Can bait additives really catch you more fish?
HOW much faith do you have in bait additives? Are they crucial to catching on your local waters? I ask this because I had an interesting conversation with a couple of lads while walking to my swim the other day.
As I passed them, they were getting their bait ready for their session, and whatever it was they were adding to their groundbait mix made my eyes water – from 10ft away!
“Wow, what are you putting in there?” I asked politely. “Can’t say,” came the reply. Apparently, this chap had been adding the powder to his mixes for more than 20 years and swears by it for roach on the river.
I suddenly had that horrible feeling that I was missing out, and it stuck in my mind all the time I was fishing that day.
I’ve dabbled with flavours over the years and squirted all sorts of liquids on to bait. I even spent a season coating my maggots in garlic powder in the search for more fish.
Did they catch me more? I really couldn’t say, but they gave me confidence in my bait, and perhaps that’s what it’s all about.
The world of bait additives never fails to intrigue and excite. Everyone has their favourites, and some, like Roach Man’s powder (probably turmeric, by the way) are closely guarded secrets.
Even some of the world’s best anglers swear by additives, believing they can help make baits stand out from the crowd. What I do know is there are a lot of them out there on the tackle shop shelves as my colleague, Mark Sawyer, reveals (P20&21).
I think the secret is to pick one and stick with it, rather than chop and change, but there’s fun to be had by experimenting first.
And if you’re doing that at home, please remember to open the windows. I speak from experience here…