How to prepare the perfect pellets... and give them a boost.
Carp go crazy for these tiny pellets
PELLETS come in every conceivable size, flavour and shape, but right now one bait rules supreme – the micro pellet.
These tiny baits fill an important niche in my bait armoury at the top and tail of the year. Pellets of less than 2mm fall into the ‘micro’ bracket and some can be a lot smaller than that.
WHY MICROS?
As a feed for young coarse fish that must grow fast, micros have a slightly higher protein and fat content than larger pellets. They normally contain more fishmeal, which attracts most coarse fish, not just carp.
To a carp, micros are the equivalent of a bacon sandwich – they just taste a lot better than normal pellets. At this time of year, with water temperatures still up and down and fish often disinclined to eat much, the attraction of micros can make all the difference.
Their tiny size is also an advantage with many modern tactics. Most micro stick together well when dampened, but in water they quickly separate. This makes them perfect for the Method feeder and Pellet Cone, where a sticky bait is essential.
If micros have so many benefits why don’t wet use them all the time? Well, there are a few drawbacks that we need to be aware of. The most obvious is that they are much smaller than most hookbaits. Paradoxically, this can be more of a problem when the carp are feeding confidently.
Carp feed on micros by sucking in mouthfuls of water and blowing out anything deemed inedible, including larger hookbaits.
Being light, they will be washed all over the place by carp moving around close to the bottom. This can make it too much effort for the carp to feed consistently on them, whereas a bigger pellet will offer a much higher reward.
For carp, now is the time to be thinking about using micro pellets, before switching to larger 4mm and 6mm baits later on.
PREPARATION
Straight from the packet, micros are only of quite limited use. Many will probably float, as they are so light that they will get stuck in the water’s surface film. One of their few uses is as a filling for solid PVA bags – a job they do well, as they can be packed in really tight, making for a very aerodynamic, long-casting, bag.
To get the best from micros they need to be dampened. This releases the magical binding properties that make them so very useful for Method fishing. If you try and soak micros, though, they will turn into pellet mush, so a different approach has to be taken.
Put the pellets into a groundbait bowl and very slowly start adding water to them. Keep them moving all the time, mixing them with your hand to ensure that the pellets are evenly dampened. Damp, not wet is the mantra here.
Take your time, the pellets should absorb the water almost instantly. If they feel wet, stop.
Exactly how much water you need to add will depend upon the brand of pellet, but what you will find is that they dry out quickly if left in the open air. You can normally get away with dampening them again once, but after this they will either lose their tackinessor break down.
If you are making up pellets for more than about an hour’s fishing, store them in an airtight baitbox or bag until they are needed.
HOOKBAITS
Preoccupation with micro pellets is unlikely at this time of year but even so, hookbait choice can make a big difference to catches.
Remember, micros behave a bit differently to larger pellets underwater – they are much lighter and very easy to suck up. Try to use hookbaits with similar characteristics. Dead maggots are a good starting point. Try using three on a size 14 hook. Dead grubs are less likely to be picked up by silverfish, but if you have a lot of skimmers in your venue they may become a real pest.
Larger baits are the answer if you can’t get through the silvers, but try to use light baits that are easy to pick up. My favourite has to be a fake buoyant caster. Balancing the weight of the hook and with a hard texture, if you haven’t tried them you will be surprised at just how effective they can be.
Rubber casters also come in a range of colours. A dark shade is least likely to be bothered by small fish, but a white one can bring bites when all else fails.
Wafters have become popular in commercial fishing in recent years, and with good reason. These critically-balanced miniboilies fly up into the carp’s mouth when they inhale, making them an ideal choice when using micros. Colour is generally more important than flavour, so it’s wise to carry several different hues.