In reply to Post #30
I'm not sure that makes it ok lol.
I'm not sure that makes it ok lol.
In reply to Post #31
Better ban the use of cork balls then too, afterall when the paste has been pecked away they are permanently live
Better ban the use of cork balls then too, afterall when the paste has been pecked away they are permanently live
In reply to Post #32
They are also banned on my club lakes.
They are also banned on my club lakes.
In reply to Post #30
Of.course you have...
Of.course you have...
In reply to Post #32
This is a pretty good point to be fair. Same would apply to the wooden balls recommended by many to combat crays. I've never used plastic or wood, but I've certainly used cork ball pop ups.
This is a pretty good point to be fair. Same would apply to the wooden balls recommended by many to combat crays. I've never used plastic or wood, but I've certainly used cork ball pop ups.
In reply to Post #32
Mmm.. No. Cork balls get chewed to hell by carp and nuisance fish once the paste has come off. Very different scenario to plastics... You could argue the same about tigers otherwise
Mmm.. No. Cork balls get chewed to hell by carp and nuisance fish once the paste has come off. Very different scenario to plastics... You could argue the same about tigers otherwise
In reply to Post #36
Now I'm only playing devils advocate here, as I have used cork ball pop ups for years and will continue to do so, but I don't buy your theory.
If a Carp is picking up and 'chewing' a cork ball on a tethered rig once the paste is gone, then this is no different to it taking a piece of plastic corn is it?
Now I'm only playing devils advocate here, as I have used cork ball pop ups for years and will continue to do so, but I don't buy your theory.
If a Carp is picking up and 'chewing' a cork ball on a tethered rig once the paste is gone, then this is no different to it taking a piece of plastic corn is it?
In reply to Post #37
Yes it is... Because the Cork eventually gets chewed down to nothing. Have you never used a Cork ball pop up, and when you are unhooking a fish, half the Cork has gone? Doesn't happen with plastic (pike discounted)
Yes it is... Because the Cork eventually gets chewed down to nothing. Have you never used a Cork ball pop up, and when you are unhooking a fish, half the Cork has gone? Doesn't happen with plastic (pike discounted)
In reply to Post #38
But that bit of cork has been in the carp's mouth, correct?
But that bit of cork has been in the carp's mouth, correct?
In reply to Post #39
Agree. I'm yet to see a carp with the skills to chew a cork ball off a rig without getting hooked.
Agree. I'm yet to see a carp with the skills to chew a cork ball off a rig without getting hooked.
In reply to Post #32
Cork is nothing at all like plastic though. It's totally natural for a start (it's a bark), it's biodegradable and breaks down when immersed under water for an extended period of time. Wine corks are commonly being replaced these days with plastic cork looking alternatives, for that very reason.
Once the paste has gone and any liquids have dispersed from the cork, it's also no longer giving off any attraction signals to consume it... Whereas plastic remains attractive to fish forever for some strange reason. This is not just a visual thing either, there's something in the plastic they find attractive.
You could go carp angling on the bottom with a 'single' bare cork ball and would catch nothing. You could go fishing with a 'single' piece of plastic corn on the bottom and would catch fish with it. One is attractive to fish, the other is not.
Cork is nothing at all like plastic though. It's totally natural for a start (it's a bark), it's biodegradable and breaks down when immersed under water for an extended period of time. Wine corks are commonly being replaced these days with plastic cork looking alternatives, for that very reason.
Once the paste has gone and any liquids have dispersed from the cork, it's also no longer giving off any attraction signals to consume it... Whereas plastic remains attractive to fish forever for some strange reason. This is not just a visual thing either, there's something in the plastic they find attractive.
You could go carp angling on the bottom with a 'single' bare cork ball and would catch nothing. You could go fishing with a 'single' piece of plastic corn on the bottom and would catch fish with it. One is attractive to fish, the other is not.
In reply to Post #40
Sorry Yonny, but that's like saying no carp can mouth a pop up rig without being hooked...
Sorry Yonny, but that's like saying no carp can mouth a pop up rig without being hooked...
In reply to Post #42
That is completely different imo.
Of course carp can get away with mouthing a hook bait.
Taking a hook bait back to the pharyngeal teeth and chewing it repeatedly is not mouthing a hook bait. It is basically eating it.
That is completely different imo.
Of course carp can get away with mouthing a hook bait.
Taking a hook bait back to the pharyngeal teeth and chewing it repeatedly is not mouthing a hook bait. It is basically eating it.
In reply to Post #38
Have you never used a Cork ball pop up, and when you are unhooking a fish, half the Cork has gone
yes but that's due to Crayfish surely
Have you never used a Cork ball pop up, and when you are unhooking a fish, half the Cork has gone
yes but that's due to Crayfish surely
If cork broke down that quickly in contact with water then there would be a lot of very expensive wine on the floor around the world!
The argument against plastic or artificial baits is that if you crack off or get snagged and the line breaks then the baited rig is still live and fishing until that bait decomposes and cannot be picked up.
Cork contains a natural substance called suberin which prevents water getting in or out of the cell walls. This is great for buoyancy, but also means that the water will not penetrate and rot the cork easily. I would estimate that a cork ball would still be out there for at least a month, but probably longer.
Another great property of cork is that although the material itself does not easily absorb water, the tiny air pockets will absorb attractant chemicals. If we go on the common theory that a carp can detect minute traces of some chemicals then the cork will be leaking off signals for a decent amount of time even after the paste is gone.
The unfortunate reality for those (like me) who prefer to use cork ball pop ups is that these baits behave very much like artificial baits once out in the lake. Whether or not they should come under the artificial bait bans is up for debate, personally I don't use cork if that is the case on the water I'm fishing.
The argument against plastic or artificial baits is that if you crack off or get snagged and the line breaks then the baited rig is still live and fishing until that bait decomposes and cannot be picked up.
Cork contains a natural substance called suberin which prevents water getting in or out of the cell walls. This is great for buoyancy, but also means that the water will not penetrate and rot the cork easily. I would estimate that a cork ball would still be out there for at least a month, but probably longer.
Another great property of cork is that although the material itself does not easily absorb water, the tiny air pockets will absorb attractant chemicals. If we go on the common theory that a carp can detect minute traces of some chemicals then the cork will be leaking off signals for a decent amount of time even after the paste is gone.
The unfortunate reality for those (like me) who prefer to use cork ball pop ups is that these baits behave very much like artificial baits once out in the lake. Whether or not they should come under the artificial bait bans is up for debate, personally I don't use cork if that is the case on the water I'm fishing.