| If you are looking for an edge to catch you more | | | | trough water easily, are more easily digested by |
| fish then look no further! Here are natural carp | | | | carp and much more easily detected by carp |
| bait flavours and details of them that will really | | | | senses. It is much the same effect as leaving a |
| make your baits more palatable to carp and | | | | sandwich in a bag a few days and then opening it |
| seriously improve their feeding responses; thus | | | | up to find it has completely new aromas, smell |
| catching you many more carp! Certain potent | | | | and tastes. |
| flavours are even better being completely | | | | Bear in mind that carp sensory preferences differ |
| naturally produced actually within your - baits so | | | | to our own and in fact each individual carp or |
| read on to discover more! | | | | unique species of other fish have specific flavour |
| Every carp angler seems to carp on about | | | | preferences. This factor is just one reason why |
| flavours and each angler has his own personal | | | | some carp are caught more often on one flavour |
| experiences and opinions on the different forms | | | | than on others. Much pf this is genetic but senses |
| and their personal favourites! Recently an article in | | | | can be manipulated of course! After all how much |
| a magazine stated that flavours did not work, but | | | | of our own food is enhanced with sugar, salt and |
| it is very obvious this was simply to draw | | | | yeast extract, chilli pepper and paprika extra etc; |
| maximum attention to the article as this | | | | so much so that we would actually dislike foods |
| statement is completely misleading! After all did | | | | without such additves in them?! |
| not work then no-one would have bothered using | | | | Just to demonstrate that flavours really do work, |
| them all these decades and bait companies like | | | | millions of pounds go into improving the efficiency |
| Richworth would probably not have had the | | | | of aquaculture feeds so that the high costs of |
| impact they did upon the mentality about carp | | | | feed of to fish farmers converts to maximum |
| baits that the majority of carp anglers at least in | | | | effect into the fastest profitable fish growth for |
| the UK have today! | | | | instance. |
| So what is a short history of flavoured carp baits | | | | Here is an example of a patent claim in 2008 in |
| and why are flavours such a well-known part of | | | | regards to a method for enhancing the palatability |
| carp fishing today? Basically, going back to the | | | | of aquaculture feed. It takes a huge amount of |
| nineteen seventies and early eighties when the | | | | money and commitment to develop new |
| bolt rig was teamed-up with concentrated flavour | | | | products and patent them so you can appreciate |
| style boilies which were often of low nutritional | | | | that it would not be done if the products have |
| value, this combination established a very highly | | | | not been proven to be very effective! Betaine is |
| successful method. This was even before the | | | | one of the food palatability enhancing and feed |
| universal popularisation of the hair rig or pop-up | | | | inducing factors that has been used in aquaculture |
| baits etc. | | | | for decades. Most carp anglers are aware of its |
| At that time apart from the hushed secretive | | | | success today but there are very many more |
| whispers about high nutritional bait recipes and also | | | | substances that improve feeding responses and |
| BNV bait formulation discussion among more | | | | bait palatability besides this! |
| knowledgeable anglers, there were many other | | | | The patent I mentioned is just one of many |
| anglers who were not in that clique at all who | | | | applicable to baits I have found. The one |
| simply opted to use a basic 50:50 semolina and | | | | compound can be used for different fish species |
| soya flour boilie mix with a concentrated flavour | | | | (and this is dependant upon use of the correct |
| and maybe an intense sweetener and taste | | | | concentration of compound per weight of feed |
| enhancer or appetite-stimulator. Remember that | | | | for each species.) This also applies in regards to |
| readymade boilies did not become available from | | | | the various concentrations of forms of |
| fishing tackle shops in the UK until around 1983 or | | | | concentrated flavours used in boilies, pellets and |
| 1984, with the advent of Richworth frozen | | | | pastes etc in various levels that might attract |
| readymade baits. | | | | more carp or tench or roach and bream or |
| These baits were referred to quite negatively by | | | | catfish instead. |
| the more knowledgeable bait-making carp anglers | | | | Species are flavour-specific but also the levels of |
| who called them crap baits because these cheap | | | | flavour in a bait is very important and in some |
| baits were made from a very cheap base mix of | | | | cases use of the conventional 3 or 5 millilitres of |
| relatively low nutritional value. The key thing was | | | | concentrated flavour per one kilogram of |
| the advanced development and research that had | | | | powdered base mix with have little if any |
| gone into the various concentrated flavours used | | | | noticeable effect, whereas use of 7 millilitres or |
| in these new baits and without doubt some of | | | | even 30 millilitres can cause a huge difference in |
| these flavours are still winners today over 25 | | | | fish reactions and responses. For instance, you |
| years later. | | | | might catch less big wary carp using Richworth |
| From what I have gleaned from various sources | | | | Tutti Fruiti at the standard 5 millilitres per kilogram |
| including shop owners who spoke to the | | | | dosage rate, but use the maximum |
| Richworth representatives at that time, the | | | | recommended dose of 30 millilitres of Ccmoore |
| development of these flavours was a highly | | | | crayfish concentrate to get around their |
| professional job! My inside information on certain | | | | conditioned wariness of familiar substances. |
