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Retro baits

Connor Smith

Connor Smith

Senior Member
Not long gone on Facebook and seen the company I use for bait is closing down. A shame really as they've been going for a good few years and produce some good bait. Plus there local which makes me feel better for using my local company. Yes, I know barbel will eat anything put in front of them if there hungry enough and the baits presented well but having confidence in what you're using helps out mentally aswell. I prefer to use a smaller company than a big commercial 1 after finding out from a lad who works in the sticky baits factory that the Krill only costs around £2 to make a kg. The rest of the money made from selling the bait has to cover workers wages, bills and sponsorships. Makes sense when you think about it really, why I never realised this before I don't know. I might go back to making my own bait again now but it's a hell of an effort with a busy life like mine. Any recommendations for smaller companies out there I could have a look at? Also I prefer to use a boilie than a pellet but I do feed both and have had some good catches on pellet hookbaits over the years. I just prefer the nutrition factor a boilie has, I feel a fish can detect which food item is better for it and will go for the bait which provides better nutrition. 👍
 
Connor Smith said:
Not long gone on Facebook and seen the company I use for bait is closing down. A shame really as they've been going for a good few years and produce some good bait. Plus there local which makes me feel better for using my local company. Yes, I know barbel will eat anything put in front of them if there hungry enough and the baits presented well but having confidence in what you're using helps out mentally aswell. I prefer to use a smaller company than a big commercial 1 after finding out from a lad who works in the sticky baits factory that the Krill only costs around £2 to make a kg. The rest of the money made from selling the bait has to cover workers wages, bills and sponsorships. Makes sense when you think about it really, why I never realised this before I don't know. I might go back to making my own bait again now but it's a hell of an effort with a busy life like mine. Any recommendations for smaller companies out there I could have a look at? Also I prefer to use a boilie than a pellet but I do feed both and have had some good catches on pellet hookbaits over the years. I just prefer the nutrition factor a boilie has, I feel a fish can detect which food item is better for it and will go for the bait which provides better nutrition. 👍
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Hi Connor

Check out https://www.klipsbaits.com/ Paul is pretty much a one man band and also has a brilliant pellet and paste as well as terminal tackle and PVA mesh at very competitive prices ;)
 
Better making your own baits i think, anything for sale (either commercially or even niche HNV baits) are usually made to a price. Of course they'll catch fish, but what if you can make it yourself, but (possibly) better?


Making them yourself you can make sure no corners are cut and there's no profit to consider or workers wages.


As for the effort involved there are a few shortcuts. If i'm lazy i'll just boil the sausages striaight from the sausage gun and then cut them into pellet size chunks. You can even roll your mix out into a sheet, bake it, and then use a bread punch to punch out pellets.

Want a super hard pelllet? Add whey gel at double the recommended dosage.


Doesn't need to be as tedious as rolling into boilies.
 
Richard Dawson said:
Better making your own baits i think, anything for sale (either commercially or even niche HNV baits) are usually made to a price. Of course they'll catch fish, but what if you can make it yourself, but (possibly) better?


Making them yourself you can make sure no corners are cut and there's no profit to consider or workers wages.


As for the effort involved there are a few shortcuts. If i'm lazy i'll just boil the sausages striaight from the sausage gun and then cut them into pellet size chunks. You can even roll your mix out into a sheet, bake it, and then use a bread punch to punch out pellets.

Want a super hard pelllet? Add whey gel at double the recommended dosage.


Doesn't need to be as tedious as rolling into boilies.
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I agree mate 100 per cent, I made my own boilies for years. Word got on, I ended up sorting a few mates out, they did well, then a few of there mates. Next thing you know I was supplying bait to Ironbridge tackle shop and then dawley tackle shop in telford. Eventually it became to much and I gave it all up. I'm thinking about it again but I work 6 days a week, out the house for 5.30am and back home around 6pm. I also have a family life which comes first too. Not so easy to juggle now my littlens older.
 
I know all too well the time restrictions a busy work/family life can have on other things but 20 mins to knock up a 1 egg mix is definitely time well used imo. I won’t fish for barbel now unless I’ve got a batch of “richy specials” on me. I’m not saying I always use them but I’d feel a bit lost if I didn’t have any in the bag.

I don’t use them because they catch more fish as I don’t believe they do but I use them because I know exactly what goes into them and catching a fish using stuff you’ve made yourself is a little bit more rewarding.

Find 20mins , stuff your mates they can make their own 👍🏻
 
While on the subject of bait, my son has found a stock of old unused bait including some of the old Rod Hutchinson powder to make boilies. Were the first boilies I ever used and the one I found effective was called something like seafood. Anyone remember?
 
