Comments on: How do you design a new carp boilie? http://www.questbaits.com/blog/the-formulation-of-a-new-bait/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:13:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Shaun http://www.questbaits.com/blog/the-formulation-of-a-new-bait/comment-page-1/#comment-639 Shaun Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:21:13 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/?p=414#comment-639 Yes, there are a lot of baits out there ruined by too much flavour. It amazes me the levels of flavour used in some baits. My old habit of putting things into human terms is by pointing out to people if you make an instant cup of coffee with 5 spoon fulls of cofee - it will smell great but you try and drink it. Similarly, have the lid fall off the salt pot when you are putting salt over your chips. The smell won't change at all, but again - you try and eat them. If in doubt use less would always be my advice. It is little secret that I was behind the launch of the Nash Baits whisky boilies. Interestingly when the flavour was first handed around to the field testers no-one could catch on it yet I was hammering the fish with it. The carp really couldn't get enough of it at the time. It turned out I was using it in tiny amounts which the carp loved. Most of the other testers had jumped straight in with 5ml per mix and the carp found it revolting. The whisky nearly didn't see the light of day untill we realised why the others couldn't catch with it. The rest is history but this is also the reason Kevin wouldn't release it in it's pure flavour form. Most would have struggled to have measured it in small enough amounts to be palatable. Yes, there are a lot of baits out there ruined by too much flavour. It amazes me the levels of flavour used in some baits. My old habit of putting things into human terms is by pointing out to people if you make an instant cup of coffee with 5 spoon fulls of cofee – it will smell great but you try and drink it.

Similarly, have the lid fall off the salt pot when you are putting salt over your chips. The smell won’t change at all, but again – you try and eat them.

If in doubt use less would always be my advice. It is little secret that I was behind the launch of the Nash Baits whisky boilies. Interestingly when the flavour was first handed around to the field testers no-one could catch on it yet I was hammering the fish with it. The carp really couldn’t get enough of it at the time.

It turned out I was using it in tiny amounts which the carp loved. Most of the other testers had jumped straight in with 5ml per mix and the carp found it revolting. The whisky nearly didn’t see the light of day untill we realised why the others couldn’t catch with it. The rest is history but this is also the reason Kevin wouldn’t release it in it’s pure flavour form. Most would have struggled to have measured it in small enough amounts to be palatable.

]]> By: Jim Kelly http://www.questbaits.com/blog/the-formulation-of-a-new-bait/comment-page-1/#comment-638 Jim Kelly Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:08:52 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/?p=414#comment-638 Hi Shaun, I agree if an ingredient is in a bait the fish can detect it even when we can't. A fish detects smells and tastes very differently to us and can detect very small quantities of a substance. I think a lot of baits have far too much flavour, carp can find bloodworm etc., but I can't detect any smell from a blood worm. Years ago I tried experimenting with introducing baits with different flavour levels all at the same time. The idea was that they would become attractive at different times as the flavour washed out. The approach was quiet successful, can't think why I didn't follow it up. I probably got sidetracted. Hi Shaun, I agree if an ingredient is in a bait the fish can detect it even when we can’t. A fish detects smells and tastes very differently to us and can detect very small quantities of a substance. I think a lot of baits have far too much flavour, carp can find bloodworm etc., but I can’t detect any smell from a blood worm. Years ago I tried experimenting with introducing baits with different flavour levels all at the same time. The idea was that they would become attractive at different times as the flavour washed out. The approach was quiet successful, can’t think why I didn’t follow it up. I probably got sidetracted.

]]> By: Shaun http://www.questbaits.com/blog/the-formulation-of-a-new-bait/comment-page-1/#comment-636 Shaun Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:40:18 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/?p=414#comment-636 Hi Jim, You have raised an incredibly important aspect of bait formulation with the line "Often I couldn’t smell the liver powder in the finished bait, but the fish definitely could". Smell and taste are two very different things but many anglers get them mixed up. Most artificial flavours taste totally different to how they smell and most of the ingredients which make a huge difference in baits hardly have any smell at all. Betaine, salt and monosodium glutamate, to name just a few well known additives have hardly any noticeable smell but they all make a huge difference to the taste of a bait and belive me carp are aware of them all even when just tiny amounts are added to the water they swim in. Baits don't need to have a strong smell. I prefer them as subtle as possible - this is why I am a great lover of pre-soaking baits to get rid of a certain amount of flavour as well as making them look as though they have been out there a while so hopefully safe to eat. Hi Jim,

You have raised an incredibly important aspect of bait formulation with the line “Often I couldn’t smell the liver powder in the finished bait, but the fish definitely could”.

Smell and taste are two very different things but many anglers get them mixed up. Most artificial flavours taste totally different to how they smell and most of the ingredients which make a huge difference in baits hardly have any smell at all.

Betaine, salt and monosodium glutamate, to name just a few well known additives have hardly any noticeable smell but they all make a huge difference to the taste of a bait and belive me carp are aware of them all even when just tiny amounts are added to the water they swim in.

Baits don’t need to have a strong smell. I prefer them as subtle as possible – this is why I am a great lover of pre-soaking baits to get rid of a certain amount of flavour as well as making them look as though they have been out there a while so hopefully safe to eat.

]]> By: Jim Kelly http://www.questbaits.com/blog/the-formulation-of-a-new-bait/comment-page-1/#comment-635 Jim Kelly Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:24:09 +0000 http://www.questbaits.com/blog/?p=414#comment-635 Before using Questbait, I mixed my own ingredients and made my own boilies. I had been doing this for over 20 years. One ingredient that made a huge difference to both my meaty and fishy baits was human grade A liver powder. I never went into detail about the type of liver I used, all I new was that it smelt great and got the fish feeding, especially in the summer months. Liver powder is a very expensive ingredient, 1 ounce per 16 ounce mix makes a big difference to catch rates, liver baits are definately worth a try on your local waters. Often I couldn't smell the liver powder in the finished bait, but the fish definitely could. Before using Questbait, I mixed my own ingredients and made my own boilies. I had been doing this for over 20 years. One ingredient that made a huge difference to both my meaty and fishy baits was human grade A liver powder. I never went into detail about the type of liver I used, all I new was that it smelt great and got the fish feeding, especially in the summer months. Liver powder is a very expensive ingredient, 1 ounce per 16 ounce mix makes a big difference to catch rates, liver baits are definately worth a try on your local waters. Often I couldn’t smell the liver powder in the finished bait, but the fish definitely could.

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