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Jeez B.C., if you thought last winter was mild I dread to think what you think of as cold!!!!😂

I've tried fermenting particle, there's no doubt it works, but does it work loads better than just straight prep with some added molasses?...… Maybe I haven't given it a good enough go for a longer period?... One thing is for sure, the fact that the particle breaks down during the fermentation process, gives it a nice attractive cloud as it hits and falls through the water. A nice cloud of attraction, but also a fare amount of pre-occupation by the fish on the particle and with bite times being short and sweet through the Winter, imo, not the best tactic, during this time...……. Just my op' after sitting there with fish all over me several times in warmer weather and no pick up over particle, silt plumes, bubblers and the odd Tench.. grrr I'll be giving it a good go this Winter, until it gets silly cold, after sitting out last winter And I'll be going down the sweet , sugary route. After conversations on here and other places over the last couple of years, there is a general consensus that a quick energy hit would most likely keep a few fish more active, as long as they don't just shut down completely, with a really cold snap...….. Have to say, I'm not a "salt Disciple"...… I class it as a preservative with no real nutritional value.. IMO, it will hinder enzyme activity around a baited area and especially in a fishes digestive tract, meaning that they will be getting less nutrition and energy from anything eaten, possibly leading to them shutting down earlier. These are just my views and I suppose it depends on what your views on bait and nutrition are as to whether or not you agree with this...…. I leave salt and such like until Spring time, used at very low levels, if at all, at a time when they may actually need it...…….. As far as preservatives go, the only exception to the rule imo, is sugar, or simple sugars to be precise.... They offer something more than preservation of bait, an energy hit and a sparing effect on any protein consumed, which can be used for growth and tissue repair, instead of burned off as fuel..... With maize being starchy, I would be looking to convert some of the starches to simple sugars with some active yeast/Amylase...… Prep as normal and squash a few bits up to help the yeast do its thing.(maybe liquidise a cup ful) Leave, just about covered in the tepid water they were boiled in, in a bucket, with the added yeast (up to you how much you use, depending on it's strength and how quickly you want things to start breaking down) for a couple of days, lid on loose, Indoors is best for a better temperature...……. The yeast will work from the off, give it a stir now and then. I've found this to be a quicker and easier way than full on fermenting, which can be a bit stinky..... You should now have some prepped maize, with part of the carbs converted to simple sugars...……. For hook baits, I'd soak some unprepped maize in something like Talin or Thaumatin-B...……. The above is not a million miles from what I'm going to be giving a go this Winter, except I'll be using boilies and possibly Tigers instead of maize...…….. Good luck with your Winter fishing...……… TBH, if I can get anything between November and Feb, then I'll be chuffed, but I'm actually going to give it a proper go this Winter..🙂

Bait prep for tomorrow nights/Saturday session got a little messy, syrup /pellets/flake/ and sweet corn juice nearly up to my elbow.

Got a rod out for an hour this evening but no joy , hopefully get a bit longer on Saturday 🤞

Personally I prefer fish meals over seed/nut baits...…… A simple fishmeal bait is easy to put together and roll and in recent years, ingredients like Pre digested fish meal and liquid and powdered hydro's, make fishmeal baits far more soluble and digestible, which in turn makes them far more attractive imo, than some of the older recipes, even in cooler temps...…... I've not used ABS baits, but from what I've heard about their bait and the people that put it together, I'd have a lot of confidence in using it...…. This subject has come up recently, ie fishmeals….. Are they really fish meals?... ( I'm talking about some of the big names in bait)….. The general feeling is that they cut corners and fish meal inclusion could be as little as 10%-15%, with the rest made up with cheaper bulk ingredients..... Doesn't matter too much, as long as you are catching. But a proper fishmeal bait with 40plus % quality "blended" fishmeals included , some soluble , some with a little oil content, With some decent milks at lowish levels.... is a good good bait imo, that just won't blow. And no flavours needed to mask the lack of fishmeals…….. I have half a dustbin full of base mix atm, with a moderate amount of fishmeals in the mix, at around 35%. If I lift the lid off, it smells like a fish market. Compare that to the fish meal base mixes sold by some firms and you are struggling to sniff the fish meals in the mix...… I love a fish meal bait, the general profile of "decent fish meals" provides virtually all a fish needs nutritionally (give or take). The fish know this and will keep eating it, as long as there are no corners cut imo..... So, the other thing to consider is the type of water you fish...... Newer fisheries with hand reared fish stocked in at doubles or higher... Chances are , these fish will have been reared on fish meal pellets or similar and will be drawn to the fishy baits, recognising them as a natural food source.......... As Emcee mentioned, though,...... Doesn't matter what you use, you need to put the right amount, in the right place, at the right time. Harder than it sounds to consistently get right, even with the best bait in the world...