Richard Isaacs said:
I know all too well the time restrictions a busy work/family life can have on other things but 20 mins to knock up a 1 egg mix is definitely time well used imo. I won’t fish for barbel now unless I’ve got a batch of “richy specials” on me. I’m not saying I always use them but I’d feel a bit lost if I didn’t have any in the bag.

I don’t use them because they catch more fish as I don’t believe they do but I use them because I know exactly what goes into them and catching a fish using stuff you’ve made yourself is a little bit more rewarding.

Find 20mins , stuff your mates they can make their own 👍🏻
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Exactly the same reason I'd make my own. You know what's in them and at what levels. I can imagine the 'fishmeals' made by most big companies contain about 20% fishmeal max. I'd be knocking up a 5 or 6 egg mix myself though. Roughly a kg of bait.
 
Paul Collins said:
While on the subject of bait, my son has found a stock of old unused bait including some of the old Rod Hutchinson powder to make boilies. Were the first boilies I ever used and the one I found effective was called something like seafood. Anyone remember?
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Seafood blend was in the first list of baits Rod started selling from his garage in the early eighties , apparently it was ground up Purina cat food .
 
Connor Smith said:
Exactly the same reason I'd make my own. You know what's in them and at what levels. I can imagine the 'fishmeals' made by most big companies contain about 20% fishmeal max. I'd be knocking up a 5 or 6 egg mix myself though. Roughly a kg of bait.
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I reckon I use a kg a season. Maybe 1.5 at a push 🤣
 
Connor Smith said:
Not long gone on Facebook and seen the company I use for bait is closing down. A shame really as they've been going for a good few years and produce some good bait. Plus there local which makes me feel better for using my local company. Yes, I know barbel will eat anything put in front of them if there hungry enough and the baits presented well but having confidence in what you're using helps out mentally aswell. I prefer to use a smaller company than a big commercial 1 after finding out from a lad who works in the sticky baits factory that the Krill only costs around £2 to make a kg. The rest of the money made from selling the bait has to cover workers wages, bills and sponsorships. Makes sense when you think about it really, why I never realised this before I don't know. I might go back to making my own bait again now but it's a hell of an effort with a busy life like mine. Any recommendations for smaller companies out there I could have a look at? Also I prefer to use a boilie than a pellet but I do feed both and have had some good catches on pellet hookbaits over the years. I just prefer the nutrition factor a boilie has, I feel a fish can detect which food item is better for it and will go for the bait which provides better nutrition. 👍
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Conor
Worth having a look at Glynn Gommersall at 3 Rivers Rolling 👍
 
Mark Harridence said:
Conor
Worth having a look at Glynn Gommersall at 3 Rivers Rolling 👍
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Thanks Mark, just had a look at the stuff they do, I'd much rather use a smaller company like them than the mass produced stuff. The 3RB and the crab look promising. The vamp sounds good too, I do like a garlic bait. How long you been using them for mate?
 
Connor Smith said:
Thanks Mark, just had a look at the stuff they do, I'd much rather use a smaller company like them than the mass produced stuff. The 3RB and the crab look promising. The vamp sounds good too, I do like a garlic bait. How long you been using them for mate?
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Hi Connor
I'll be honest, I don't use Glynn's baits but a couple of mates do and swear by it, especially the Bio Crab! They've used it for a number of years and do very well. If I wasn't happy with what I use now I'd be using his bait.
Glynn really knows his stuff regarding bait making. It might be worth giving him a call and having a chat with him👍
 
Kevin Brown said:
Seafood blend was in the first list of baits Rod started selling from his garage in the early eighties , apparently it was ground up Purina cat food .
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One of my most successful carp baits was 9oz liver flavoured munchies (ground of course) an once of calcium caseinate (Casilan) and a table spoon of liver powder
 
Mark Harridence said:
Hi Connor
I'll be honest, I don't use Glynn's baits but a couple of mates do and swear by it, especially the Bio Crab! They've used it for a number of years and do very well. If I wasn't happy with what I use now I'd be using his bait.
Glynn really knows his stuff regarding bait making. It might be worth giving him a call and having a chat with him👍
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Thanks Mark, it's definitely one to think about using, always good when you can have a chat with the owner too 👍
 
Mark Anderson said:
Hi men ,

Baitworks , worth a look 😉

Hatter
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I've thought about baitworks in the past. A bit to big and commercialised for me now though I think 🤔 although it's still a possibility. The Atlantic heat sounds right up my street. But what are the actual levels of fishmeals in there? Not so sure if I trust these bigger companies.
 
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