Making Pop ups?

[smithy]

As a new Carp angler, is there any truth in, microwaving boilies to make pop ups? If so how long?

[Simon Newbould]

Yes mate... microwaving certainly works... you'd have to experiment with the times though as you haven't said whether you're making your own baits or microwaving readymades... try giving them 30 second bursts on high... turn them regularly and ensure that they they don't touch.... take them out just before they start to burn... let them cool and then freeze with a couple of ml's of your chosen flavour....

 

To be honest though I prefer to use cork ball inserts to make my pops...

 

Simon

[smithy]

The boilies I use are reay mades. Isotinic Strawberry (Ithink?) So you reckon about 30secs eh? I'll give it a go. Ta

[Simon Newbould]

well.... they're going to take longer than 30 seconds... what I meant was give them 30 seconds bursts, take them out, check 'em and pop e'm back in for another 30 seconds.... keep doing this til they're ready.....

 

Simon

[Gaffer]

Another point about microwaving them, use a drill first before hair-rigging them with a boilie needle. They will be rock hard and you will either snap your boilie needle or do yourself a mischief in trying to mount them on a hair.

 

Another option is to push a cocktail stick through them, microwave them and then take the stick out. I've never tried it myself, but just a thought.

 

You could always use pop-up (High Density) foam and a boilie punch, have a look at How do I make my own pop-ups from bottom baits? in the Carp Clinic

[Simon Newbould]

Good points there Gaffer, just a note about the cocktail sticks... IME they do just that - stick -

soaking them (the cocktail sticks) in water prior to use does help to a certain extent but not by much....

 

Simon

[pokey joe]

In my opinion there is so many companies selling top class pop ups now in a huge variety of flavours and colours i would just buy them :confused: .I think the Bait Company do custom made pop ups so you can match them to your base mix identically or very close,there is so much flavour loss and texture change when microwaving i would never feel confident in them on the hook ,plus they soak up water like a sponge and require recasting quite often if your balancing the hookbait .Blakes Tackle do a superb range of pop ups all made for Mark Blake by Ian Russell of HBS .The Harefield Haulers are something special.

[Gaffer]

Gotta agree about the Heathrow Bait's, brilliant pop-ups, especially my favourite, the 'Caviar and Cranbury'.

[Peter Sharpe]

Although I hate to plug anyone's bait, the Nash Airball base mix solves all your problems. You can cut it with up to 50% of your normal mix, and they'll still float for hours. If you use it neat, it hovers three feet above the surface of the water.

It might seem a bit expensive, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than paying the rip off prices for ready-mades in little jars.

 

[ 19 June 2002, 12:10 AM: Message edited by: Peter Sharpe ]

[Chris Shaw]

Another way is to roll em around in a hot dry frying pan.