| Pellets catch fish period! But what do you do | | | | confident 'takes.' You may lose more fish due |
| if they are losing effectiveness as a | | | | to 'hook-pulls' with fish being more lightly |
| standard pellet? Here's a few ideas... | | | | hooked. |
| | | | |
| Trout pellets have been historically, the | | | | You can begin by changing the sizes of pellet |
| mainstay of many carp and catfish fishermen | | | | you use to smaller ones. Hook rig changes |
| for generations as hook baits and economical | | | | like changing 'hair-rig' hair length, hook |
| ground bait. This very popular pellet has | | | | length and hook size are simple starting |
| achieved a great track record of big fish | | | | points. Very often sharpening your hook far |
| catching success, not least because it is | | | | more with a diamond sharpener makes a massive |
| formulated for fish rather than animals and | | | | difference and very few anglers really take |
| so is more able suitable as bait, with | | | | the time with this extremely important |
| attractive oils, and providing for many fish | | | | detail. More fish are lost by fish being very |
| dietary and digestive requirements and so on, | | | | lightly hooked on a rig and being able to get |
| although not perfectly of cause for catfish | | | | off the hook as a result of a few shakes of |
| or carp. | | | | the head, or even up-side down body spins by |
| | | | the more 'clued-up' crafty carp! |
| There are so many pellets as a result of | | | | |
| demand to create a never-ending bewildering | | | | With catfish the same situation can occur |
| array of new fishing bait alternatives. It is | | | | where they learn to be wary of pellets - |
| a fact that baits in general can lose their | | | | despite their previous success, but this |
| initial effectiveness after a varying period | | | | happens with 99 percent of baits used in |
| of captures. Therefore, the more bait changes | | | | general by fishermen. There are very few |
| or even small tweaks can keep bites coming | | | | baits which when 'hammered' consistently on a |
| just like any fresh new bait when first | | | | single water consistently produce the biggest |
| introduced can. | | | | fish year in year out, but there are many |
| | | | variables involved here too! |
| Many pellets have a binding agent or effect. | | | | |
| Often this is a gluten containing meal or | | | | Catfish can be caught very effectively on |
| flour or a similar type of ingredient. Many | | | | sinking (or floating for that matter) catfish |
| cheaper pellets have a higher cereal content | | | | or trout pellets. Most anglers prefer baits |
| and lower protein content. Often these | | | | that stay on the hook for longer, so sinking |
| pellets also have lower quality oil content | | | | baits are used more. Many fishermen overlook |
| and the protein source is less digestible by | | | | other possibilities to consider, many are |
| the fish. Trout pellets are often used as a | | | | very simple. Dog or cat biscuits or cube of |
| supplemental feed as part of a mixture of | | | | luncheon meat or piece of fish, shellfish or |
| more expensive pellets in modern European | | | | prawn alongside a pellet bait on a 'hair' (or |
| carp fishing. | | | | 2 or more) keeps results coming. |
| | | | |
| Trout pellets have been scorned because they | | | | Where it seems that pellets have become so |
| do not have the profile of nutrition ideal | | | | established that they appear to be the |
| for carp and there are dietary concerns of | | | | 'dominant bait' to the average angler, then |
| sorts here, but this has never stopped carp | | | | his results may tend to be 'average' too |
| from devouring shed loads of them. The good | | | | unless he is an outstanding fisherman anyway. |
| old trout pellet is one of those baits that | | | | To get better than average results on pellets |
| is a reliable dissolving bait for many | | | | can just be a case of a simple dip or bait |
| fishing applications and these days they are | | | | soak as you would use for boilies or in fact |
| used alongside specifically designed carp | | | | as a dip bait itself. Dips and soaks are used |
| pellets and other fish rearing pellets with | | | | with very good reason, boosting attraction of |
| exceptional fish catching properties of | | | | all kinds of hook baits and raising catch |
| attraction and digestibility including | | | | rates for many anglers. |
| certain salmon pellets and halibut pellets. | | | | |
| | | | Ordinary peanut oil, or canned fish oil as a |
| Trout pellets have many common nutritional | | | | dip can get the fish 'going' even better or |
| features in general and have never let me | | | | perhaps try mixing together oils of different |
| down as attractor feed or as part of ground | | | | types. Combining various vegetable oils and |
| bait mixtures. Chumming with a variety of | | | | fish oils for example. 'Taste' is the |
| sizes and qualities of pellets is the common | | | | dominant sense in catfish and strong tasting |
| modern trend here in the UK where popularity | | | | ingredients usually reserved for use in |
| of pellets has exploded. | | | | making carp paste and boilies can be made |
| | | | into dips by adding liquids. Cheap pellets |
| In the States, catfish pellets are frequently | | | | soaked in fish protein and amino acid |
| as easily available as trout pellets are here | | | | supplements for example. Crustacean extracts |
| in the UK and have many nutritional | | | | classically provide exceptional attraction |
| similarities to trout and carp pellets as | | | | for both carp and catfish and make your |
| opposed to pet feeds or animal feeds like | | | | pellets unique. |
| pelleted sheep feeds, rabbit feeds etc. | | | | |
| "Dynamite baits" are making the infamous | | | | Even evaporated milk or coconut milk can be |
| 'halibut 'marine' pellets more available in | | | | used effectively and catfish like carp seem |
| the States and when used in quantity can be | | | | to love sweeteners of a wide variety from |
| very effective however, very often this can | | | | sugars and molasses to sweet products like |
| make fish highly 'dependant' on them on | | | | lactose, Talin or even canned fruit syrups as |
| certain waters where used almost exclusively. | | | | a cheap option. The effectiveness of 'energy |
| | | | drinks' is another quick alternative if you |
| In circumstances where these pellets have | | | | have some in the cool box while fishing and |
| 'had their day' and results have slowed down | | | | fancy trying this angle. |
| there is lots you can do. Often the first | | | | |
| signs of pellets initial effectiveness | | | | The author has many more fishing and bait |
| reducing is how you are hooking fish. Perhaps | | | | 'edges' up his sleeve. Every single one can |
| hook holds get much lighter and far more | | | | have a huge impact on catches. (Warning: This |
| bites are missed or do not develop into | | | | article is protected by copyright. |