Not every fishing trip brings a good catch. Weather changes, sudden changes in wind direction, incorrectly selected fishing location, off-season - all this can lead to a lack of fish in the cage. This is a bleak prospect for fishermen.
Perhaps you should pay attention to fishing flavors? But how effective are they? Every experienced fisherman will say: “Effective!” They can treat any bait: plant, live, artificial, or add it to all bait mixtures, thereby increasing their effectiveness: each particle is saturated with an attractive aroma, which lasts in the water for a very long time.
Ichthyologists divide the sense organs of fish into gustatory and olfactory. Unlike humans, they sense only substances dissolved in water and react to their minimal concentrations. Hungry fish swim up to the smell of components added to the bait. Thanks to this, the fisherman lures prey to a convenient fishing spot. The prey begins to feed in the feeding area, swallows the bait and ends up on the hook. [contents]
Fish Attractors
Attractant substances are not food for fish, they are designed to attract it and whet its appetite. They are added in small doses to bait or used to process the bait directly. These are oriental spices, oils, seeds of umbrella plants, some of them are reflected in the table. Their main goal is to encourage fish to swim to the fishing spot from a long distance.
Table. Popular supplements to attract peaceful fish.
| Additive name | In what form is it used? | Adding to bait | What type of fish is it suitable for? |
| Garlic | Ground dried (infusion) | 2-5% | Bream, carp, (crucian carp) |
| Anise | Powder | 6-8% | Bream, carp, crucian carp, roach |
| Star anise fruit | Ground | 2-5% | Peaceful fish of all kinds |
| Cinnamon | Dried ground | 2-5% | Bream |
| Fennel | Oil | 2-5% | Bream |
| Carob fruit | Ground | 5-10% | Bream, roach |
| Turmeric roots and stems | Ground | 10-15% | Roach |
| Dill | Ground | 4-8% | Bream, tench, roach, crucian carp |
| Basil leaves and seeds | Finely ground | 5-7% | Bream |
| Vanilla | Sugar | 6% | Carp, bream, roach, ide |
The above additives can be mixed to enhance the effect and add versatility to the feeding mixture.
For example, when fishing for bream, cinnamon goes well with coriander, basil, and vanilla. Garlic - with star anise, anise, basil.
Some fragrances can be easily made with your own hands. For example, an infusion of fresh garlic is used for catching crucian carp: knead 2-3 cloves, pour a glass of hot water, and leave for 5-6 hours. The resulting volume is poured into water to mix 1.5-2 kg of bait.
Fruit attractants are widely used. They are presented in the form of clean scents: strawberry, plum, banana, peach; as well as their combinations, are used mainly in the summer.
How to use a bouillon cube in bait
Using the cube is easy, just add water.
On average, I add two cubes per kilogram of bait. The difficulty of using cubes is that they do not dissolve well in cold water, so I first dilute them in a glass of boiling water in river water and pour this broth into dry bait.
If you grind them into powder and add them to dry bait, and then mix them with water, it will also dissolve, but not very well. In general, this does not affect the bite.
It is important to use cubes in bait that do not have other odors, for example, for roach I use the following recipe:
1 kg of feed, to swell it I add hot water in which I dissolve the cube. Next, in order to dry the bait, I add either soil from molehills or regular breadcrumbs, and roll the balls, as in the photo below. Sometimes you can add corn or other fillers.
You can boil homemade boilies for bream or carp in the broth; sometimes they work well, but are not predictable.
In general, try it, if you try it, write a comment.
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Supplements for Carnivores
The most accessible and widely known means of influencing the olfactory receptors of predatory fish is familiar to spinning anglers who fish with foam rubber. If such bait is soaked in fresh fish blood, the chances of a bite increase significantly. But the effect of blood as a bite activator is short-lived and lasts only 5-6 minutes. According to reviews, the blood of a predator is much more effective than the blood of white fish. Foam rubber fish is the optimal bait when using blood and other liquid attractants.