One of my mates switched to this in the spring of this year and he's not looked back, banking fish to 49lb. The bait he was on, in my opinion was miles better quality but he couldn't catch on it while others that were on it caught numerous fish but his confidence was gone with that bait so decided to change to hydro k. End of the day it's made by bowers who's knows his bait, it will be good. 9 times out of 10 though it's the angler that's no good and not the bait.

Ah yes, apologies BC!!☺️ I’ll certainly be giving the Maize/Thaumatin B a go on 1 rod at least👍

We have a thing in this country, jokingly referred to as "carp tax" lol...………. Basically, stick the words carp or carp fishing in the description , at it is sold, for far more, than it's actual worth...…. 😀.

Having a look at a couple of waters sometime before Sunday.... Reduction in ticket prices at this time of year (if there are any left) and with recent Winters being fairly mild for the most part, I think you can get a bit of value in Winter tickets these days.... Least ways, either place has got to be better than the last debacle I joined...…. Both about 1hr away on a clear run. Wanting to make a day of it really, if I can free up enough time. Good 3 to 4 hours wandering the banks on each and hopefully a quick chat with anyone fishing...…. Fingers crossed for a new water...🙂

I always use it within 24hrs of cooking because I like it fresh, additive wise just save your money and don't bother adding anything. I do like to use it with hemp, the hemp/maize combo is a cracker😉

That’s pretty much my story too mate, every so often I might try something that’s been recommended but, always revert to the GR60. The GR60 doesn’t seem as readily available as it used to be though? I’m not a fan of braid or fluoro, so I do appreciate a decent mono. 👍🏻

Don't know what your on about mate 😂

I think hes referring to the bait taking on the smell of the silt try soaking your baits in lake water before putting it out that way its already absorbed as much water as it can and wont suck up the silty smell

I’ve had mixed experiences with GT HD myself. I was using the 15lb early on this season and found it to be a lovely casting line that behaved well on the spool. But I discovered that it was prone to abrasion damage in weed and I suffered a couple of unexplained casting crack offs. Since switched to Korda Carp line in 15lb, think its .40 in diameter and a decent all rounder; been told by a couple of guys in the trade that it comes from the same factory as GR60 though I can’t confirm it. For chucking I like the Gardner Light Blend in 10lb with a 50lb Powerpro braided leader and leads up to 4.5oz. Very impressed👍

Not quite sure how that makes sense? Why it is harder to use a fishmeal than a bird food or nut based boilie? All round balls of boiled paste. If anything I’d be using a highly flavoured fishmeal that stinks enough to give you a headache, squid, monster crab, GLM, etc. That will combat the silt and silkweed and make sure the fish find it.

Time dependent I soak mine for 24-48 hours, boil in the same soaked in water for half hour or until the maize starts to split, take off the boil and leave to cool down on the cooker. I've had success with then adding some sainsburies rum flavor to the maize. not loads about half a small bottle per kg and mixing it up, placing in a bag, blow up the bag with maize inside, then let it ferment in a warmish place for a day or two - occasionally check for mould and let out old air and re blow up. Once fermenting is done - I divide up and freeze. Also had success with boiling maize the night before and taking it in a tub with the water i boiled in with no salt or sugar. Had great success with adding salt/chilli/sugar and various combinations. Top, top bait imo. If i'm being honest, 200g a session would be plenty, sifting through the better kernels to use on the hook - the grain is so tough it withstands all sorts of punishment. The rest mixed in with corn/hemp/bread crumb/groundbait mix and I think you'll have a decent spod/groundbait mix that will attract most fish. TLDR: Maise is a top bait - doesn't matter how its prepared or any additives.

