Whether you are a big-fish angler looking for just a handful of bites during an overnight session, or intending to use a sleeper rod to single out big commercial carp, a bait bomb incorporating a slow-release element of attraction can make a huge difference to your catches. It is certainly a tactic to add to your baiting repertoire.
Paste feeders
Perhaps the easiest of my bait bomb tactics to achieve is the paste feeder, which does pretty much what the name suggests. I fill my normal cage feeder with a firm paste rather than groundbait – you can even use a readymade paste if you are not comfortable making your own.
Although the initial attraction from paste is a lot less than from fast-breakdown groundbait, over several hours the paste will create a continuous leak-off. The big advantage of this tactic is that we can easily change from a normal groundbait to paste without altering the rig.
Imagine you are fishing an evening session into dark; why not start off feeding groundbait and then, as the light fades and you want to leave the rig out for longer, switch to paste? This combo gives the best of both worlds.
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Blockend feeders
Another simple tactic that has the advantage of a faster initial leak-off is to use your normal groundbait mix in a blockend feeder, where the limited number of holes slows the breakdown of the groundbait. You don’t need any special baits, just use your normal groundbait mix and switch from an open end to a maggot-style blockend feeder.
I particularly like this tactic on rivers, where the current helps to empty the feeder a little faster. Why not use this idea with hemp and pellets too, keeping the holes in the feeder small so that the bait is held inside for longer?
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Paste wraps
When carp fishing I often wrap a small amount of boilie paste around the lead for added attraction. A knobbly or roughly coated lead is ideal, as the bait adheres well to the surface. Boilie paste takes several hours to break down and pumps out far more attraction than a lone boilie hookbait. In my tests, a paste-wrapped lead can bring up to twice as many bites as a normal hookbait-only set-up.
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Combo feeder
Recently, I have been combining groundbait and paste in the same feeder. One end I cram full of paste, while the other two-thirds is filled with groundbait. I modify my cage feeders by blocking one end off with electrical tape to give a firm base to push the paste against. This ensures that it will hold firmly in place. With this tactic, I have the initial hit of groundbait breaking down rapidly, but if it’s washed away I am safe in the knowledge that the paste will remain working for several hours.
You don’t need to use a dedicated paste for this approach either. By adding some extra binder to any groundbait you can make a firm paste that works a treat. I use a small amount of blood powder, but wheat gluten, or even bog standard flour, can be used to turn groundbaits into much firmer pastes.