| seriously bioactive Richworth flavour components | | | | Many of the most well-known Richworth flavours |
| confirms just how potent some of these flavours | | | | from the eighties are sweet but not all are. Some |
| are and why many of the components were | | | | seemed to be more successful in warmer |
| included for their powerful impacts on carp | | | | temperatures and some came into their own |
| instincts and senses. However, a big factor in | | | | more in lower water temperatures but either |
| what made these baits successful was their | | | | way, they did better when note totally freshly |
| palatability that ensured that these baits would be | | | | defrosted but heated up a couple of days in |
| repeatedly consumed even if they may have | | | | advance of fishing or while actually fishing, and this |
| lacked particular areas of essential nutrition. | | | | applies to so many other baits too of course! |
| At the time carp fishing was only just becoming | | | | You might wonder what attractive substance is |
| truly commercialised and many anglers were | | | | common with mature cheeses and pineapple |
| coming into the sport from match fish or course | | | | flavours for instance and the common factor is |
| fishing and had no previous experience of making | | | | butyric acid naturally formed by enzymic activity |
| baits of their own, so these readymade baits | | | | or synthetically produced. Even the old favourite |
| seemed the perfect solution. However at the | | | | vanillin is still used in many carp flavours in various |
| time, very few anglers would put our quantities of | | | | forms, some natural and some synthetic or |
| free feed. This was often because the expensive | | | | nature-identical; the real stuff is bioactive (so why |
| high protein milk protein baits used at the time | | | | not try it with maple to make a new natural |
| worked well in small amounts and it has often | | | | flavour perhaps?!) |
| bothered me why fish meal baits seemed to | | | | The Richworth flavours that are still popular even |
| require lots of free baiting to really harness their | | | | today that were effective 25 years ago include |
| power by comparison. Anyway these so-called | | | | Tutti Fruitti, Honey Yucatan, Pineapple Hawaiian |
| instant crap baits did catch loads of fish but did | | | | and Salmon supreme. The old favourite 50:50 and |
| get a hammering from quality homemade baits | | | | 50:50 Gold boilie base mixes and the bird food |
| used against them. | | | | base mix are still available. |
| I used all of the Richworth flavours at one time | | | | Flavours are far from simply those concentrated |
| or another in the early eighties alongside my | | | | chemicals you smell in little bottles sold in tackle |
| homemade baits and found that although they | | | | shops. It takes flavorists many years of study to |
| were very good short-term baits they seemed | | | | qualify and their secretive world is utilised by bait |
| to work best in the first hour to the following 3 | | | | companies more and more. Flavours are certainly |
| to 4 hours while the flavours were still in very | | | | not all we might assume they all are! Below is a |
| concentrated levels in the baits. When they were | | | | formula for the palatability improver from the |
| washed out they definitely produced less bites at | | | | patent application I previously mentioned: |
| that time compared to fresh un-washed out | | | | 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (or a salt, |
| readymade baits. But a drawback to the flavour | | | | ester or amide of this.) |
| levels was the fact that the fish more easily | | | | Related formulas in the patent describe other |
| associated them with danger and so changing to | | | | compounds including other organic acid derivatives |
| new flavours was a real necessity - hence the | | | | and salts of these at a recommended 0.005 |
| large range of bait flavours. | | | | percent of feed weight to about 0.07 percent per |
| Obviously Richworth have been developing new | | | | weight of feed inclusion. |
| base mixes for their readymade baits and they | | | | There are many connotations and similar |
| have highly reputable highly nutritional readymade | | | | examples to the compounds mentioned above |
| baits and base mixes today far beyond their early | | | | and you can be sure that some of them are in |
| 50:50 and bird food mixes etc of yesteryear for | | | | certain carp bait flavours in some form or another |
| instance. But one thing is clear and that is they | | | | and naturally various organic acids for instance are |
| certainly got their bait palatability right! Attention | | | | present all the time in carp baits even if we are |
| to detail is very important when you are aiming | | | | not aware of it! Although you might not |
| to remove anything that might make your baits | | | | appreciate the significance of the above formula in |
| less attractive and Richworth have there own | | | | carp bait flavour terms, flavour development is a |
| bore hole on site which they use to supply | | | | hugely important factor in enhancing our bait |
| uncontaminated water for boiling their baits. I have | | | | palatability to increase numbers of bites and fish |
| boiled my baits in filtered water for years for the | | | | caught! |
| same reason. | | | | The formula above is effective for a range of |
| As I am sure you can appreciate, carp are not | | | | species of fish including carp, catfish, salmon, |
| going to prefer baits contaminated with toxic | | | | trout, tilapia, smelt and prawns. These variations |
| chemical like chlorine (or the incredibly toxic | | | | on the flavour development and compound are |
| fluorine that is forced upon us via our mains | | | | mentioned because they are commercially-viable |
| drinking water against all scientific sanity!) Funnily | | | | species grown as food for the table and are |
| enough, it is far healthier to clean your teeth using | | | | profitable. (The concentrations of the compound |
