How to make deadly wafter hookbaits... in just 10 minutes!
Expert advice from Paul Garner
IDON’T know if you’ve noticed the trend in the last few years for the increased use of pop-up and wafter hook baits, but there’s certainly been an explosion in the popularity of baits with built-in buoyancy.
This could be seen as a passing fad, but in many circumstances, whether you are specimen fishing, carping, feeder fishing or even float fishing, these specialist baits can land you more fish.
I say land more fish, because one of the main reasons that I use buoyant baits for a lot of my fishing is because they lead to improved hook-holds. On a recent session at Northamptonshire’s Naseby Reservoir moving on to a slow-sinking wafter hookbait, for example, turned a run of lost fish on bottom baits around and I landed the next half dozen with no drama.
My underwater observations show that a semi-buoyant bait gets sucked further back into the carp’s mouth than a bottom bait, meaning that the hook also has more chance of a good hold.
The same logic applies not only to carp, but to other species too. From crucian carp to pike, a bait that only just sinks can often be an edge that puts more fish on the bank and, for the very same reason, a slow-sinking bait is easier to suck in. Bait could range from a cut-down rubber caster fished on a size 16 hook to a slowsinking deadbait – the thinking behind why this works is just the same.
POP-UPS
Many modern carp rigs are reliant on a super buoyant pop-up hookbait to make them work. Rigs like the uber-fashionable Ronnie and the chod need a bait that keeps the hook in the prone position.
I fish with a many who have their own variations on these themes and there is no doubt that a pop-up has its place, but very often their use can be overrated.
Look at anglers’ catches and very often you find pop-ups at their most effective in the spring when the carp are becoming more active. At this time of the year a blatant pop-up can often score.
In my fishing I tend to use a pop-up to ensure that the hook is clear of any weed or detritus on the bottom. A slow-sinking pop-up will come to rest with the hook clear of any strands of weed, maximising the chances of a fish picking it up. I will still fish it just an inch off bottom, keeping it as low and inconspicuous as possible.