Extracted from a mainly carp oriented section of this volume: 

 'Carp fever strikes again' - the big fish soluble amino

When the guy fishing next to you is catching over double the number of BIG fish you are; you really want to know why - and how he does it; here's a few suggestions!

Well, the last fish caught by the author on the following baits and methods were a 42 pound carp and a 56 pound catfish; a lake record at the time and part of a whole string of very big fish captures. Such is the power of the kind of baits and methods described below. There are many specialized techniques for delivering extremely powerful catfish and carp attractors specifically from the area of your hook baits. These methods can particularly leverage concentrated and powerful forms of amino acids; these are easily available from health food, chemist or drug stores or in prepared commerical preparations from bait companies.

‘Liquid protein’ amino acids supplements are use used for body building. Also used are vitamin/mineral supplements; these are excellent nutritional attractors too. Carp and catfish for example are especially ‘sensitive’ to the presence of amino acids in their watery environment; so let’s exploit this to the ‘max!’ The power this bait method has is that the bait itself acts purely as a ‘carrier’ for carp search and feeding response triggers. These especially affect ‘olfactory receptor sites’ by using ingredients acting as commonly called ‘stimulators and ‘attractors.’ Amino acids and mineral salts are two of the most effective fish stimulators of them all and have been proven by tank tests by American and Japanese scientists for example.

These 2 attractors among other very special attractor / fish ‘olfactory’ receptor site stimulators / potentiators (like betaine) are ideally concentrated in a tight area around your hook bait and but gradually spread out through the water creating paths of attraction and attractor clouds in surrounding water layers and currents.

Special ingredients to use: Quite in contrast to the usual maize/fish meals/grits/oats/or soya bean meals etc, you may be familiar with this type of bait is far more powerful; with good reason.  This bait mix uses many extraordinary predigested extracts to draw stimulated fish into your bait vicinity. These are extremely attractive owing to their high levels and broad profiles of ‘biologically digestible’ available amino acids, which are very water soluble. (As opposed to ‘whole’ protein food ingredients, like standard cheaper fish meal; with much less water solubility and digestibility.)

Another great advantage of these ingredients is that far more of your bait when consumed is absorbed straight through the fish gut, and the fish get the benefits of their food much quicker than with whole foods which may take many hours and days to ‘digest’ for fish to gain and ‘feel useful benefits and energy. (Just like we ‘feel’ different effects and benefits from our individual foods; some drain our energy after eating and make us feel lethargic, others give us a ‘buzz’ some short-term and others longer term. Proven examples of carp stimulating ingredients are:

* Green and blue lipped mussel extracts.

* Predigested fishmeal.

* Predigested lobster extract.

* Predigested fish protein.

There are many others such as hemp protein powder for instance and keratin powder etc.

Plus many others available from premier specialist carp bait suppliers. (New ones are being developed and ‘discovered’ by fishermen all the time!) It is both interesting and very important to notice that these kinds of bait extracts and ingredients are high in digestible proteins/soluble amino acids and are also often very high in betaine. (Not betaine hydrochloride - that is the ‘salt form.’ Amino acids, with betaine and mineral salts and vitamins in combination are extremely potent carp and catfish attractors/feeding stimulators. (Please note; do not be confused – betaine is not an amino acid and is far more heat resistant to denaturing than them.) A few other examples of powerful ingredients used mixed in damp powder form in PVA bags, or in combinations in dough/pastes: (listed – extract continued:)

I prefer to use damp powders and fresh paste/dough baits in PVA bags or similar bait delivery methods close to hook baits rather than conventional boilies in such a situation, because you have great control over their pulling power and different effects like speed of distribution in the water column etc. These release all kinds of ‘attractors’ and feeding triggers into the water extremely effectively, whereas with boilies this effect is partially ‘locked-up’ owing to the boiling process. I will not go much into the amazing stimulatory benefits, deep effects, and inter-relationships secrets between many of the above ingredients listed here! They work!

All of the above used in different combinations and quantities provide a great base for a mixed ‘free’ bait dough or paste bait especially and especially effective when used in water soluble ‘free bait ‘ delivering poly vinyl alcohol bags (‘PVA’). However; this mixture can be bound together using anything from corn flour to breadcrumbs, whole meal flour and oats, to a carp boilie base mix etc. This can then be used as ‘ground bait’ or chum for amazing results. It can also be made as a ‘damp powder to fill-up PVA bags or in PVA bags with paste/doughs of different types.’ Or as an added attractor powder using whole or chopped boilies, or with pellets of different types in a bag.

There are so many powerful ingredients and stimulators to exploit in you efforts to draw maximum attention to your hook baits and utilising water soluble ground bait delivery methods and products and so on… I sometimes like to make a dough paste from the above list including milk powders and predigested fish protein, and brewers yeast powders and liver powders, for example (preferably predigested) bound by whole meal flour with added liquid amino acids compound. (But not using water, or eggs.) I add a small amount of cod liver oil, sesame seed oil, pure salmon oil, hemp oil, or crushed nut oil too. Add yeast extract and then add a small amount of tinned mackerel finely chopped up and juice from tinned salmon and even address some tinned tuna.

