By Shaun Harrison;
One thing I very much like to do and particularly so at this time of the year is to peel the outer skin off my boilies. This allows a quicker release of many of the subtle natural stimulators contained within the bait.
Although Dips and Glugs both very much have their place in angling, it seems to me that the one big common 
denominator amongst most anglers winter baits is the boosted flavour levels. Once everyone is doing this a more subtle approach such as chopped or peeled baits can make a very significant difference.
By peeling the baits in a similar fashion to how you would peel an apple you retain a tough end either end where the hair enters and leaves the bait, but with soft sides (once the water penetrates) allowing a good release of flavour.
The skin peeled off of the inner bait I then put into a boilie chopper (vegetable chopper) and chop away – this makes an excellent ’stick mix’ ingredient as well as using it on its own.
The other big bonus with peeling and chopping baits is that it allows you to make baits any shape you want. I have long held the belief that different shaped and sized baits can often make all the difference, particularly so on highly pressured venues.
Give it a go – you may be pleasantly surprised just how many more takes you get.
Best fishes, Shaun
