There is no questioning the pulling power of meat, which is a far more versatile bait than many anglers believe. Using it in a cubed format is the most common approach, but it is probably even more effective once it has been turned into a mush.
A brilliant bait for a range of species including carp, F1s and quality silverfish, luncheon meat has plenty of plus points that will help you put more fish in the net.
It’s an inexpensive way of fishing, too, even though the cost of meat has rocketed in the past couple of years. That said, a couple of tins are all that you will need for an action-packed session at your favourite fishery.
Giving It A Go
Run a tin of meat through an 8mm cutter and pass it through a meat grinder that can be bought on eBay for £20 – far easier than pushing it through a riddle. Finish off by adding a quarter-of-a-pint of water to stop the meat from floating, which can happen due to its high fat content.
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Use a small pot
You only need a small quantity of bait to get a response, and I’ll only feed a line when I am fishing it. Fill a small pot up with mushy meat and cup it in directly over your rig to set the trap. This should be enough to attract a couple of fish, reducing the chance of line bites.
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Shallow water is key
I’m a big believer in using meat in shallow areas. If I fed a handful of 8mm cubes, one carp could eat the lot and swim off. By using slop, there are hundreds of pieces in the swim, and that makes the fish remain in the peg for longer, giving me more time to catch them.
Use the right hook
Meat is a very soft bait, and you need an appropriately-shaped hook to prevent it falling off if you miss a bite. A Guru Kaizen is the ideal pattern in my opinion, as they are strong and have quite a wide gape. A size 16 is my starting point, stepping up to a 14 if big carp are present.
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