Personal baits

[Cliff]

Well thought through post there joe, some intersesting points!

"You also have the issue of a carps sense of taste and 'smell' which are very different to ours so something that smells and tastes nice to use could be awful for a carp."

Something that ive thought about for a while now!

[Deano]

Originally Posted by steve hurst

OK here is my anthropocentric view on addding flavours to a quality food boilie.

Imagine a delicious smelling, nutritious meal sitting in front of you. Maybe fillet steak, new potatoes and a selection of vegetables. You've got first class protein, fibre, quality carbs and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Now cover the thing in Aldi tomato ketchup.

You may still eat it if you were hungry, pick out the clean bits etc, but it wouldn't just be the same.

still dont buy it.....fish are probably as individual as humans or any other animal for that matter....and I know people who love tomato ketchup....plus it wouldn't really effect how nutritious the meal was in any way whatsoever

[Joephus]

But personal choice is something we have inherited through generations isnt it? Our lifestyle allows this where as other animals dont, do some cows not like grass, do some hedgehogs only eat snails and not slugs? There eating is for a base instinct - eat to survive. Not for pleasure.

I maybe well wrong on that but thats how i see it. If the flavour is a bit nasty they will eat it cause it keeps them alive without too much bother. But if they hate flavour so much why do those soaked pineapple things work in winter. The base for pineapple is massively potent and very strong, makes your eyes water......why would they eat a single one of those if it smelt so so awful?

[Deano]

Originally Posted by Joephus

But personal choice is something we have inherited through generations isnt it? Our lifestyle allows this where as other animals dont, do some cows not like grass, do some hedgehogs only eat snails and not slugs? There eating is for a base instinct - eat to survive. Not for pleasure.

this is true Joe and carp have an inherent ability to recognise food items...as a survival mechanism....but just as some fish prefer certain areas of the lake or are more susceptible to being caught using certain tactics surely some of them must have their 'buttons pressed' by certain smells or foodstuffs

[steve hurst]

As we all probably know, carp can't smell anything!!!!

Food signals in solution (the water) are received by the carp's olfactory system. So straight away there are glaring holes in the basis for using flavours.

We chose strawberry, tutti frutti, plum, peach melba, pineapple etc etc purely because they smell nice to us. Why not chose tarmac flavour, burnt toast flavour, cat pee flavour. They are just chemicals blended by a flavourist and if they underwent gas chromatograph analysis they would be probably be almost identical to our favourite flavours on the market today.

THINK CARP...NOT HUMAN.

[steve hurst]

Originally Posted by Deano

still dont buy it.....fish are probably as individual as humans or any other animal for that matter....and I know people who love tomato ketchup....plus it wouldn't really effect how nutritious the meal was in any way whatsoever

Dean, that was the whole point of my original reply. A chemical flavour will probably not make a bait inedible, but you run a real risk of making it less effective.

If you have a good, nutritious boilie mix then why take risks?

[Deano]

After all this discussion I am going to do a little experiment.....the same base mix with and without flavour..trying to fish both rods in the same area...I know there are a lot of variables involved but lets just see what the results are. Mind you I will have to start getting a few runs for anything conclusive....and there hasn't been too many of them recently

By the way Steve...you are big Hirsty arn't you that used to fish the flow and are mates with Dingle???

Just had another look at what I've written...i will do some sort of experiment but it will take a little more thought...any ideas anyone?

[Joephus]

Would have to be a runs water were you could get alot of fish in a day maybe 10 or so. Anymore and it wont overally matter what you have on the hook.
None of this is going to be conclusive but will give you something to do. Why not use a good base mix with no flavour in and one with a lot in and fish on the same area? Just a thought.

Will be sticking with low level flavours most of the time and the occasional stinky pop up. What ever the results.

Joe

[steve hurst]

Hello Deano,

Yes mate, used to fish the Overflow. What a dump!! Had my first 20 from there on New Years Eve 1986 so fond memories really. That was on Richworth's Salmon & Trout boilie. That was a superb bait that if I recall correctly had no added flavour, it just relied on the trout pellet content. In my humble opinion trout pellets are a top bait.

On about Dingle...we are going out for a beer in a few minutes.

That trial sounds a good idea providing it is over a prolonged period not just 2 or 3 sessions. But you know the score...

Washed out baits have been a good bet for many years now and I think it is linked more to the reduced flavour level rather than carp being clever enough to suss out that they must be safe to eat.

Bye for now and tight lines...keep us posted.

[Deano]

Hows dingle doing these days???....haven't seen him for a few years...he still likes a drink then.....say 'orate' to him from me.....that 20 from the overflow was when a 20 from there mean't something and before all the litter that new road has a lot to answer for....never really fished it much myself....went one day in early spring and found a few fish down the little arm...quietly dropped a bait and as i was crumbling a few up over the top my rod was away!!!!! it turned out to be 17lb 6oz.....found out later that Bevo had been prebaiting there for a while .....well if you see em then you;ve got to have a go for em....
Don't have too many....its work tomorrow

[dodge]

deano, food for thought mate! ( no pun intended ) but why do WASHED OUT baits spring to mind? think heathrow baits' awesome is a washed out bait! very interesting that when we fish longer sessions and the baits been in the water for a few days we always catch on the third or fourth day! also how many of you have, having caught, unhooked and recast said bait ( washed out ) and caught again! very complex subject i think you will agree!

[Deano]

Originally Posted by dodge

deano, food for thought mate! ( no pun intended ) but why do WASHED OUT baits spring to mind? think heathrow baits' awesome is a washed out bait! very interesting that when we fish longer sessions and the baits been in the water for a few days we always catch on the third or fourth day! also how many of you have, having caught, unhooked and recast said bait ( washed out ) and caught again! very complex subject i think you will agree!

Not this can of worms again.. .lol.lol.....yes mate washed outs will work as will baits with no flavour at all, as will flavoured baits...the question is which will work the best Lets not get back into this again....there must be something good on the telly...lol..