I find licking and squeezing flat over the hook sometimes creates a tangle,so I prefer no licking cutting one in half and basically hook it on dry. What's your penny's worth?

In reply to Post #1
One thing I have found with nuggets is that if you're using a hook bead of any sort, a foam nugget WILL make it move.

On the end of my bell.

In reply to Post #3
People would be very surprised how many times they dont melt away, you pull it of when getting your rod out...

In reply to Post #1
One nugget cut in half (tight lol). Cut down the centre 50% of the way through, un cut ends takes the hook point, lick two tabs and squeeze together at the back of the shank

In reply to Post #3
Lol...was expecting an answer like that

In reply to Post #5
Like a pro 😁

In reply to Post #6
Has to be perfect every time, my OCD

In reply to Post #4
I always make sure it pops to the surface.

I find these packing nuggets so hit and miss. I would never fold one round the hook. As I would never be sure it would come of. Even sticking two together round the hook I would never be to sure about. The only full proof way I found was to stick two in some funnel Webb type pva mesh tie it of like you would a bag. And the with a baiting needle thread it down the hooklenght like you would a mesh bag and pull the hook between the two nuggets. Pops to the surface every time.

I used these for years , I thought they were crucial . One day I left them at home . I caught well that day , after that I realised I didn't need them. The only thing I still use them for (hardly ever) is zig rigs

In reply to Post #1
Julian Cundiff showed me a good way on a YouTube video, that's what I've been doing it involves using two of them,it's the video on how to tie the multi rig.

In reply to Post #12
You have to look after your nuggets,so they don't get squashed I keep mine in a Tupperware pot

I'll never hook a nugget or squeeze one onto a hook with these water temperatures. In the winter I prefer to put 2 nuggets into a small funnel web bag and Nick the bag onto the hook. Pops to the surface every time, and doesn't make the rig spin like a squashed piece of foam.

In reply to Post #1
Forgotten when I last used a nugget.
I found they often didn't dissolve or break away. Just as a test, dropped a hook with a nugget lick and stick in water overnight. It was still attached to the hook in the morning.

I wonder how many people are actually fishing a zig without knowing...

I have always doubted nuggets and rarely use them in preference to a small PVA stick.. I feel if you wet them and pinch them on, they will flap and spin about more on the cast and increase the chance of tangling. If I use them whilst using my boat, I will just hook them on from the side with the point masked so they are like a dumbell pop up hooked length wise and hopefully they do not spin on the drop.

I often wonder if they have dissolved, yet, when conditions are right, you often see them pop up on the surface, usually followed by a seagull diving for it and hopefully not pick it up until I have used it as a marker to fire some bait out around it. But, I have also had occasions when I have seen other anglers cast or send a bait boat into my swim, they have denied casting into my swim or dropping the rig from a boat into my swim, but, I point out the evidence of a nugget of PVA on the surface which shuts them up and they have to move it.

Ideally, I prefer the nuggets made from corn starch than the PVA ones as I feel they have less chance of putting a fish off it they do not melt.

In my shed, I have a black bin bag full of them, usually obtained from parcels I have received, but it seems to be rare now to get the corn starch ones.

I've always used a pva nugget but I also always check if it has popped off afterwards if I can't see it then it gets re done, I take binoculars with me aswell to make sure.

I must admit the 2 inside some pva mesh sounds like a good idea, I couldn't just cast out without nothing on the end (pva nugget or a pva stick) I would be paranoid about the hair being tangled or the hookbaits swinging round and getting stuck on the hook.

I've seen a few before tying pva tape around the hook apparently that helps aswell but I've never tried that myself

In reply to Post #17
Thing is, people use a stick mix without thinking about the stiffness of the hooklink material and swivel set up. When stalking a gin clear margin, i've seen bags land next to leads with the hooklink in an arch from the bag to the swivel. When it melts the hookbait has spring away 6+ inches from the nice neat pile of groundbait which is next to your lead. Yeah, your hookpoint is clean, but the hooking arrangement is nowhere near what we believe it to be.

In reply to Post #18
Tbh mate my stick mix's are tiny like half my little finger, so it doesn't really effect It tested it in the margins a couple years ago till I was happy with the size mine are about half a golf ball mate. I found exactly like you said when using a bigger mesh stick it was doing exactly as you said, so down sized it and it works fine now.

I use either Korda semi stiff or Korda dark matter, with the dark matter it doesn't effect it at all but the semi stiff you have to be careful with the size