Fish love eating other fish and invertebrates. Even species like roach, which we tend to think of as more of a sheep than a wolf, get most of their diet from eating tiny invertebrate animals, and certainly won’t turn their nose up at eating other small fish.
I can well remember fishing the famous Claydon Lake for catfish many years ago and finding that my half mackerel deadbaits were stripped back to the bone by the venue’s shoals of bream.
No wonder then that fish and invertebrate baits and additives work so well. Coarse fish recognise these as food from the amino acids and other molecules that they exude, creating brilliant attraction. You are probably using many of these additives already, and there are many more that make brilliant baits.
Fishy additives
Buy any modern groundbait, boilie, paste, or pellet and the chances are you will be using a bait that contains marine-derived ingredients. This could be fishmeal, krill and mussel powdered extracts, or fish oils. Many of these ingredients we can also buy and use to enhance our own baits. Krill powder is probably the best-known example, and one of the easiest to use too. I habitually add this coarse powder to groundbaits for tench, crucians, and carp. It can be used at up to half the mix, especially when using only small amounts of groundbait with the Method feeder.
Slightly more obscure additives include fish sauce and belachan powder; both of which can be found in oriental supermarkets. These fermented shrimp-based additives have a strong smell and work very well in pastes for chub and barbel. Additives are relatively easy to use and less messy; they can be readily added to a wide range of different baits, enabling endless experimentation.
NEED A NEW REEL? CHECK OUT OUR BUYER'S GUIDE TO THE BEST FISHING REELS.
Tinned fish
Some of the most exceptional fishy additives in my experience are tinned fish added to hemp and spod mixes. This really is an exceptional tactic, but what about adding tinned fish to pastes and groundbaits too? Tuna is the most widely used tinned fish, but mackerel and particularly herring are much cheaper and more sustainable. Try combining mashed herring in oil with pellets to make a brilliant PVA bag mix. Use a fork to break up the fillets into tiny pieces before adding them to any bait, this will give you a more even mix.
IF YOU ENJOY CATCHING LOTS OF SPECIES, HEAD TO OUR WHERE TO FISH SECTION FOR SOME GREAT MIXED VENUES TO TRY.
Give it some mussel
Alongside fish, there are a whole host of other seafoods that can be used as bait. Fresh saltwater mussels are a very effective bait. Being quite tough, they lend themselves to being used on the hook, but I have also found them effective when liquidised and added to pastes. Cockles are smaller size, ideal for tench and smaller carp, and can often be found at the fishmongers. You don’t need many, a handful is plenty.
Baits like mussels are very underrated; their only downside is that they need to be treated with care as they will go off rapidly when defrosted. Keep them in a container with an ice pack if you are fishing for more than a few hours.
IF YOU PREFER MORE TRADITIONAL BAITS, READ THIS ARTICLE FOR THE BEST BAITS FOR CARP FISHING.
Prawns
Peeled, uncooked prawns have long been used as a bait for perch, but they are just as effective for other species too. Carp, in particular, are partial to the fleshy meat, but prawns will catch other species too. If I am eating whole prawns I will keep the shells and soft parts that are left over after they are shelled and use this in my feed, or even liquidise it in a 50-50 mix with egg and use it in boilies.
Prawns, krill, and squid are brilliant boilie additions if you can go to the trouble of liquidising them up and keeping the finished baits frozen until needed. This isn’t something I do regularly, but if I am looking for a big edge when up against lots of angling pressure these boilies can be a big advantage.
Traditionally, we think of fishy additives as working best during the summer months, but is this really the case? This winter I plan to experiment more with fish-based baits for carp and barbel; it will be interesting to see how they perform. I will let you know how I get on.
WANT TO CATCH A BARBEL? OUR EXPERT ARTICLE GIVES YOU ALL THE HINTS, TIPS AND TACKLE YOU'LL NEED!
TEN MINUTE MAKE - Prawn Paste
This really potent paste makes a great bait for carp and tench, and uses the leftovers from cooked prawns, making it a great way to use up this waste.
-
Keep the shells and leftovers from some cooked prawns.
2. Add an egg to a liquidiser along with the prawns and blitz to a pulp.
3. Tip the egg and prawn mix into a large bowl.
4. Slowly add some boilie base mix to the liquidised ingredients.
5. Stir well with a fork until a firm paste is produced.
6. The finished bait works really well as a pole bait or as a boilie wrap.