In reply to Post #72
In one of his recent videos he discusses hookbait making and says he didn't believe in his opinion that higher levels were needed. As such ,when he goes onto recommend a mix in the video, I interpreted that it was a "match the Hatch" standard recipe using 0.2ml
However he does say in many of the videos to go out and experiment for yourself to find what suits best
In one of his recent videos he discusses hookbait making and says he didn't believe in his opinion that higher levels were needed. As such ,when he goes onto recommend a mix in the video, I interpreted that it was a "match the Hatch" standard recipe using 0.2ml
However he does say in many of the videos to go out and experiment for yourself to find what suits best
There's a video he creates some bait, he goes onto say about how he tried someone's bait and it didn't taste nice at all. And his bait tastes amazing. I don't fully understand the reasoning behind this as surely anything in a carps natural environment doesn't taste nice to us ? Cray fish, snails, bloodworm and many other things.
I admire the man and he's a pioneer but this didn't make sense to me at all. Surely a Carps pallet is nothing like ours. If we taste something as bitter to them it could be ideal. I no it's part of the whole sales pitch but it's basically saying anything other than nice tasting baits are useless.
I admire the man and he's a pioneer but this didn't make sense to me at all. Surely a Carps pallet is nothing like ours. If we taste something as bitter to them it could be ideal. I no it's part of the whole sales pitch but it's basically saying anything other than nice tasting baits are useless.
In reply to Post #77
I doubt if garlic and N butyric would taste too good. Catches fish though.
I doubt if garlic and N butyric would taste too good. Catches fish though.
In reply to Post #77
Agreed, big admirer of Johns work in the industry and his knowledge, but I'm with you, didn't really understand this point.
I'm sure krill would taste rank to us, catches fish everywhere though..
Agreed, big admirer of Johns work in the industry and his knowledge, but I'm with you, didn't really understand this point.
I'm sure krill would taste rank to us, catches fish everywhere though..
In reply to Post #79
He does seem to view everything in very black and white terms.
He does seem to view everything in very black and white terms.
John is old school, i grew up with hutchy and flavours, don't place much importance on them these days, carp don't either!
"look to nature"
"look to nature"
In reply to Post #77
I couldnt understand that either, i remember chewing a few activ8's back in the day and they tasted like old pants to me, but they caught untold amounts of fish, so im sorry, as good as the man is, he's talking out of school on this one.
I couldnt understand that either, i remember chewing a few activ8's back in the day and they tasted like old pants to me, but they caught untold amounts of fish, so im sorry, as good as the man is, he's talking out of school on this one.
Some interesting reading. I've had a couple of chats with him over the years, same as anybody can and if anybody plans on using his baits I would recommend that they do the same. The man was more than helpful and you get it straight from the horses mouth as they say which is perfect for me 
I think he believes in the ultimate nutritional food bait, which is my preference and based on a carps sensitivity the flavour recommendations are based agains these, too much and they can have a repellent effect. If people want to try them at high levels and they work, so be it.
I have tried hook bait batches with higher levels to try and get a more instant approach and cannot honestly say it made much difference. Don't tell him though, I once talked about adding a couple of my favourite ingredients and he gave me a bollocking, don't mess with it!
If it's top quality ingredients you want, look no further, expensive but less can be more
Can't knock a man with a passion
I think he believes in the ultimate nutritional food bait, which is my preference and based on a carps sensitivity the flavour recommendations are based agains these, too much and they can have a repellent effect. If people want to try them at high levels and they work, so be it.
I have tried hook bait batches with higher levels to try and get a more instant approach and cannot honestly say it made much difference. Don't tell him though, I once talked about adding a couple of my favourite ingredients and he gave me a bollocking, don't mess with it!
If it's top quality ingredients you want, look no further, expensive but less can be more
Can't knock a man with a passion
In reply to Post #81
There's some truth in that, I've used baits with no flavours added and compared them with baits that do and not noticed any increase in captures with the flavoured baits.
A good base mix will attract on it own, especially if not boiled for too long.
Same with the over flavoured hook baits
There's some truth in that, I've used baits with no flavours added and compared them with baits that do and not noticed any increase in captures with the flavoured baits.
A good base mix will attract on it own, especially if not boiled for too long.
Same with the over flavoured hook baits
The flavor scene catches more anglers than carp and most of it is load of old bull especially when you can catch on plastics and foam
In reply to Post #85
Exactly , I think flavours when used in a low nutrition bait help, but in a good nutritional bait they are nothing at all except expense.
Exactly , I think flavours when used in a low nutrition bait help, but in a good nutritional bait they are nothing at all except expense.
In reply to Post #85
There´s much more to flavours than smell. Look beyond "the sniff", and concentrate on the investigative triggers ... the organic acids, lactones, ketones, esters, phenols etc, that tickle the carps chemoreceptors. I use flavours for hookbaits/popups, and do agree, that u don´t need any flavour in your free offerings, provided your basemix ticks most of the boxes.
Proper flavours work, and do the job ... others just smell nice in the tub, gimmicks
There´s much more to flavours than smell. Look beyond "the sniff", and concentrate on the investigative triggers ... the organic acids, lactones, ketones, esters, phenols etc, that tickle the carps chemoreceptors. I use flavours for hookbaits/popups, and do agree, that u don´t need any flavour in your free offerings, provided your basemix ticks most of the boxes.
Proper flavours work, and do the job ... others just smell nice in the tub, gimmicks
In reply to Post #87
That's the point isn't it
Everyone sniffs them, but you need to taste and look further. I said once before about a certain flavour test I did several years ago. We made a nice food bait and tried 10ml of a flavour per dry kg of basemix (stunk the van out with a kilo in a sealed bag), the fish loved it. Then 7ml, 5ml, 3ml........results the same every time. Because the good basemix and liquids were doing all the work. But as frank Warwick stated, when fishing singles he went crazy with flavour levels and they out catch the lower level versions.
My take on it is a good food bait is key to repetitive feeding but when I'm chasing fish with no freebies I want something with a bit more attractants in it. Also our versions of what is strong and what is weak is a wide open discussion
That's the point isn't it
Everyone sniffs them, but you need to taste and look further. I said once before about a certain flavour test I did several years ago. We made a nice food bait and tried 10ml of a flavour per dry kg of basemix (stunk the van out with a kilo in a sealed bag), the fish loved it. Then 7ml, 5ml, 3ml........results the same every time. Because the good basemix and liquids were doing all the work. But as frank Warwick stated, when fishing singles he went crazy with flavour levels and they out catch the lower level versions.
My take on it is a good food bait is key to repetitive feeding but when I'm chasing fish with no freebies I want something with a bit more attractants in it. Also our versions of what is strong and what is weak is a wide open discussion
In reply to Post #88
I have never used a bait that i have never tasted first.
And i have used some stinkers with some ingredients that'd make you spew.
Only by tasting can you get the full effect of the liquids, spices and enhancers and be able to better assess the levels.
I have never used a bait that i have never tasted first.
And i have used some stinkers with some ingredients that'd make you spew.
Only by tasting can you get the full effect of the liquids, spices and enhancers and be able to better assess the levels.
I have a bait that has a nice fruity sweet taste to start with but leaves a bitter after taste due to high levels of liver and yeasts. The bait uses 10ml of a combination of flavours and essential oils. Caught everywhere and only used around 10-15 baits recently over a rod in really cold spell and the fish caught were passing the bait instantly so they obviously enjoyed it. To me it's slightly more bitter than I like to taste personally but I wouldn't alter it because it catches so well.