Pike hunts by attacking its prey from behind cover; it does not have time to try the bait. This fish is careful and picky. It is not easy to interest her with a foreign aroma, so you should choose bait with an odor close to natural. So, the smell of blood suits her perfectly.
Pike perch is very active and rarely stands in one place. Its life activity begins at night. All this complicates the fisherman's hunt for it. Having set a goal, he will no longer back down. A properly selected additive with a clearly defined odor is the key to success when catching it.
For pike perch and pike, the main flavors are anise, herring, garlic, crayfish, and shrimp.
Attractants act effectively on catfish. Preferred odors are ox blood and chicken giblets. They are very unpleasant for humans, but this fish reacts actively to them. When catching catfish, the bait is treated with a compound with a pungent odor. Diffusers that smell like fish, crayfish, or shells work well.
How did the homemade predator flavor “Perch Killer” come about?
I began to pay attention to the wrapping of bags of “edible” rubber and eagerly read through them in search of something familiar.
But I didn’t see anything there except hieroglyphs. Then I turned my attention to the purchased baits themselves. Touched it, smelled it, tasted it.
The silicones turned out to be salty - here's the first ingredient - salt. And there really isn’t enough salt in fresh water. All animals love salt. And to predatory fish, the taste of salt also resembles blood (aka salty).
Rubber baits feel somewhat greasy to the touch, which means they are soaked or lubricated with some kind of greasy substance.
The first thought prompted the use of some oils - sunflower, flaxseed, vegetable. But these aromas are more suitable for white peaceful fish.
And then I remembered about fish oil. Here is the second ingredient for a homemade flavoring for predatory fish. You can use fishmeal instead of fish oil.
And so that the most aromatic solution (attractant) is always enough, so that it does not quickly evaporate and sticks perfectly to the bait, I added pharmaceutical Vaseline.
Instead of Vaseline (since it “dumbs” in the cold), you can take lard and melt it.
Qualitative characteristics
Carp love an abundance of complementary foods and a choice of bait. Females are especially picky; they very carefully approach the food; upon noticing the slightest threat, they retire to rookeries at the bottom of pits - favorite places of peace and relaxation. When purchasing, you need to take into account the compatibility of the components of the bait with the attractant.
Their correct combination is a guarantee of a good catch of a weighty trophy. Activators consist of synthesized pheromones, additives of animal and plant origin. In practice, choosing the right one is not an easy task. There are a huge number of their varieties and manufacturers on the modern market. Many fishermen make similar compositions at home.
Both factory-made and home-made mixtures must have some important characteristics that indicate their quality:
- Action area. The bait should attract fish from afar.
Versatility. The same attractant is effectively used to activate the bite of both predators: pike, pike perch, catfish, and white fish - carp, bream, crucian carp.- Effect on appetite. The bait should not only attract prey, but also increase its appetite. A fish that wants to eat loses its caution. She will greedily swallow the bait.
- Practicality. The supplement should be designed for several fishing trips and have convenient packaging.
- Ready to use. The ability to use bait immediately after adding an attractant is convenient for the fisherman.
- Environmentally friendly product.
The active substance in the mixture must be safe and not have a negative effect on the reservoir and its fauna.
Varieties
Attractants to enhance the carp bite are divided into groups depending on the fishing location, the presence of a current, and the type of bait. They are produced in the following forms:
Powders. Does not contain aromatic oils, but only natural ingredients in certain doses. Packaged in bags of different weights. It is used both in current and in still water. Added to the main bait. Main components:
- maggot;
- mayfly butterfly larvae;
- a red or green worm is special;
- mud, river grasses;
- hemp, rapeseed, flaxseed cake;
- bran.
bloodworm;
This attractant can be added to the bait or coated with it before casting.
Pills. Available in packs of 500 and 1 thousand pieces. They are easy to use: throw 8-10 pieces into the fishing spot. Once they reach the bottom, they begin to dissolve, forming a cloud that spreads over a wide area and lures the victim. The disadvantage is that the effect of one portion is designed for one hour, then you need to repeat the cast again.
They have the widest range of aromas: vanilla, cinnamon, dill, anise, tutti-frutti, barberry and others.
