Quest Baits Blog

TAPE
Tape can be used to form stringers or for tying off the tops of solid PVA bags. Tape also has several advantages over PVA string. It doesn’t shrink in water. Due to its thicker profile, the tape holds strung baits better, great for long-range casting. Also, this thicker profile opens a bigger hole in the free baits, allowing more scent to be released.

SOLID BAGS
Flat, solid bags that can be filled with all manner of freebies, regardless of the size of bait used. Their disadvantages are that they are slow to form and tie, always pierce solid PVA bags with a baiting needle, as this will help the trapped air escape, preventing it from floating.

MESH
Made from woven PVA thread, this stocking material having an open weave, doesn’t suffer from trapped air. Usually comes in long lengths allowing bags of any size to be made up. The other advantage of mesh is that they are much quicker to make than their solid counterparts.

RIG FOAM
These buoyant nuggets are either hooked on to or folded over the hook before casting. Once in the water, they hold the hook off the bottom until the nugget dissolves. The hook will then gently settle on to the bottom of the lake. Rig foam is indispensable when fishing over silt or weed. When the rig is cast in, the lead will either sink into the silt or dive into the weed and the rig foam will help stop your hook from being masked.

PVA LIQUID BAGS
Small stamp size PVA bags that are filled with liquid, such as flavours, slimes or dips. This is a great edge when you are fishing single hookbaits. The liquid puts out a strong level of attraction into the swim, but the only food item is your hookbait. It can be placed on to your hook or placed inside any PVA for a extra edge.

Thanks, Samantha

Following on from Sam’s piece with the PVA mesh and foam nugget for perfect presentation I thought I would add my own version here which gives perfect presentation but also adds a little bit of attraction around the hook bait. This particular method has been particularly successful for me during the cold winter months.

The best PVA I have used for this in terms of meltability and size is the one Korda market as the Boilie Funnel Web.

So, here goes, with the ingredients required…

• One pinch of Quest Baits Micro Feed
• One Pinch of Maximum Action Pellets
• One Pinch of crushed up Boilie
• One full Boilie
• Tub of matching Bait Glug

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After carefully going through the procedure of locating the fish, making the rig and selecting the best bait we cast our lines out and wait. Sometimes though it is hard to be confident that the rig is positioned properly and the hook is not snagged.

A good method to initially mask the hook is to fold a piece of PVA foam around it knowing then that it won’t get snagged on its descent to the lake bed and will dissolve a few seconds later. The hook will be held off the bottom of the lake until the foam dissolves and will then gently settle into position. When fishing over a bed of silt PVA foam will ensure that when the lead embeds itself into the bottom the hook will not also be masked.

If you are casting a fair distance the PVA foam may not withstand the cast if attached or folded around the hook. Another way around this is to put a couple of foam pieces into some funnel web and compress them to make a small PVA bag. Then attach this to you hook prior to casting to create a similar effect.

Best wishes, Samantha.

One of my favourite methods of carp fishing is using PVA bags. We all know it can be an absolutely deadly method of catching carp but even more so when used at long range where the carp have rarely come across this presentation.

The first time I tried to cast a PVA bag a long way, the bag didn’t stand up to the job and I wasn’t confident with the overall result.

So I decided to set about making a rig which would cast well and not tangle. The rig below is what I now use for all my long range bag work, it’s simple to construct, casts well, tangle free and prevents the bag coming away from the lead on impact with the water.

Below I’ll show you how I tie this rig…

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By Elie Godsi

Every now and then you find a bit of kit that makes life so much easier that you wonder how you ever managed without it.

If you use a lot of PVA in your fishing then I think you’re going to like this little product. What I call the ’mega towel’ made by a company called Tiemco in Japan. continue reading…