So, how do we arrive at the final recipe the finished bait and what sort of testing do we actually do?
This is such a frequently asked question that I thought I should perhaps answer everyone.
Many of the baits in the QuestBaits range have a very long history to them – certainly a lot longer than Quest has been around. Baits like ‘Fruity Trifle’ have been part of my personal armoury since the late 80’s with just the odd tweak here and there as new ingredients have come to light which I feel are better than some of the ones I used in the original basemix form. But there are also the boilies such as Liver B8 which I have worked on since the formation of QuestBaits.
The Liver B8 was a bait I always wanted to do – total meat based with no fish. It was a case of finding the right ingredients. The actual bait had been in my head for years but it took a long while to track down the ingredients I wanted.
Everyone knows the effectiveness of liver products in baits. Carp love the taste of liver but how many of you are aware of the type of liver you are using? Does your bait have pigs liver in it, cows liver perhaps, chicken liver, lambs liver – the list goes on.
I hate spod spill! - all those bits of spodmix flying out of the top of the spod when you cast it out, leaving a trail of bait short of the marker float and right where your lines will be when you cast your rigs out. Watch the Korda Underwater videos and one thing comes across loud and clear - if carp feed over line (or leadcore / tubing) and pick this up with their lips when they feed they spook straight away, putting other fish on guard and drastically reducing your chance of a take. (more…)
How many anglers do you see on the bank with an unhooking mat the size of a post stamp?Carp care is the most important thing you should practise when CarpFishing, after all, if the fish suffer, then so do our carpers. It is very important that we care for our captures regardless of how big it is, because a 4lb carp will one day be a 40lb carp if they are looked after on the bank and returned safely to the water then will say in prestige condition for all to enjoy. A high care unhooking mat is ideal whatever the situation as it is large and well padded, you can get an upper 40lb carp in it with minimum worry or problems.
Before you put your capture into the mat it is important that it has had a good soaking with water from the lake. Then once the carp is in the mat, gently remove the fish from the landing net making sure that anything that comes into contact remains wet at all times. It is ideal to always have an empty bucket next to your unhooking mat easily accessible to fill with the lake water as and when a fish is landed. Water shouldn’t really be left in the bucket to stand from one capture to the next as the temperature of it can easily change from that of the lake and result in causing the fish some discomfort. It is especially important to remember this on a hot day and keep the carp wet at all times as their scales can dry out within a few minutes (more…)
by Pat Gillett Over the last few weeks I have been doing a few short afternoon / day sessions, with the longest one being no more than 10 hours. This really is my favourite type of carpfishing. I have kept the tackle to a minimum and been very mobile in my fishing. By moving around a lot (sometimes up to four or five times) and closely watching the behaviour of the carp I have been able to catch one or two fish when the going has really been pretty slow.
The Midlands Estate Lake I have been fishing is about 4 acres, crystal clear and very shallow (no more than 3 ½ feet deep). It also has an increasing amount of weed has the weather warms up. Stocking levels are not particularly high with approximately 35 fish. Because of the water conditions it really is a better ‘nightwater’ with most angler’s catching very little in the day. But I have always believed in the old adage of ‘catching on my own terms’ and as such I have still not fished a night on this water. (I get more enjoyment catching in the daytime). (more…)
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