Hi guys,

I have been making my own bait for a while now (with a friend's recipe). For the last 2 years I have been working on some recipes. During that time I have been in contact with a few forum members here and they have helped me greatly.

I always try to use as little binders as I can get away with (with the mix still rolling well) , to leave more room for more attractive ingredients (like fishmeals or lamlac).

The finalish version of a 'base/binder mix' that I use now for all my baits is this:

15 percent clo
10 percent maize meal
10 percent wheat meal/semolina
10 percent whey protein concentrate

So, 45 percent of my mix.

Can I ask how much this percentage is in your mixes, please? As I see some other people go as high as 60 percent?

In reply to Post #1
My mix is 20% maize meal and 25% clo, rolls well 👍

In reply to Post #1
When I was making bait it was around 50%

In reply to Post #3
Okay, thanks guys. So about 40-50 percent is right then. Thanks!

40% for me max at the moment its 200 semo 200 clo

40-50% is a starting point but some of my mixes are higher as I try and limit other (high) levels i.e. reduce fat or protein levels. As an example one of my best mixes that still catches fish is nearly 55% of what you would term binders as I wanted to keep the protein level <45%.

In reply to Post #6
Hi Peter,

Thanks for your reply. I understand what you are saying concerning protein or fat level. Can I ask if you also calculate wpc and clo as binders or do you really mean things like semo? I ask, because I also noticed wpc and clo really help with binding the bait.

In reply to Post #7
I must admit I would not count Whey protein, Clo or calf milk as binders as I would be including them for other purposes. In fact Semolina and sometimes ground rice, is the only ingredient I specifically add for binding and even then I'm also adding them to harden the mix.

In reply to Post #7
Many (in fact most) ingredients have multiple functions. For working out if a bait should bind (which you would still need to prove by a test mix) I would include them.

I also include them as I like to get the binders to a total of 50%

Normally I like to use this mix.

Whey80 - 100
Semo - 100
FFHT Soya - 100
Maize meal - 50
CLO - 150

In reply to Post #10
Hi Carl,

I have a base mix very comparable to yours, only ja haven't got the soy. Have got bad experience with it, so left it out.

Hi Peter,

I understand what you mean. I have tested my own base mix in 2-3 mixes and it works very well with egg powder. It didn't work well with blood plasma. I really noticed eggs bind much better than plasma. But it got me thinking about have more binders in the base mix. On the other hand, I wonder why I sometimes make it very hard for myself. Because having a bait with 50 percent wheat and maize in it for binding and hardening, just to make it work with plasma, isn't the way to go. Especially because I also want that 'room' of the mix for tasting meals, attractors and spices.

Hi Bob,

Indeed. I see what your coming from. As I calculate my own base mix, I only have 10 percent binders (wheat meal/semolina) if I calculate my binders the way you do.

In reply to Post #11
What problem did you have with soya ? I think it's great for helping bait it roll and to retain moisture.

In reply to Post #12
Yes, it really can be a useful addition for a bait.

We got supplied with bad soy, and we ended up with 80 kilo of popups (have tested other ingredients, but it really was the soy),plus in my own testing, soy makes a bait go soft quicker. I personally don't like it, the way that it does.

In reply to Post #13
See some of That's an advantage. A bait to me should be releasing signals as soon as possible. I like a 24-36 hour break down time for baits.

In reply to Post #14
Yes indeed, but a bait that only lasts for about 8 hours and then turns into mush is a no go for me. I fish waters with crays and lots of bream.