GROUNDBAIT GUIDELINES

TEXTURE

Groundbait can be incredibly fine depending on how it is ‘milled’ when it is created. How it ends up will relate to how well it sticks together when water is added. The finer a mix is, the stickier it will be. Use a finer textured groundbait for autumn and winter fishing, and a coarser blend is great for summer.

FOOD VALUE

This is how filling a groundbait will be to a fish. Higher food content mixes are great for big fish with big appetites like carp, tench and bream whereas winter roach and small fish need something that’s a lot lighter. To find a high food value bait look for larger particles, and smell it for a bread aroma. Riddling can remove these particles.

COLOUR

Groundbaits are available in a range of colours and while some species prefer different colours – tench like red and bream like yellow – it’s best to match your mix to the water conditions. Clear water needs a dark-coloured mix, but light groundbaits are easier for fish to find in coloured waters.

CONSISTENCY

You can achieve the perfect consistency of mix with almost any groundbait, provided you take your time when adding water. This should be done a little at a time over a long period. Riddling groundbait is vital in winter because as the appetite of the fish will be less and so lumps could ruin the swim. This process also adds air to the finished mix.

PARTICLES

Carp margin groundbaits are packed with seeds, chopped boilies, crushed pellets and fish food flakes because big fish will take lots of food and the particles will also add weight to the mix. Small fish groundbaits still have particles but these will be tiny things like crushed hemp seeds to make the mix active.