| eugenol-enhanced tooth paste instead of | | | | to be used with each species ranges from about |
| fluorinated tooth paste. (Look up fluorine and see | | | | 0.07 percent of feed weight to 0.001 percent of |
| just how healthy it is not!) By contrast eugenol is | | | | feed weight.) |
| a very commonly-used, highly effective carp bait | | | | You might have spotted that the compound is |
| additive and is present in all kinds of popular bait | | | | also used for prawns. Betaine is used to improve |
| flavours and various natural bait additives (it is | | | | feeding response in aquaculture feeds for them |
| extremely potently anti-bacterial!) | | | | too and not just for fish. Can you imagine what |
| I make tea with honey or molasses and I add | | | | might be the side-benefits of using compounds in |
| cinnamon powder or nutmeg to improve its | | | | your baits that attract natural carp food items |
| palatability as even after filtering there are still | | | | such as shrimps or snails to your baits?! |
| contaminants in tap water that I can taste; a | | | | If you bait your swim naturally there is much less |
| pinch of salt in tea or coffee certainly enhances | | | | for wary carp to be cautious of! There are many |
| flavours too and you will notice this especially if | | | | ways flavours can be formed in baits or |
| you have hay fever or a cold for instance, | | | | pre-formed and included in baits and here are just |
| although the honey and citric acid in Lemsip taken | | | | 3 examples: |
| for flu also improves the palatability of the | | | | The formation of flavours in baits by use of |
| medicine. As the song goes, a spoonful of sugar | | | | fermentation sugars. |
| (or honey) makes the medicine go down! | | | | The formation of flavours by enzymatic |
| Have you noticed how aspirin can be purchased in | | | | conversion of amino acids. |
| flavoured form and that cod liver oil and various | | | | The formation of flavours in salt-fermented fish |
| other mineral supplements etc can be bought in all | | | | mash such as in the formation of aroma-active |
| kinds of fruit flavours to make them more | | | | components in salt-fermented anchovies or |
| palatable? More specifically in regards to baits, just | | | | Belachan type products. |
| how popular would crisps, cakes, biscuits, | | | | There is also the hidden possible positive benefits |
| cigarettes (e.g. eugenol,), beers (e.g. cinnamon and | | | | of flavour and enhancing type compounds acting |
| maple,) and wines (e.g. menthol) be, without the | | | | on gut flora and gut performance in terms of |
| amounts of additional flavours and enhancers etc | | | | improved digestion; plus the question of prebiotics |
| they include? In fact the Richworth 50:50 gold | | | | and probiotics and improving carp immune |
| base mix has improved palatability because of the | | | | systems that constitute long-term benefits and |
| additional nutritional factors it contains (have you | | | | further big competitive edges in carp baits! |
| ever noticed how strong-tasting vitamin and | | | | Many industrial enzymes used to develop flavours |
| mineral pills are?!) | | | | are extremely expensive and require specific |
| Bait palatability is usually most closely associated | | | | temperatures and conditions to do their work but |
| by anglers with our own sense of taste although | | | | remember that your baits always contain bacteria |
| this is not strictly accurate as aquatic carp senses | | | | that in time proliferates, digesting your baits with |
| differ in many ways from our own | | | | their enzymes as they grow. Sure you can have |
| terrestrial-designed ones! Palatability is a subject | | | | off-flavours develop but most often both humans |
| that only a trained scientist could describe in | | | | and fish will detect potential food that is not |
| complete fullness but it is one of the most | | | | healthy. This is not really a big problem considering |
| powerful ways of getting more carp to | | | | the millions of boilies that must have gone off |
| repeatedly sample and consume your baits most | | | | totally and gone rotten on the lake beds of carp |
| frequently - so providing you with the highest | | | | waters around the world over the years - to be |
| number of chances of bites! | | | | broken down by bacteria! Anyway, it has been |
| Your ability to induce the production of even | | | | found in scientific studies that where fish do not |
| more attractive flavours within your baits is an | | | | feed due to a souring of an area due to too |
| enormously important edge! The science of this is | | | | many angler introducing free feed, they simply |
| extremely complicated because the subject | | | | move away temporarily and feed elsewhere! |
| overlaps on so many different aspects of bait | | | | Incidentally enzymes themselves are attractive to |
| substances when combined and their impacts | | | | carp and maybe you can understand why these |
| upon different carp senses etc. However most of | | | | might act as feeding triggers now because they |
| you reading this will at some time have used an | | | | could indicate the potential presence of |
| old bait left on the rig from your last session or | | | | predigested food substances?! Natural flavours |
| found forgotten in the bottom of your bag. The | | | | and their generation in baits are very attractive to |
| fact that such baits often achieve success very | | | | carp and natural enzymic activity helps break your |
| quickly is a phenomenon that knowledgeable bait | | | | baits down so they become even more digestible |
| makers know all about and exploit to maximum | | | | and more soluble and perform better and this can |
| effect. | | | | be enhanced too by the use of other natural |
| Old baits get attacked by bacteria and these | | | | enzyme-rich substances such as enzyme-treated |
| enzymes break them down into further | | | | liver powder and enzyme-treated yeast extract. |
| components and various compounds that have | | | | (For more information see my website and |
| specific characteristics that mean they travel | | | | biography right now! |