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Nothing binds like eggs, I tried loads of fish in a mix before and it ends up too soft. I don’t want high liquid content I don’t like soft baits and don’t want to start messing around with endless powdered hardeners besides I think eggs are underrated we are somewhat partial to them and so are the carp they’re magical food Im not making bulk here I’m making a useful tub of base feed/tough hookbaits which complements my other old favourite trickery such as pimped up ABS, DT frozen etc plus some top secret tiger nuts which took me years of trial and error to get right (they are both soft and highly shelf life and I use no preservatives in there whatsoever)

That liver, squid and semolina mix was very successful on Savay. Don't think that baits that start breaking down quickly are ineffective, they can be better than washed out baits. The instant attraction of the actively working enzymes and the proteins. I don't know if you remember it, but I was using up my old mackeral and herring deadbaits by liquidising them, and adding to chapati flour mix, which is basically maize and wheat flour. Simple, again no eggs, and again they wouldn't keep out of freezing, but they didn't need to.

Well said mate, good words of wisdom, its odd i used to fish this lake way back and felt i knew the lake but just seems every session is a new learning curve, will stick with it

This video may also be of some interest to you guys, quite like the idea of DIY solubles tbh.

Maybe you could try this in place of liquidised liver? Might make it keep a bit longer.

I had that on my syndicate lake, for almost a whole year. I joined in September 2020, and did not catch a carp until August 2021, just before renewal when I had a double and a 20 in the same night. It was a stressful struggle. I got to the stage of if it could go wrong, it would go wrong. The next few years were gradually learning the lake, a few more carp, and pike in winter or on the occasional pop-up, but getting to understand the place. That learning, just when you think you have it sussed, it turns around and sends you gremlins.

I went through that too when I restarted. I've had about 5 sets of rods in the last 6 or 7 years, sonik, wychwood, daiwa, sonik, free spirit, In my opinion you are best off just buying the set you really want now and save yourself going through loads of cheap rods. I had 10ft 3lb soniks and within about 6 months of use they had gone a bit soft. Also the weather is now turning in your favour, just stick at it, find the fish, bait them and you will catch them,

I am having a bit of an issue with getting new rods, the lake i am fishing is proving to be dam near impossible to catch a carp, been at it since october and so far nothing and spent a small fortune on replacing my gear/new end tackle and so on, but there is the smaller pool on the complex that has plenty of fish and are catchable! Starting to feel like i should just call it a day on big lake and stick to small pool, and stop spending on all this gear, that said the Hutchy Sceptre rods are very well priced, decisions decisions

Where can I get info on carp fishing holidays in greece

really dont want 12 footers mate, im geared up for shorter rods with my little pit reels

Or look at The Enduro's if you want to look at12ft. I know they are 12ft, but not a bad price: https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product-category/sale/

Don't forget that hydrolysates can also be solids (!). Certain fish meals, beef meals and other proteins are types of hydrolysate, so can be used in the mix. I have mentioned about eggs being the 'curtain' that stops the soluble proteins being released, although there is a but; in solid ingredient mixes with low protein ingredients, the soaking in a liquid hydrolysate may make the bait attractive even if the solid bait itself is just a ball of carbohydrates. Now make the same semolina base mix, but instead of using eggs mix in liquidised fish, liver, or squid or both. They don't keep well out of freezing, but the attraction is the enzymes that are breaking down the protein for easy digestion. Those three alone are natural hydrolysates!

Depends what you are trying to achieve, i thought the reason the liquid was added first was to get it right into the mix. My point was about trying to get a liquid right into the boilie post boil. I've always done pretty well when washing them out with a hydro mixed with some water, maybe the fact they ooze attraction and become fully saturated helps.

I saw those cheap on ebay recently.

might get a set of Rod Hutchinson Sceptre

Almost a rod shot just had to set them up Went rag worm drowning this morning glorious weather 😎

Hello would just like to ask is there another way to contact Alex as I messaged him on fb a few days ago and no reply 🙂

That’s soaked in quite well mate!? I wouldn’t buy it though as I hate Korda I am using Calanus as a simple bait soak to freshen up freezer baits and give them a little bit of protection from going off I may yet try it in my actual mix but I went for something with more wallop to it

Just a note on superglue I never go anywhere near hooklinks under 25lb and I’m not using it on loose weave braid, or on any line per se- there’s a tiny bit in hook eye to improve the angle of the hook I.e presentation its not a problem never has been also decent high grade Gorilla super glue is completely inert in water and is used on fish tank ornaments etc I don’t use fluoro* but I read that it’s a myth it weakens fluoro * don’t go near super supple braids either I wasted multiple hundreds mucking about with far too many overpriced little spools of gimmicky, poor hooklinks (and baits) in the past but at least I gave lots away and sold some so it wasn’t all bad…. Plus I learnt precisely what I want and also learnt to see straight through the nonsense and greed of the (mostly in fact noddies) carp tax mafia no fish that swims will trouble my knot and I haven’t left a rig in a fish or the lake since I was a beginner because nothing ever breaks (12lb Maxima sees to that, as do boats and bailiffs) God forbid ever using a lead weight.. completely unnecessary and lack of development of non tox by the greedy tackle baron noddies is another reason to deeply dislike certain influential parties (such as KORDA, NASH, AND FOX etc)! Evolve Tackle sorted it, the weights are superb, I use adapted stones myself and don’t have the wool pulled over your eyes the problem is not just are they or are they not dodgy for lakes ( they are definitely 100% litter).. the problem is encouraging lead production which is hideous, toxic and very damaging to people and the environment The companies are named and shamed because I will be extremely happy to explain in court how they had a responsibility yet chose to pollute instead in favour of copping out for easy money, and actively promote the littering of water courses and benefit from pollution and littering

If you want to soak right into a bait, then it needs to be less viscous than Strawberry goo.

Cork handles always seem to get damaged in my experience. Too easy to take a chunk out of them or they go out of shape after sitting in butt grips or whatever.

found some reviews on google seems very good rods with top customer service but a few tales of the cork handles being a bit poor

If your boilie is breaking off when you withdraw the needle, it sounds more like you are using a baiting needle with too harsh a barb rather the knot causing the problem. Boilie recipes have undergone a change from being hard, which was supposed to put off smaller fish and make them easier to catapult or stick out, to softer which requires less boiling and so they retain more of their nutritional profile and allow water to penetrate them and release their attractants more readily. I use a Korda needle which is fine enough to penetrate boilies without causing any damage to them.

Yeah i'm in the states Texas to be exact, and i get everything shipped from bigcarptackle, i'm using bait masters and nash northern specials, but the bait masters seemed to be more effective in my waters. and its also much softer than the nash ones. This is the 3rd time ordering the bait masters and they have all been a bit on the softer side. the issue i have once i use the pop up needle to insertthe rig the knot would make the hole bigger a chunk would break off the boilie

I have never used them but someone told me they were decent for the money, probably better than all the soniks etc in that price bracket. For £85 you could get some free spirit helicals, which will be decent.