TIPS & TACTICS
NICK HELLEUR pioneered PVA sticks and now, more than two decades on, he still uses them a lot in his fishing. The principle remains the same, although the mix he uses has evolved…
Luke Stevenson’s top watercraft tips, and Nick Helleur on how to make perfect PVA sticks.
Ihave used Pva sticks to boost the attraction of my hookbait for more than 20 years now, and they still play a big part in my tactical approach today. I can clearly remember the early days, when I was gradually
developing both the mix I used and its texture, and during that lengthy process I caught an awful lot of carp, and some pretty big ones too. Although a fair bit of fine-tuning has taken place since, the fundamental principles of how to get the best out of them remain the same. Let me explain.
The building blocks
Let’s start at with the underlying basics. In order for a PVA stick to work properly, the mix you use has to be a blend of fine and small ‘coarse’ items. You don’t want loads of larger bits and pieces in there, as they can end up masking the hookpoint when you thread the stick down the hooklink.
I base my mix mainly on powders and liquids, and good ones too. There is no point whatsoever in surrounding your hookbait with feed items that the fish are simply not too fussed about. You want it to be absolutely screaming with attraction.
For the powder element that forms the base of my mix I use a combination of dark groundbait and Krill Powder. Years ago, long before I got to use it myself, I witnessed first-hand the incredible pulling power that Krill Powder has over carp.
I was fishing in Slovenia, and the lads just up the bank from me were absolutely clubbing them, landing fish after fish.
I was using a bait that I was happy with, but those fish simply swam past my spot, hit their baited area, then the ones that weren’t caught swam back past me again without the slightest interest in my offerings. My bobbins remained motionless.
The power of powders
Krill Powder is really light and fluffy in texture, but it stinks to high heaven, which makes it perfect for PVA sticks. The other main element, the black groundbait, serves two purposes. First, it helps everything to break down that little bit faster, and second, it dulls off the mix slightly, so it doesn’t stand out too much on the lakebed.
I also like to add a couple of key powdered additives too, one being Liver and the other Green Lipped Mussel (GLM). Both inherently increase the attractiveness of the mix in
different ways. The Liver Powder has an incredibly meaty aroma, and is something I have learnt that the carp really love. GLM is an all-time classic that is used in all manner of ways by carp anglers and boilie makers alike. It has an extremely fishy aroma and, like the Liver Powder, is incredibly potent, so you only need to include a small handful of each into your stick mix.
SOLID CHOICES
As important as it is to have good powders in the mix, they are pretty much there to create the stick and to act as a carrier for the oils and liquids that I like to add.
In fact, in the past I’ve even used just sand in the mix and combined that with oils. That was because I was in a fishing situation where I didn’t want any food items down there, just those screaming signals of attraction from the oils. This was when I was fishing for really tricky carp that had seen it all, but on most lakes with a good stock of carp it pays to have a good mix of tiny food items in your stick mix too.
Among my favourite ‘solid’ items to add are Krill Clusters, which would be a problem if left as they are, as the hook would catch hold of them when mounting the stick on to the hooklink. I tend to add just a small palmful to the mix, and once they get a coating of the powder, they crumble and break down really easily. The Clusters are super oily, but, more importantly, are full of Krill oil. If you’ve ever wondered why Krill Oil itself isn’t available to buy in tackle shops, it’s because of its exorbitant price! Still, it really is a carp ‘superfood’ and to be able to add that to the mix through the Clusters is a real winner.
THE ROLE OF OILS
Once all this is mixed up, I then add a good dose of Fish Sauce, which is another remarkably potent liquid that I’ve played around with for years.
It has a thin texture, too, which allows it to be absorbed into the powders really easily.
“As well as being a brilliant attractant, the oil helps push the other attractors up and around the swim”
Finally, I add Salmon Oil which, without doubt, is one of the best carp-attracting liquids ever made. That said, it’s important to use a top-quality oil, and you know when you’ve found a good one simply by its rich colour and smell.
As well as being a brilliant attractant in its own right, when it breaks away from the rest of the stick mix on the lakebed in small plumes the oil helps to push the other attractors up and around the swim.
This is why I like to add a decent hit of Salmon Oil to my mix, but be sure to do it a bit at a time, allowing it to absorb fully in stages.
Ultimately you want a mix that looks a bit like cement and, once it has that consistency, it is important to put it in a plastic bag, seal it up and leave it for 24 hours. This gives the liquids enough time to absorb fully into the powders.
I want to get to the stage that when I squeeze the mix in my
hands it stays in the shape of a stick, but a small nudge causes it to fall apart. Once this stage has been reached, you have the perfect mix.
It’s also worth noting that everything I use, and that
I’ve listed here, is completely natural, so you can’t really overdo it. There are no nasty chemicals involved, which can serve the opposite purpose to what we’re trying to achieve with the mini PVA sticks… and repel the fish!
As such, I don’t have to worry about the ratios of the ingredients too much as I know that it doesn’t really matter if I use slightly more of one ingredient or the other.
ADDED BENEFITS
In their completed form, these little sticks are incredibly potent, and brilliant at pulling fish into your swim. I often use them in conjunction with single hookbaits, casting them towards areas where I’ve seen the fish or think they are.
Alternatively, if you are fishing over a baited area, they are like a little beacon of attraction on the bottom, which the carp will pick out quickly.
When it comes to hookbaits, I don’t have any hard and fast rules and use the sticks with all manner of offerings. One that has served me really well for many years now is Peperami.
It’s a very underused but incredibly effective hookbait that’s rich in fats, and carp absolutely adore the stuff. What’s more, it lasts for ages in the packet and is always worth trying, even if it’s just on one rod. If you do, be sure to trim away the outer skin to allow all those lovely oils and fats to leak out.
One final thing to note is that my little PVA sticks are not just there to add attraction to the immediate vicinity of the hookbait – they are also brilliant at preventing the rig from tangling in flight and on its descent to the lakebed.
I also know that if there is any detritus on the bottom, the rig will sit on top of it nicely, in full view of the carp.
Mini PVA sticks are a winner on so many levels, and the mix can be tailored to suit any situation throughout the four seasons.
Make sure you add them to your carp angling armoury, if for some inexplicable reason, you haven’t already!