How to make a deadly groundbait for perch fishing

Groundbait isn’t usually a type of bait associated with perch fishing. Prawns and worms are more likely to be the main items found in a perch angler’s bait bucket.

If you’re fishing for these feisty predators on a regular basis, however, you can quickly rack up a fairly hefty bait bill using these items. The addition of groundbait to your armoury enables you to bulk your worms and prawns to ensure a tub of them goes much further.

But while we all like to save a few quid, groundbait can offer the perch angler a lot more than a successful Martin Lewis money saving exercise. A few balls thrown into your swim at the start of a session will quickly attract small prey fish, and you can bet a big perch or two won’t be far behind them.

A well put together groundbait mix can also be used to keep those pesky small perch occupied and give their bigger siblings time to find and consume your hookbait.

PERCH ARE NOTORIOUS FOR FALLING OFF THE HOOK, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE BEST FISHING RODS TO HELP CUSHION THE FIGHT!

Keep it small

For their size, perch have extraordinarily large mouths.If you’re only fishing worms, even the smallest of perch will happily try and engulf your hookbait. Yet if you can offer them an easier food source – such as small bits of maggots and casters in a groundbait – they’re much more likely to choose this rather than an item that is larger than they are. This makes it easier to keep a larger bait in position, ready for the big perch to arrive.

CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST SPECIMEN PERCH WATERS IN THE UK.

The darker, the better

It is best to use a dark groundbait when targeting perch. At this time of year the water clarity in most venues will be starting to improve and will only become clearer over the coming months. Fish will naturally feel safer feeding over a bed of dark groundbait. This is because the back of most fish is darker in colour and they will therefore be more camouflaged from predators from above such as herons.

Over a light bed of bed they would be clearly silhouetted. While any dark or black groundbait will do the trick, we really love Dynamite Bait’s Frenzied Hempseed with Worm Meal. Incorporating all the attractiveness of hempseed along with a blend of earthworm powder, it is high in protein and fish attracting aminos. It is also a really fine mix and will create a cloud in the water when fed, which simply helps to make fish feed more confidently.

A GROUNDBAIT MIX CAN BE MADE HOWEVER YOU WANT, OUR GUIDE TO GROUNDBAITS OFFERS SOME REALLY EXCELLENT CHOICES TO CONSIDER.

Boost the attraction

With this forming the base of the mix, you can now add loosefeed items such as worms, casters, maggots and prawns. These can either be finely chopped into small pieces, or if you want to get really messy, blitzed to a pulp in a blender.

The final addition to any good perch groundbait mix is some liquid attraction. Keeping with the worm theme, you won’t go wrong with something like Sonubaits’ Worm Fishmeal Liquid Flavour. To ensure an even distribution of the liquid, it is best to add it to the water that you use to dampen the groundbait as opposed to squirting it straight in. Being highly water soluble it will start to work straight away in any temperature of water, so will be just as effective in the depths of winter as it is now.

How to make the perfect perch fishing groundbait mix

STEP ONE:

These are the main ingredients to creating a perch groundbait mix.

STEP TWO:

Empty the dry groundbait into a round mixing bowl, a round bowl will make sure no groundbait gets trapped in the corners or sides and can be mixed evenly.

STEP THREE:

Add some worm liquid, or your preferred liquid, to some water before adding it to the groundbait, this helps dilute the liquid attractor so it can be evenly spread through the mix and not over concentrated.

STEP FOUR:

Add the liquid to your groundbait and begin thoroughly mixing to ensure the groundbait has an even consistency.

STEP FIVE:

Chop your worms, prawns and maggots in a bait box together to concentrate the juices and attractors.

STEP SIX:

Add your particles to the wetted groundbait, giving it a thorough mix to ensure even distribution. You then have a groundbait mix that will draw in perch from far and wide.

FISH OVER THIS MIX WITH A RUNNING RIG AND BITE ALARMS. FIND OUT HOW TO DO IT HERE.

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