Haha-glad you appreciate it😎 TBH I was/am a bit of a Springate fanboy. Like many of my age was captivated by the pictures of his Yeoveney brace and then of course his exploits at Wraysbury. Could never understand how a hoover repair/carp angler got in such good shape. Hence the ‘guns’ reference for those who are not familiar with the photos💪

I used to use maize years ago and found absolutely no difference in catch rate when I swapped to plastic corn (I still caught sod all) plus its easier to critically balance plastic corn

Lol..... think you're mistaking me for B.C.?? That stuff is awesome on tigers! Never used it for maize so if you do, please report back and let us know how it turned out!

Many thanks Yonny for your very detailed response👏I’m inclined to go down the Maize hookbait in Thaumatin B route in conjuntion with straight Corn. I would go with either Tiger or Brazil hookbaits if allowed but both are banned and I’ve waited a few years to get in to this winter syndicate and don’t want to risk loosing the ticket!

Agree, sweetcorn is a far better bait than maize, but maize wins hands down as a hookbait obviously. Tbh if it's just for hook baits I'd not bother with any special treatments..... in fact I'd probably use plastic corn if rules allowed it.

The mesh laundry bags is what I use for drying boilies a bit. Have a store here called Dollar Tree that has them for $1(everything there is a dollar or less). Works well and FAR cheaper than air dry bags I've seen.

Personally I don’t bother with salt at all or fermentation. Tried both and neither have done me any better than plainly prepared maize used fresh (1-2 days after boiling). For me I found it works better, and all particles I’ve used to be honest, with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar during boiling. Just my way of doing it. Simple, easy and cheap!

I would buy my own and then you can boil as little as you like and it's dirt cheap.

Hoping to be out this weekend for a Birthday night sesh...(if the wife has nothing planned??) Not been on the bank for a good 6 weeks 😭😭

I've got a cheapy dehydrator..... Firstly , they are bigger than they look in the pics and the stacking shelves are fairly shallow,(on my one) around 1 inch deep on my one, the top shelf with the lid on, being about 2 inches deep...…. I don't see why you couldn't use it to air dry boilies, although it may not hold as many as you'd like, but it could certainly get them started off...…. I haven't used mine for this purpose, but to dry out some fruit matter to produce fruit powders at low temps.....Pineapple, papaya and strawberries to be exact...… Although you can use them to dry out meats for the same purpose, which I haven't done yet,,,(Had liver in mind),...…. TBH, if it was to just help dry out some boilies, then I'd save your 20-25 quid and use some air dry bags or mushroom trays (which you can pick up for free at a green grocers)…….. As far as dehydrating fruits...….. 1 whole pineapple plus one whole green papaya, which takes up all the trays on my one, will take a good 48hrs on a low setting to get everything dry enough to powder up in a seed mill and will yield a massive... half a pop up tub of powder...….. The intense fruity flavour is to die for and at low temps the enzymes should still be entacted ..... But a lot of effort for a little amount...….. If you are having trouble finding affordable air dry bags...…. Just look for "mesh laundry bags" on Ebay, or grab some trays from your grocer...….🙂

I like the GR60, it's one I've gone back to a couple of times if I've ever strayed or been sucked in by the marketing on other gear.. Now that the weed is clear and the water will be getting clearer as the weather cools, I have some Carp-R-Us Flouro that I might give a go through the winter on a small water I fish...….. Must of had it over 2 yrs and it is still in the wrapper... Not a massive fan of flouro's, but this one is supposed to have a little stretch in it.... Reason I steer away from them most of the time, is that my waters have become so weedy over the years, flouros tend to sink right into the weed and resemble a washing line with weed hanging off it when you are into a fish. And , being stretched, they are a bit brittle imo for fishing in and around weed. Some guys I know use it in heavy breaking strains of 18-20lb to avoid cut offs, but, tbh, imo, a fish trailing 20lb flouro, if it does break off,... Isn't far off trailing lead core.

