Bait Flavours

[mjbarnes12]

Hi,

 

Was going to flavour some pellets for a trip tomorrow and I am wondering what the fish respond to better at this time of year. Fishing for small carp, roach, rudd and skimmers. I am stuck between strawberry or fishmeal?!?!

 

please give your opinion on this

 

many thanks

[Dick Dastardly]

I dont really know it makes any difference (time of year that is) as with boillie flavours we always used to say fishmeals in winter and confectionary flavours in the summer.....that was in the 80's now modern carp thinking feels its the other way around!

 

Different waters (and by that I mean the actual make up of the water itself in them) seems to influence which is best more (once again talking carp and boillies here) A suck it and see or see whats working for others job I reckon.

[RUDD]

I dont really know it makes any difference (time of year that is) as with boillie flavours we always used to say fishmeals in winter and confectionary flavours in the summer.....that was in the 80's now modern carp thinking feels its the other way around!

 

Different waters (and by that I mean the actual make up of the water itself in them) seems to influence which is best more (once again talking carp and boillies here) A suck it and see or see whats working for others job I reckon.

 

Its all changed again according to some Sparshot collage scientist.

Sweet flavours attract fish but dont taste good to them.

Fishmeals taste good to them but are less attractive.

Fish eat fishy things - how often do you find strawberries growing in your local cut and have you ever seen a lure designed as a strawberry - come on man - keep up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Si...]

Whenever I've made bait, I've mostly used a fishmeal base with fruity flavours.

 

I don`t think it really matters though.

[BoldBear]

I personally think that which flavours are more attractive to fish depends on several things: the water makeup (a flavour may taste totally different in different ph levels), the species of fish that you are after, the time of year (rotting tree leaves or luxurious weed growth), the water temperature plus other water conditions (clear or muddy, high or low, slow or fast) and how much the flavour has already been used on the water.

How many times have you had a bait that works well in one water but doesn't work so well in another; sometimes when it hasn't been used a lot in either water?

So any advice on baits and flavours can only be guides, I think that the only things that we can usually rely on being true in most of the waters we fish is that in cold winter temperatures, spicey, fruity, natural and smelly baits seem to work better than fatty or oily baits. (but even this will not always be true).

For example we have found that the Barbel and Chub on the upper Lea prefer spicey and to a lesser degree fruity flavoured baits in the colder months whereas in the summer months baits that leak oily flavours come into their own, however natural baits and breadflake always seem to work in clear water regardless of the time of year or temperature; however the Barbel and Chub in other rivers may have completely different preferences.

Edited March 28, 2008 by BoldBear

[Dick Dastardly]

Very much agree with what BB has said.

[matty49]

All depends on the water but i would put my hopes on strawberry.

[mjbarnes12]

went for strawberry and green colouring on feed pellets and hookers, got loads of bream and roach in my peg but couldn't catch on the pellet, however i changed to double maggot and was bagging up for 3 hours solid on bream and roach and even two crucians!! never heard about fish not liking the taste of sweet however it kind of ade sense here as i had a lot of knocks on the float and no resulting 'take'!!