fish it on a lake that had never seen that particular bait and see what your catch rate was like.

All well and good but what about the ultimate test? continue reading…