ouchthathurt

The Polaris pop up mix I believe is supposed to be used as a stand alone mix. I mixed about 20-30% basemix in it before and it made wafters. My preferred pop ups are paste wrapped cork balls, but I’m looking for an in your face fruity pop up in this case. Polaris is easy enough to use, just one egg, plus your liquid flavours and oils. Then sprinkle in any powdered additive’s, give it a damn good whisk, then add the Polaris a bit at a time while mixing until you get a tacky dough. Roll into baits, boil for 2mins and air dry for a few days. I stuck the cherry flavour and foss-oil in with the egg, added egg albumin and cream palatant whisked it up then spooned the pop up mix in and kneaded it up. Stuck it in the boilie gun, onto the roller and into the pan, jobs a good un. Knocked up 50-60 pop ups in about 30min

Ah yes, well as an update, I left both batches outside to air dry and forgot them until 10pm last night. The neighbourhood cat found them and helped herself to a few! (Serves me right) from what’s missing, she much preferred the 2ml flavour batch! @Carpbell_ll I don’t add any basemix mate, last time I did that, the pop ups all sank! Made decent wafters, but that’s not what I’m trying to achieve in this case.

A good point Hutch, as you can see from the pic above, they started a nice pink, on boiling they turned much paler, (as to be expected) but I’ll glass test one to see how they react. I couldn’t get any bait dyes from my local tackle shop this time round, he had sold out.

Well I’ve knocked up 2 batches now, one with 2ml of flavour to one egg, the other with 5ml. The deep cherry red of the flavour mixed with the Polaris makes a lovely pale washed out pink.

I am looking at the river rother and hexden channel in Kent and my dad has a cabin cruiser on the Thames so it would be rude not to have a go on there too! I decided it would be quick to make up a second batch and see what I think on those…

That’s just it, I’ve always gone for a low dosage, no more than 1ml per egg max, but a few flavours have suggested to increase it in pop ups. The mulberry florentine flavour I had would say a couple of ml per six eggs, or up to 10ml per egg for a pop up mix! As I usually make “match the hatch” cork ball pop ups, the dosages stay the same as the hookbaits, no more that 4-5ml per 6 eggs. So 3/4-1ml for a pop up mix of 1 egg. the mainline cherry flavour smells amazing, but 2ml, mixed with the additives, plus a splash of fos-oil at 5ml per 1 egg, they have the faint smell of play dough! I’m using the Polaris pop up mix, which I wouldn’t use over my usual freebies, as they are on a robin red/fish meal basemix with smoked ham flavour, but I’m after a nice smelly stand alone pop up I can fish as a single, aiming to use it on the rivers this year, hence a nice fruity “sweetie” type flavour, rather than a good bait that can take a bit longer to get going, I could have just brought a tub of pop ups I suppose, but I’ve not brought a readymade bait in over a decade, much prefer making everything myself!

I’ve just brought some bits to make some hi attract pop ups, picked up the mainline cherry juice response flavour, question is what dosage to use? It’s recommended 5ml per 500g of base, as I’m using Polaris pop up mix with 1 egg, I’ve used 2.5ml and they smell ok, what’s the max ml per egg would people go to?

Have you looked to see if you can pick up another cheap spare spool off fleabay?

For pop ups, I have been using the Ronnie on a size 4 curve pattern for a few years, my go to bottom bait rig is a blowback rig on a curve pattern with a shrink tube kicker. Pva bags call for a subtle short braided hooklink with a blowback presentation to a size 6 wide gape and shrink tube kicker. If using fluro hooklinks, I’ll use a d ring type presentation or a supple hair to an out turned eye, but that’s pretty rare these days to be honest.

Morning mate, welcome to the forum. Reels are very much personal choice. I’ve used Diawa reels for years and my son uses them still and they stand the test of time. I’ve only trashed one in 20yrs, that was down to my own stupid fault. I’m currently using fox 12000s, which I can’t fault at all. I prefer them over the Diawa reels, but that’s just my personal opinion. I find they balance my fox torque rods perfectly. Shimano are a tried and tested brand, if you can get hold of a reel you like the look of, have a play rather than buy blind if possible.

For an idea, suggestion, have a look in your local army surplus or fleabay for an army sleeping bag, gortex bivvy bag, inflatable rollmat and army poncho. Couple of pegs and bungees and you’re good to go. All designed to stuff down to nothing in a bergen. Spent many a night happily kipping under the stars with this set up in the army.

What car have you got Kev? I helped an old dear who’s battery in her “keyless ignition” car was dead, I found if you lifted the drinks holder in the centre console there was a small disc under it. If you placed the dead key fob on this disc, the car would start.

I’ve been using the same base mixes and additives for the last 15yrs and the same basemix with different additives since 1997. The flavours haven’t changed much in that time either, started with rod Hutchinson mixed herbs flavour, then richworth blue cheese, then richworth ham (boiled?) then smoked ham flavour from nutrabaits. They work, I’ve massive confidence in my mix, so I don’t see a need to change

That’s excellent news mate, fingers crossed that you get the all clear

I got the beach rods out this morning, 10mins in, the sea crashed over the sea wall and far too many gallons of freezing seawater landed right on me! Both waders filled to my knees, totally soaked through top to toe. Manned it out for an hour or so, but 6oz leads were been thrown up the shingle by the force of the swell, so I gave it up and went home early.

I still have and use my sti rapid erection 1 man bivvy… whoever named it didn’t think it through… 🙄

Best wishes to your wife mate, fingers crossed it all goes well. I haven’t been out carping for months! Got waylaid with bass fishing, which led into a winter season off the beaches. Hoping to do a day session after a few carp in a week or two.

Tell me about it! At least you got out and gave it a go mate

Any joy?

It might seem daft, but I used to mould my groundbait around small stones, give them added weight to help them sink quicker in deep or moving water.

Good luck buddy 🤞🏼

Love it mate, well said

With my spinner rigs, I have a rig ring on the hook shank stopped by a hook bead. I attach the pop up to this ring using floss and lasso the bait. I don’t pierce my pop ups as they are home made cork ball pop ups

The supermarket oyster and fish liquid are great additives, I’ve used them in spod mixes, as a soak to rehydrate air dried baits, soaked nuts in it, groundbait, pellets just prior to feeding etc. I used to hair rig a boilie or nut stack then push it all into a pot of marmite so it was covered in it before casting. That used to be a right winner!

Well you’re either brave or daft nick! Lol! I’ve had a size 4 korda Kurv embedded in my thumb up to the bend… that didn’t half sting! Mind you, I had a nash fang x size 4 embedded in the side of my finger and of the two, the fang slipped in a lot easier! 😫