Here’s another great and informative article from our good friends at Gardner.
Particle fishing – tactics and terminal tackle
The description ‘particle bait’ is used to describe a massive variety of small baits, including practically every type of seed, bean, pea, nut or pellet you could possibly think of! The sheer amount and variety of particle use can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. In this article Lewis Read breaks it down into manageable particle sized pieces.
Particle Baits can be a hugely successful big carp catcher, even when compared to boilies, despite normally costing a lot less.
The majority of particles are regarded as instant baits. The attraction is helped by the preparation and cooking process, which release the natural oils and sugars in the bait, culminating in tremendous pulling power.
The most popular and successful particle baits are broadly split into those that can be described as “mass particles” or larger particles. Mass particles include Hemp seed, Tares, Dari seeds, Groats, different types of wheat, Sweetcorn, maize (yellow and red varieties), small pellets or blends of small particles such as Parti-blend and pigeon conditioner. Larger particle baits refers more to nuts and large beans.
Beds of these small food items induce heavy feeding and these areas will virtually fizz with attraction. This appeal is increased by blending a variety of different particles. Each type of seed will release a slightly different food based attractor into the water, so the carp are drawn in through a variety of delicious tastes and smells.
The small size of these baits (and particularly Hempseed) can create such heavy feeding that the fish become pre-occupied, feeding veraciously until they have mopped up all of the seeds on the lake or river bed. Sometimes this feeding can become so selective that they will only eat the smaller seeds, sifting these out from other larger items.
There are a lot of slightly larger particle baits that are devastating fish catchers as part of a wider mix or even on their own. Prime examples would be the different nuts such as Tiger nuts, Peanuts, Hazelnuts and broken or whole Brazil nuts, and another would be the magic Maples Pea!
There are also natural baits such as chopped worm and maggots that make excellent additions to a particle mix or can be used just as well on their own.
The list of baits is therefore almost endless, and a trip to your local seed merchant can often reveal all manner of baits to try.
The most widely used particle bait is undoubtedly Sweetcorn – “the yellow peril” has caught many a fish around the world and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Some particles can swell up as they take on water, and can increase to almost twice their original size. If they are introduced into the water unprepared, and are in turn eaten, this swelling can happen within the digestive system of the fish and cause damage. In extreme cases this can lead to death. In general, all particles should be soaked for at least 24 hours and boiled for 30 minutes before use.
If in doubt we recommend seeking out specific information on the best possible preparation of each individual type of particle to get the best results.
For small particles, such as hemp, boil until the seed’s shell blackens and begins to split indicating that they are ready. Salt, sugar and other additives can be added during the cooking process. Some anglers add crushed chili to their hemp to give it some boost, which has proved quite effective as it releases further oils when introduced into the water.
Always store your particles in the water they have been cooked in. It adds extra flavor and can be added to ground bait, boosting its attraction. If you are not planning to use the particles straight away they can be frozen and used at a later date.
Once particles have been cooked and the water drained off, some anglers add liberal amounts of CSL, Minamino or Salmon Oil which absorb into the still warm bait adding further appeal when placed in the swim. Once the swim has settled and the fish enter the area to feed, they release the oil and create a slick on the water’s surface telling the angler that fish are feeding.
Choosing the correct rig when fishing with particles, or using them as a bed of feed, can vary when compared to a boilie only approach. Fish will often keep their mouths very tight to the lake bed when feeding instead of tilting up and down when feeding on boilies. They can be harder to hook in this situation and choosing the correct rig can be crucial to their downfall. Bottom baits will be generally far more successful as fish that are feeding tight to the bottom can easily miss a pop up. The hook bait will often be ignored when only half an inch off the lake bed.
Sometimes a shorter length rig will work better. The fish will be moving their head slowly across the lake bed as they suck up all the individual food items and the hook link needs to tighten up as soon as the fish has inhaled the hook bait.
What hook bait to choose?
It sometimes pays to experiment to find what might be successful on the day or water in question. It is best to use a hook bait which is the same as the “free offerings” where possible, as this is what the fish will be used to. With the smallest baits, like tiny seeds, you may need to add larger bait to the mix so that it can be used on the hook later.
When using a larger particle over a feed such as Hemp or Dari seed it pays not to introduce too much. A sprinkling of tiger nuts over a bed of hemp is more than adequate, and often these ‘cherries’ on top of the cake are the first items to be eaten.
Alternative hook baits such as the imitation baits supplied by Enterprise Tackle are handy to have in your tackle box. They can be used in a wide variety of situations and are often used to tip a bait to make it more visual. This also helps to balance the hook bait, increasing its chances of entering the carp’s mouth. Artificial hemp, maggots and casters can all be used by the angler wanting to create a rig that is a little bit different.
Balancing the weight of the hook by drilling out the hook bait and pushing in a section of cork is another successful technique that is often used with tiger nuts. Using a large drill, hollow out the middle of the nut and insert a sliver of trimmed cork so the nut sinks slowly and is perfectly balanced against the weight of the hook.
Alternatively, a balanced particle bait can easily be created by using a section of foam between two pieces of maize. Once the foam is trimmed down the bait should sink slowly and sit just above the hook. This can be particularly effective when used on its own over a bed of hemp without further free offerings.
Particles have a wide range of applications and can be used with a variety of techniques. PVA is a great way of making sure particles are grouped tightly around the hook bait. The particles should be touch dry and dosed with oils or a PVA friendly dip to prevent them from melting the PVA. This method is very successful, but rarely used due to the preparation time needed. However, the effort can be well worth going to if the small cluster of particles lures a big fish in to feed.
Adding particles into the swim can be carried out in various ways, depending on the size, amount and range in question. A large pouched particle catapult can be used for short range with seeds or slightly further with particle baits. However, this can be time consuming when introducing a really big bed of feed at maximum pelt range.
The Gardner Baiting Spoon might be a better option for introducing larger quantities of bait at short range or depositing large quantities of particles quickly. It’s easy to create a nice spread of bait, encouraging fish to move along the bottom as they search out the feed by using a sweeping action when using a spoon to create lines of bait, rather than simply throwing it straight out.
Spodding is another excellent option when introducing particles at range, and in the right hands these can be cast accurately over 100 metres! The Gardner Pocket Rocket range also offers the benefit of allowing you to spod out the attractive liquid that the particles are prepared in, and this cloud can really turn the fish on to feed as they swim into the baited area.
Your choice of particle bait should also be related to water temperature and the season. Although particles do not have a great reputation in cold water they have accounted for some tremendous catches. Generally, smaller quantities are required rather than the higher quantities needed during summer and autumn.
Maggots are very popular bait in the winter, especially when used with the deadly Mag-Aligner Rig. The Mag-Aligner Rig was invented by top angler Bernie Loftus and subsequently developed further by Rob Maylin into the rig it is today. The rig incorporates an Enterprise Mag-Aligner Grub slid over the eye of the hook. This creates a line aligner effect, enabling the hook to flip or turn in the fish’s mouth, producing a very efficient hooking mechanism. Three maggots are nicked onto the hook. The rig is best fished helicopter style with a large metal ring at the bottom of the lead. Before casting, a PVA Micromesh bag of maggots is tied onto the ring and the hook is nicked into the bag.
The size of the PVA bag is determined by how far you need to cast and how much bait you want to introduce. I have used bags the size of a golf ball when casting over long distances and have also used bags containing 250ml of maggots. I usually start somewhere in between and cast regularly helping to build up a bed of maggots in the swim. The disadvantage when using this rig is that it is often attracts smaller ‘nuisance’ species.
