Do baits blow?

The big question

We often hear the phrase, ‘that bait’s blown’ but how much truth is there in that saying? Surely if it’s a good bait it’ll keep on producing bites?

Shaun Harrison

“Usually a complete load of nonsense stated to cover up a bout of poor angling.

“I feel on very lightly fished waters that see very little in the way of bait then the fish can become wary of bait full stop. As to it blowing, so long as it is a ‘proper bait’ in the first place with correct ingredient levels rather than something chucked together by someone who doesn’t really understand what they are creating then a few pockets of bait without rigs around them soon gets the bait going again.

“On waters that see a lot of different baits then it is highly unlikely a bait will blow. The carp are coming across so many different food items that I don’t believe they have the ability to remember a lot of different baits. Yes, they get wary of bait but decent bait will continue to be eaten. If it wasn’t, you would find lots of bait popped up and floating on the surface.

“As I said above, a little introduction of bait (it doesn’t need to be a lot) away from rigs and lines does a world of good for any bait. The more they come across without the expected danger close by, the more likely they are to get stuck straight in.”

Bill Cottam

“The situation is not unlike my attitude to Budweiser: I am very fond of the occasional bottle but if somebody gave me a clip around the ear every time I took a slurp I would soon become reluctant to drink any more. Having said that though, if when I eventually plucked up the courage to try it again, I was able to drink plenty of the stuff without getting another slap, I would very quickly forget about my sore tabs and would continue to drink copious amounts without a care in the world…

“A nutritional foodbait – assuming it has sufficient quality to be accepted as an everyday food source – works in exactly the same way in that the only real reason the bait should lose its effectiveness is if you have been guilty of catching a few too many fish on it over short period of time; in which case the best advice would be to steadily introduce a few kilos without being tempted to put a baited rig amongst them. You will be amazed how quickly their confidence returns when they’re getting a free meal of really good quality bait – and it’s for this very reason why pre-baiting is so incredibly successful.”