Lol, no mate nothing like that, I just like to know what I'm using. I tend to do plenty of research on the stuff that matters and it can only benefit us all if I share what I've learned over the years.

Some things, you just can't buy...……… Good to have a few lads on here willing to share their knowledge for the benefit of everyone...……..

I see a lot of confusion over mainlines. Guys seem to compare lines that are intended for completely different uses. There are numerous different types of lines and each have different advantages/disadvantages, and I'm only referring to mono here.... not fluoro, braid etc..... Pre-stretched lines: These are your casting lines like Fox Exocet. They obviously have very low stretch and fine diameter vs. BS and they have a super smooth finish. The result is a line that casts really well. Unfortunately the abrasion resistance is what suffers. Hence in a weedy lake you want to avoid pre-stretched lines. Semi-stretched lines (I made that name up, not sure what they're actually called): These are the latest in line tech and include Gardner GT-HD and Shimano Technium. They are pre-stretched but to a lesser extent than the casting lines. This means they cast very well but maintain other qualities (so they can sink well for example). They beat the pre-stretched lines for abrasion resistance yet still cast a long way. All-rounders: These are the more traditional mono's, the meat-and-two-veg carp lines. they include stuff like Gardner Pro and ESP Synchro. Just because they're not high tech lines doesn't mean they're not very good indeed. They'll not cast as well as the stretched lines but they are hands-down stronger, with better abrasion resistance. If weed is an issue I'd not look past this group of lines. Snag lines: Brute lines, thick with immense strength and serious abrasion resistance. You'll struggle to cast these past 100 yards without casting lessons but if there's snags about this is what you want. Stuff like Gardner HydroTuff and Rig Marole SLS Specimon Tough. ***** Now I see guys comparing lines from different categories all the time. Just the other day I saw a thread on another forum asking if GT-HD or HydrTuff was best. They cannot be compared imo - the GT-HD would be best in a lightly weeded lake requiring big chucks, but with snags or heavy weed in the water the HydroTuff wins hands down. Therefore you can only decide what is best for your angling situation. You need to look at how far you need to cast and what kind of challenges your water presents (weed, bars etc) and choose a line to suit. I always err on the side of caution i.e. STRENGTH. What I mean by that is I would rather be a few yards short of the carp and be in with a chance of landing them, than being able to cast on their heads but lose them all to snags/weed. I have used pre-stretched lines on French trips to huge silty waters with no weed/snags, waters where you need to cast 150, and they've been great. But there is no way I'd choose to use them on the weed choked waters I fish in the UK. I think a lot of guys pay to much attention to castability. If you need to cast 150 then fair play, go for pre-stretched lines, if you don't (and most don't), go for a proper carp line, an all-rounder or semi-stretched line at least, one that will land you everything you hook. So next time you see a "what's the best line?" thread we need to stop and think before we go shouting out the name of what we're currently using. What is best depends entirely on the individual and his/her angling situation. If the angling situation varies, then it is logical that the all-rounders are best (the best of which imo is Gardner Pro). I'm currently suing HydroTuff due to a minimum diameter rule on my syndi, which is normally very weedy. It's been great, never let me down.

First day of the lake de- silting job today up near Chester. The main lake on the estate looks spot on & have already started prebaiting a few marginal spots with the hope of getting some fishing time later in the week . Never been fished apparently so haven't a clue what might be in it . But already seen a few lillies moving so fairly sure there a carp present but not seen any as such . Just going to keep a bit going in & what will be will be .

Prior to the Starlites coming out, we used to take the front lights off of our bikes and with the aid of small stones position them so that they lit up our floats in the dark. A yellow quill was the best float for this. It used to make us jump when the float just disappeared from sight!! Tench on lol!! Batteries never seemed to last all night though.....