If fish loving predators like pike or gars etc are a problem, cut down on the tinned fish and add more milk powders etc. For carp for example add perhaps some more “Robin Red” powder, curry or chili powders. I leave this ‘wet paste/dough mix’ to soak up the liquid attractors overnight in a plastic sealed tub in the fridge. Then I may add extra milks of various kind like evaporated milk, coconut milk and tiger nut milk, liver and yeast powders, until the mix has a firm moldable consistency. Ideally it would feel oily on the surface!

This paste or dough is specifically for the purpose of fast maximal attraction to your hook baits. This dough will be used in PVA bags, and as hook baits and even ‘free baits.’ (Very effective!)

I prefer to use a heavy lead rig with a short length of about 4 to 5 inches. On the ‘hair rig’ I use 2 baits; one a sinking bait, the other a ‘pop-up’ buoyant bait on the same short hair. (It could be a special pellet shaped bait or a disc, triangle or square or odd shape.)

I severely sharpen my hooks to almost past ‘needle’ sharp – but not too much! (I have lost fish where the hook point has actually bent outwards out of the fish! Doing this definitely multiplies your number of ‘takes!’ The above paste/dough/examples of ‘packbait’ make excellent hook and bait ‘wraps.’ This is where dough is wrapped onto the bait and or hook, to multiply the pulling power of the hook bait and obscures the hook except the point (for pressured waters this is exceptional and very effective for the ‘wiser’ more rig shy big carp – and big catfish too!

Alternative ways to use dough paste in PVA bags:

* Use ‘air dried’ paste/dough balls of 10 millimeter diameter for example; these dissolve fast releasing very fast acting attraction – fantastic!) * Use fresh or defrosted paste/dough balls used as 30 millimeter balls or pieces on their own or with other sizes/shapes mixed – this IS different; used in conjunction with a ‘dry mixture’ made from the above list of ingredients, the varied attractor leak-off and power is just awesome and has accounted for many of my most memorable catches!

* Use a single large ball of paste/dough the size of a mandarin or small apple. Used on its own or in combination with a ‘dry mixture’ this is a completely different method of attraction. This also has produced some incredible big fish for me catches; I believe it gives more time for the bigger fish to compete and inspect it before taking the hook bait! All these paste/doughs can be semi ‘air-dried’ or rolled in powders to make them dry enough not to prematurely melt the PVA bags. I often roll these pastes in dry powders ingredients mixture until the exterior is completely covered. I prepare hook baits like this in advance in advance but use added amino acid and mineral/vitamin soaks. I air dry these baits, then re-hydrate them in the soak and coat them with a mixture of attractive powders.

When using the PVA bags:

First I put a layer of powders into the base of the PVA bag. Then put a single paste / dough ball / or fresh 20 millimeter balls or / 25 small 10 millimeter air-dried balls or a mixture of fresh and air-dried baits together in a PVA bag. I keep adding dry powder with a spoon as I do it from a tub (over a tub and preferably out of the wind!)

I spoon the powders into the bag until it is nearly full, then the fix hook to the bag, either by putting the hook into it or tying the hook to it using fine PVA string. I then put extra dough over line above the hook and onto hook bait mould until everything is aligned so that the hook point is ‘proud’ and hook and bait is mostly obscured by paste and not able to tangle with the rig after casting out when the bag melts. (Sometimes it is useful to put one bag inside another to begin with, if it is raining or very damp or you want to fish very deep water, or like to ‘pull your rig back’ after casting.)

With this dry mix, paste / dough, PVA bag method, I use seriously sharpened hooks; and hook lengths normally of about 4 inches from hook to lead. Very sharp hooks tend to penetrate much deeper quicker upon first contact with the fish’s mouth. (I also prefer a hook with a long slim point that is curved back in towards the hook’s shank.) I will use a heavy lead if I can to set the hook upon fish picking up the bait. I use a ‘line clip’ on the rod at the reel to help ‘jolt’ the hook into position and sometimes use two with an initial ‘slack line’ specialist set-up. Often I use a with a tight line set-up with a very sensitive bite alarm setting. Fish can pick a rig up at many unexpected and angles and especially wise fish will often move parallel to your or towards you while trying to shake the hook.

Many ‘tight line’ takes with this set-up have simply been two bleeps or one bleep with a ‘rod knock’ but this is exciting and keeps you on your toes! On big fish waters where takes are not very frequent, a single bleep could often be a big fish! By keeping your eyes on the rod tip not the indicator on the line or ‘bobbin’ or swinger etc you will definitely hit more big fish – be alert and quick It takes practice, but once you are used to it you will enjoy fishing much more as this is exciting and ‘interactive’ stuff! I always strike on rod knocks on this method. I’ve found during most sessions, it is very worth the effort. These are often the much bigger old wary fish playing their games of ‘get off the hook fast!’ (Continued...)

By Tim Richardson. 

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