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Solar Club MIx (20 posts / 3,331 views)
James_9
Posts: 502
Post #1 24 May 2026 07:14
0
What a bait back in the day - absolutely loved this gear, took waters apart.

I know that the firm changed hands however, any of the old skool guys still using the Club Mix and is it massively different from the original. I've been told it's nothing like it used to be...

Would love to get hold of the original stuff or even the original recipe.
MARKerz
Posts: 1,954
Post #2 24 May 2026 07:28
1
In reply to Post #1
Think most of these older baits have changed somewhat over the years.

Decent red fishmeal with some milks & binders, good additives, put together by a few who were fishing Harrow I believe?
These baits have such longevity, the bait I'm rolling I suppose is similar, just very effective.
kells kells
Posts: 6,028
Post #3 24 May 2026 09:42
0
In reply to Post #1
Cracking bait was the old club mix. Great idea behind it aswell. A group of Anglers each having an input in what Ingrediants they thought made a great bait. Hence the Club mix.

Dont think Solar bait is still around. Yes heard it had altered greatly from the origional over time.

Correct me if I'm wrong I think it was mainly a Fishmeal base with added milks, birdfoods and Robin red. The liquids were Fish oil, a liquid Liver supplement. And the great Squid and octopus flavour. Maybe a bit of Dairy cream.

I know Martin Locke has nothing to do with the company he started these days. But I believe he's working on a bait with another company. Wouldn't surprise me if it's along the same lines as the Clubmix.

James_9
Posts: 502
Post #4 24 May 2026 10:39
0
In reply to Post #3
Thats the one Kells - a very odd smell and one i have not encountered since in a bait. Devastating gear back in the day, used to get it from some of the Kent lads and spoke to the late PF about it. He mentioned that it had changed beyond recognition since him and the Kent boys built the bait and ingredients were not available to get or too expensive post Brexit..e.t.c. They couldnt get the Jap squid meal nor amino Squid and Octopus flavours which basically was the backbone of the bait.

Cracking bait and would be back on that in a flash if the original Club Mix came out.

Changed my concept of the importance of using quality bait when i was shown the Club Mix, you would literally drop one in the edge and see the shrimps and snails actively homing in on it from a radius of about 2 foot...madness to actually witness it.
essesxandy essesxandy
Posts: 3,215
Post #5 24 May 2026 19:27
0
In reply to Post #4
Gary Bayes made me some bait that the naturals reacted to just like that. I was convinced that I was actually using a cluster of snails, shrimps and caddis as bait.
Then unfortunately one ingredient became unavailable and the bait was never the same again.
silverfish silverfish
Posts: 2,662
Post #6 24 May 2026 22:49
0
Used a bait with the same attraction to naturals 15-16 years ago, the hookbaits would come back pitted.
A bait left on a bucket lid overnight would get demolished by slugs.
Didn't always catch fish but everything wanted to eat it.
junglist junglist
Posts: 864
Post #7 25 May 2026 08:06
0
Amazing bait

Squid and octopus, anchovy extract and amino compound wasn't it?

I think one of the old solar catalogues had an article in it about how it was developed

Always liked the squid / cream combimation
silverfish silverfish
Posts: 2,662
Post #8 25 May 2026 10:46
0
In reply to Post #7
stimulin amino- betaine?
anchovy extact- fish sauce
S&O...

something must have become unavailable because a) the bait changed b) was only paying £3.50-4 a kilo so it wasn't an outwardly expensive additive/ingredient
DaveSG DaveSG
Posts: 878
Post #9 25 May 2026 11:33
0
Im sure belachan and oyster sauce were in there somewhere and like many of the fish mixes back then lactalbumin aswell. Dont think its realistically/ practically available now? I remember using it when it was from New Zealand Milk proteins.
silverfish silverfish
Posts: 2,662
Post #10 25 May 2026 11:59
0
In reply to Post #9
was discussing this all those years ago, the question was raised and a quiet reply after checking over both shoulders..lactabumin and a little caesinate.

scaley&dark
Posts: 5,573
Post #11 25 May 2026 15:49
0
In reply to Post #1
CLUB MIX. A great all year round bait, Financially not viable now, in it's original format.
Unless you make your own bait, you wouldn't know how much lots of those key ingredients have gone up, let alone the key liquids, Stimulin Amino. Then the out of EU Brexit thing, making some products harder or impossible to source or import again.

I seem to remember hearing that when the exclusivity contract running out between solar tackle and the original manufacturer of the Japanese Squid & Octopus Koi rearer , a bidding war broke out to win the contract ( I believe ) between NashBait and Solar obviously Solar Tackle eventually won, but obviously this puts the RRP/ready rolled Bait price up, hence the price hike. I did hear recently that S&O is still available, but around 300 a litre, TBC, I don't know anyone that has ordered it personally.

Then there was the rather tragic TSUNAMI triggered by a violent earthquake – 8.8 on the Reichter scale – hit Chile’s central coastline, destroying over 1,400 fishing vessels and leaving a trail of debris, death and destruction on 27th February 2010.
In Talcahuano and San Vicente, several fish processing plants were destroyed by the quake and following tsunami, including the only plant that made the Pre-Digested fishmeals

These are not trade per tonne prices, but retail. Provimi standard Fishmeals were 14-20 a sack, that product per 25kg sack is irca 70 a sack nowadays. Obviously the other SA fishmeals rocketed in price as well.

Milk proteins, even the 'cheaper' decent haiths egg biscuits, Nectarblend, red factor, etc birdfoods were 1-2 a kilo then are now 5 to 12 a kilo plus now, Nectarblend for example is now 109.99 for 20kg and as for the decent amount of robin red....well

Quality costs, and like many things in life you have to enjoy what you've got, when you've got it, as you never now when things will change, out of your control.

James_9
Posts: 502
Post #12 25 May 2026 17:27
0
In reply to Post #11
Nice one mate. Never knew all of that.

Cheers.
CV-Deano
Posts: 380
Post #13 25 May 2026 18:27
0
In reply to Post #1
The original club mix was put together to fish harrow (herts club lake) from memory. The original bait used on there contained tackle box ming oil and anchovy extract as well as squid octopus koi rearer . When it was released to the wider public the ming oil was replaced with stimulin amino. Whether this was the only change from their own bait to the one that was sold I couldn’t tell you. The original bait contained lactalbumin (and of course the koi reared) which isn’t available anymore so any attempt to copy it won’t be the same.
MrNuvawun MrNuvawun
Posts: 2,462
Post #14 25 May 2026 19:05
0
In reply to Post #13
I never understood the name “koi rearer”? Was it more than just a flavour?
DaveSG DaveSG
Posts: 878
Post #15 25 May 2026 19:14
0
Not entirely sure on the origins as a flavour , but some of the natural herb type components in S+O are used as antioxidants for fish and shellfish, Thymol, eucalyptol and others.

So maybe, you can imagine if fish is left too long even with these antioxidants and spoil youd end up with a TMAO smell along with the floral, herby smell, and off-fish is 'hopefully' going to be thrown to the fish, along comes the fish munchety crunchety.
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