Your browser currently doesn't have javascript enabled. To use this site please enable javascript!

Loading icon

Loading, please wait...

Please note our UK offices are open Monday to Thursday, all orders placed on Friday, Saturday or Sunday will be despatched on Monday.

We have temporarily suspended shipping to EU countries until we have clarification of new EU procedures regarding the import of our products.

Making your own 'Special Hook Baits'

Subscribe to receive notification when the latest blog posts are posted.

WAFTERS

From a personal point on difficult waters I like my hook bait sinking slower than the free baits to counteract the weight of the hook and hook link. I don’t want them critically balanced as larger fish can have trouble actually getting hold of a critically balanced bait as the carp’s body mass will create a bit of an undertow thus moving the bait from where it thought it was (all carp have a blind spot, the larger they are the greater the blind spot) and therefore not ending up in their mouth every time.

So, here is my simple way of making my own individualised custom hook baits.

All that is required for a slow sinker is…

  • Tub of paste
  • Bottle of Glug
  • Egg
  • Pop-Up mix
  • Fork
  • Spoon
Pic 1. Tub of paste, Bottle of Glug, Pop-Up Mix, an egg and basic kitchen ware.

Tub of paste, Bottle of Glug, Pop-Up Mix, an egg and basic kitchen ware.

Break the egg into a bowl and add some Glug to counteract for the added pop up mix which will dilute the taste a little. In this case I am adding 10 ml of glug as I want my hook bait to give off plenty of food signals in this case. These are barbel hook baits I am producing but exactly the same applies to carp baits.

Pic 2 Break the egg into a bowl then add some Glug

Break the egg into a bowl then add some Glug

Once the glug is added mix the two together with a fork.

3 Mix with a fork

Mix with a fork. (R.I.P. Brook)

Add the paste now, you may find it easier to prise from the tub with a spoon.

4 Add the ready made paste

Add the ready made paste

 

Now mix the liquid into the paste using the fork until you end up with a very soft paste

5 Mix with the fork into a soft even paste

Mix with the fork into a soft even paste

Add some pop-up mix a bit at a time, too much in one go will make it difficult to mix properly and evenly

6 Add pop up mix to the soft paste

Add pop up mix to the soft paste

Once the mixture is too stiff to mix with the fork simply start kneading it with your hands until you have a useable dough ball which allows the hook baits to be easily rolled.

7 Once it is the right consistency roll your baits

Once it is the right consistency roll your baits

8 Placing 4 little pieces of paste in these parts of your hand will allow you to

Placing 4 little pieces of paste in these parts of your hand will allow you to roll 4 hook baits at a time

9 Drop into  boiling water

Add to boiling water

Add the paste balls to boiling water and boil for between 1 and 3 minutes depending upon what size you have rolled. 2 minutes is a good in between if like me you  like to have an assortment of sizes and shapes of hook bait. I purposely never roll hook baits perfectly round, this is why I hand roll rather than use a bait table.

10 Leave to dry

Drain and shake outer water from them in a sieve 

Pour the boiled baits into a sieve over the sink to get rid of the water leaving just the baits behind.

Lay them on a towel to dry – ideally in a warm room or a airing cupboard is ideal.

Once dry you can add more glug if you want or leave them as they are. A bit of a glug coating will stabilise them a little longer  but if you want to be really safe without worrying about them going off, simply pop them in the freezer and just take what you need.

Put some aside to see how long they last out of the freezer, you may be surprised.

POP UPS

If you want to produce your own pop ups follow the same procedure with  just half a tub of paste so that more pop-up mix is used.

There you are a quick and simple method of producing exactly what you want, when you want it. Just think, the next time you go off on holiday you only need to pack a tub of paste and a bottle of glug and then the sky’s the limit in regards to special hook baits.

Best fishes
Shaun Harrison

 

About the Author: Shaun Harrison

shaun profile pic

Quest Baits boss Shaun Harrison has put over 40 years of experience into developing his range of carp baits ” This bait range is the culmination of the bait knowledge I’ve gained throughout my carp fishing career, a journey which started in the 1970’s. It has truly been a long and winding road – frustrating at times, fascinating and rewarding at others….. Our range you’ll only find proven baits, the ones I use myself 

comments powered by Disqus