30.09.2021

What Is Paste and How To Use It To Catch Carp....

Author: CC Moore
Categories: Reviews , Tactics

Ways with Paste

Paste seems to be a somewhat underrated tactic for many anglers, but in reality, we are all using paste as part of out regular boilie fishing. Paste is the raw form of boilie, the soft natural state of the ingredients that make up the bait once they have been mixed together before the boiling process. In its raw form, there is no skin to lock in the attractors as you would find in a boiled bait, therefore giving this user- friendly bait item the maximum level of fish pulling power to play with. 

One of the great aspects regarding paste is the variety of situations it can be used in, due to the soft, pliable makeup of this food item, it allows the angler to be creative and imaginative when putting it to good use. This mini- feature takes a closer look at some unique ways with paste, how to make the most of it and now, as we approach the coldest months of the year, how- it can transform your angling approach. 

Boilies & Paste

Combining the use of boilies and paste is without doubt one of the best kept secrets out there. Not only are you vastly increasing the overall attraction of a baited spot, through the use of small boilie shaped paste balls added in, but you are varying the levels of attraction and food signals given off by the bait. The paste will work well to quickly release feed inducing signals into the water column; while the whole boiled baits will break down much slower. As a result, you achieve a consistent level of attraction in the water, as the baits break down at varying rates. 

This is a fantastic tactic than going in with just boilie alone, mixing the paste and boilies baits 50/50 is a unique way of ensuring prolonged attraction in the swim, brilliant when fishing overnight sessions in the colder months. 

For short day sessions, the need to use boilie is actually not needed when using paste, with regular baiting of the swim throughout the day, you can maximise the amount of scent within the water column, while reducing the amount of hard food items that the fish are less inclined to eating in the cold. Depending on the temperatures, the paste generally tend to break down between 30- 90 minutes, leaving a strong aroma and scent in the water column for the fish to home in on. With regular baiting of the swim, a steady level of paste attraction can be applied throughout the course of the day, which can be a significant edge in the winter months with very little feeding activity. 

Paste & Particles

Due to the soft, mouldable nature of paste, it allows for effective use alongside other types of bait, especially small particles that can be moulded inside to create a unique and appealing parcel of attraction. The paste can be used alongside a variety of particles, from hemp to roasted peanut chops, allowing you to ball up and apply to your swim by hand or via a pult. With a number of food items held within the paste, it will break down much quicker, allowing water to penetrate between the gaps in the paste, so you are left with a small pile of paste & particle attraction. 

This tactic is perfect for a number of situations, from balling down a margin spot, to catapulting into open water to get the fish moving between each baited patch. You can easily mix in larger items too, such as boilie chops to ensure a good mixture of food items to get them grubbing about. After the particles have been dispersed, the scent from the paste will still be active and working in the water, drawing fish in for hours after breaking down. 

Powder Attraction

Powders can also be used alongside paste, to increase the instant attraction levels in the water column. On heavily stocked waters, getting those important food signals into the water as quick as possible is key to drawing fish in fast and by using highly soluble powders alongside paste is on of the best ways to achieve this. Straight from the pot, the paste is tacky and sticky, which means getting powders to cling to the desired amount of paste is easy work. If using paste around the hookbait or lead, simply roll into the fine chosen powders; this could be a base mix to match the paste or simply an alternative powdered additive such as Krill Meal or GLM

After working the powder into the paste, this will seep instant, cloudy attraction into the swim, leaving the paste to break down at a slower, lengthier rate. 

Liquids & Paste

At times when you want the paste to maintain shape and solid nature for longer, such as using on a river or lowering into the margins when stalking carp, adding liquids will help prolong this. Liquid foods and oils create a barrier around the paste, which means less water can penetrate the skin and begin the process of breaking it down. In some situations, you may need the past to maintain intact for longer, so by simply soaking the hookbait in liquids will help to achieve this. 

Hookbait balancing 

Paste can also be used to effectively balance your hookbait, by moulding around the perfect amount to counterbalance the buoyancy of the hookbait itself when using a pop- up. This tactic is ideal when having the hookbait in place for a short amount of time, if you are regularly re- casting or watching fish in the edge and placing the hookbait carefully. 

Begin by whittling down your chosen pop- up hookbait, you will need it to be fairly small in order to retain an overall regular sized hookbait. Now, the key is to simply add a small piece of paste around the hookbait at a time, test it to see if the bait sinks slowly and if more paste is needed, simply dry and add another fine layer. 

What you are trying to achieve is a slow sinking hookbait, one that the carp will need little effort to suck in when feeding with caution, due to the neutral buoyancy of the hookbait itself. 

These are just a few unique tips to try with paste, but in reality, the world is your oyster when it comes to ideas of using this awesome and truly versatile product. Paste has a place in your fishing armoury at all times of year; whether that is to increase the solubility and food signals in the winter months or create the perfect stalking hookbait as summer comes round, the options are endless and it is down to trail and error to find the most effective technique for you. 

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