Geoff,
If you are wanting to buy ready rolled, the are quite a few that are pretty good, Richworth Bioplex if you can still get it. Mainline Grange, Nutrabaits trigga, Teme severn, all very good.
I personally roll my own HNV mix, for about a third cheaper than you can buy freezer baits, and up to even half dependant on the bait.
Since i started using and experimenting with HNV baits my results have never been so consistant.
It's a big jigsaw really put all the pieces in place and you've cracked it !
Watercraft is the biggest one, but regarding bait IMO it's not so much the bait as important as it is, but the way you apply it to get the results you're looking for, experimenting is great fun i find, but be careful you don't lose yourself up your own rear end !!!
Using these ingredients it's possible to make a bait that will stand the test of time, give it at least a season, if you are blanking don't be too quick to blame the bait, look at all those other pieces of jigsaw first, usually the answer is there.
here's a post i put on Barbelangler a while back which will help you i hope.
_________________________________________________________________
After seeing Adams post, i thought i would post on here the presentation that i made at Grahams BS regional meeting in November. This is what appeared on the screen essentialy, though i could not get the table of ingredients to copy and paste properly from my word doc, so i've put in here in list form. I've also expanded on the text slightly, not being constrained by space, to make things slightly clearer, i've also added two ingredients to the list which i didn't use in the original presentation, - Krill Meal, and Soya Isolate.
Hope it helps anyone thinking about going down the HNV route, any questions feel free to post them, we can chat away till our hearts content !! not being constrained by time.
Typical ingredients for HNV mixes
Percentages in yellow are approximate protein values, manufactured batches can vary slightly.
Percentages in Red are my advised maximum inclusion levels in any given mix.
See CC Moore
www.ccmoore.com for descriptions on bait ingredients.
Bulk ingtredients
LT94 Fishmeal
72% 50%
SCO 70 Fishmeal
70% 50%
Poultry Protein Meal
72% 50%
Acid Casein
90% 60%
Rennet Casein
90% 60%
--------------------------------------------
Soluble ingredients
Pre Digested Fishmeal
72% 30%
Calcium Caseinate
90% +
10%
Sodium Caseinate
90% +
10%
---------------------------------------------
Binding Ingredients
Blood Meal
90% 40%
Whey Protein Concentrate
80% + 20%
Lactalbumen
88% 20%
Soya Isolate
80% 20%
_________________________________
Additives
Squid Meal
76% 10%
Spirulina
70% 10%
Green Lipped Mussel
50% 10%
Soluble Fish Protein
57% 10%
Krill Meal
60% 10%
Robin Red unknown %
5 - 10 Gr ( metric ) per egg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ingredients and excluding additives listed above, are those which have enough protein content to be able to mix and match without having to worry about excessively decreasing protein levels.
There are dozens and dozens of ingredients which may well be attractive to fish, but would if included in bulk quantities would seriously reduce the protein content
to below what i would consider an HNV bait, and so i have not included them in the list.
With the ingredients listed above it's possible to formulate a bait from pure milk proteins to fishmeal or meat based mixes, and mixes of all those if you choose.
Because of the levels i recomend with additives should you wish to use them, you needn't consider them as drastically affecting your protein levels on way or the other., though generaly i've listed those with repectable protein levels, with the exception of Robin Red, as Haiths who manufacture it keep the recipe ultra secret, so the protein content is unknown, but is an extremly effective binder even in low levels, and very very attractive to fish.
General Rules to consider when formulating a bait mix
Consider the amount of Soluble content in your mix 20% is safe if you are inexperienced in custom bait making, 30% is achievable using the correct ingredients.
In General Digestibility means Solubility whilst desirable, the mix must work.
Beware of over buoyancy in your bait when using solubles. Krill Meal whilst an insoluble ingredient is also very buoyant.
Your Bulk ingredients make up the greater part of your mix, keep your protein levels as high as you can, considering the nature of the bait you wish to formulate i.e. fishmeal, meat meal, milk etc. Cost is always a factor but buy the best quality available - true of all your ingredients.
Additives can be fantastic fish pullers, but because of their often powerful flavours can in time become a danger signal, always use low levels.
The ingredients i've listed as additives, vary in the reasons i've recomended inclusion levels of 10% maximum. The three to consider mainly at least with the products i've listed are, over flavouring, cost, bouyancy, and solubility. The inclusion or ommision of other 'sensitive' ingredients in your mix will have a bearing on whether you increase or decrease these levels
Flavourings in liquid or powder form, in my opinion should only be considered a label to your bait, and i would advise use in low levels.
There are many ingredients that can be obtained in small quantities and cheaply from the supermarket, and can be used instead of expensive additives to equally good effect in my opinion.
Essential Oils are very useful for providing a flavour label, but be careful with levels. Some are more powerful than others, err on the side of caution at first if you are not sure of its potency.
IMO your bait should end with a subtle smell, and any flavour should never be easily identifiable to your nose, a fish has a power of taste way in excess of yours,
and aside from creating a danger signal, you may even make it repellent.
Keep your mixes simple, IMO it's completely unnecessary to over complicate baits by adding too many ingredients ending in a list of ingredients as long as your arm. Leaving aside additives 4 to 6 ingredients making up your bulk, solubles, and binders is sufficient to make an attractive mix. In fact dependany on the ingredient just 1 or 2 is sufficient to create a balanced nutritional profile in your bait, the need to add other ingredients is really only to make the bait function i.e it holds together, when rolling and boiling. In cold water temps it is possible to go much higher with your soluble content if you wish, but would only be practical if useing the mix as a paste, which otherwise would see it dissolve in the pan if you tried to boil it. there are even limits to that though experience will tell you how far you can push it !! More solubility in your bait will aid it's digestibility which is especiall desirable in cold water.
Powdered Additives are optional, if you include them remove 10% of your bulk.
Aim for a minimum of 70% protein Content.
A few examples of HNV mixes.
1
40% LT94 or SCO 70……Bulk
30% Acid Casein…………Bulk
10% Calcium Caseinate….Soluble
20 % Whey Protein Concentrate or Lactalbumen……… Binder
Protein content 80% +
2
40% Poultry Protein Meal…. Bulk
30% Rennet Casein….. Bulk
10% Sodium Caseinate….. Soluble
10% Pre digested fishmeal….Soluble
10% Blood meal….. Binder
Protein content 80% +
3
20% Poultry Protein Meal…… Bulk
20% LT94 or SCO 70……Bulk
30% Rennet or Acid Casein……Bulk
10 % Sodium or Calcium Caseinate…Soluble
10% Pre digested Fishmeal……..Soluble
10% Whey Protein Concentrate or Lactalbumen……Binder
Protein content 80% +
Note: Robin Red can be added to any of these mixes at 5-10 Grams per egg, without having to factor it in to the percentage of the total mix.
These mixes are calculated in percentages which remain constant regardless of the number of eggs used.
A 2 egg mix should give you roughly 400 - 450 Grams of bait.
I usually make a 3 egg mix for fishing over 3 days e.g. Fri, Sat, Sun, divide into 3 equal parts and put in fridge bait will last in a cold fridge for 4 - 5 days.
Do not place in plastic bags unless you are going to freeze the bait, or refridgerate ( no more than 3 days in the fridge or the bait may turn sour or mouldy )
However preferentially if i am able i prefer to make the bait on the day of fishing, knowing my bait is as fresh as i can make it is only a confidence thing, i've never noticed an identifiable diffence in my catches by keeping bait refridgerated or frozen, for short periods.