Among the taste preferences of carp, it is worth noting: honey, caramel, hemp, garlic, fruit aromas.
Carp baits can be divided into two types:
Sweet compounds. They are recommended to be mixed with activators based on essential oils and fruit or sweet products: halva, cookies, etc.- Spicy compounds. They need to be enhanced with the smell of dill, sunflower, and cake. In the cold season, aromas of animal origin are effective: shells, cod liver, crab attractants. You can use fishmeal, canned food, and boiled shrimp. Use them separately or complement them with the smell of garlic or hemp.
In spring and summer, fish prefer fruity and sweet aromas. During the cold period - smells of animal origin - canned fish, fish oil, blood, poultry offal and spices.
About the types of homemade means to attract blood-sucking insects
Mosquito baits that you can make yourself are divided into types. Depending on what substance is used as the basis for attracting mosquitoes.
The following options are the most promising.
Alcoholic drinks
For reasons that are not entirely clear, bloodsuckers love the smell of alcoholic beverages. Beer is of greatest interest to them. Apparently, this is due to fermentation processes, which are accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide.
Alcohol concentration plays a lesser role. To make bait, it is recommended to use any type of beer with a moderate alcohol content.
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Red wine should not be used. It has a specific composition that can, on the contrary, repel mosquitoes.
To make bait, 100-150 ml of alcoholic drink is enough. Volatile substances that are released during the evaporation of alcohol attract insects for 3-6 hours. The higher the air temperature around, the faster evaporation occurs. Therefore, the attractant quickly becomes unusable. It has to be updated.
Perfume based lures
Of greatest interest to mosquitoes are sharp, sweet synthetic aromas, as well as natural plant extracts, except citrus fruits and vanilla.
To make mosquito bait at home, you can use specially purchased cheap perfume. The main thing is not to overdo it, since excessive concentration only makes things worse. A few milliliters of the substance is enough. The approximate proportion is 5 ml of perfume per 50-100 ml of water.
Perfume lasts a positive effect longer than alcoholic drinks. The approximate duration of action is 10-12 hours. After which the bait needs to be updated.
Also in the section: Making a mosquito trap with your own hands
Yeast based attractants
Yeast mosquito bait is considered a classic option for controlling mosquitoes. The yeast itself has a weak, specific aroma. From the mosquito's point of view, it is neutral and of no particular interest. Therefore, the recipe for a homemade attractive compound with yeast includes three components at once:
- Warm water (about 30 degrees Celsius). As a solvent and base for nutrient medium. A glass (200-250 ml) is enough.
- Yeast. One package of dry yeast, 5 grams. The main ingredient that must be thoroughly dissolved.
- Sugar. In the amount of 2 tablespoons.
The sugar solution acts as a nutrient medium. Yeast microorganisms are activated. The result of their vital activity is a large amount of carbon dioxide, which mosquitoes perceive as a sign of the presence of a living organism - a source of food for themselves and their offspring. You can use this natural mechanism to your advantage.
The duration of action is from 3 to 10 days. At high ambient temperatures, the effect stops much earlier. Without yeast it completely disappears. The trap needs to be made again.
Other drinks to attract mosquitoes
In addition to those described, there are recipes for a homemade mosquito attractant based on kvass. But only natural kvass, which contains fermentation products, is suitable for use. It's quite difficult to find one. But you can do it yourself.
Kvass is used on the same principle as alcohol.
To successfully control insects in a house where the number of mosquitoes is small, an attractant alone is not enough. It is necessary to think over a mechanism for exterminating the insect. In professional devices, the effect is achieved using an electrical element that eliminates the uninvited guest with a discharge upon careless touch. Or, using a special air device that works like a vacuum cleaner, sucks up the insect and places it in a closed container, a fabric collection box.
In artisanal conditions, achieving the same efficiency will not be easy, given the limited technological solutions. The result can be achieved by adding viscous substances without odor or with a neutral aroma to the bait. Even better is to add substances that will be pleasant to mosquitoes. This may include:
- Honey. Natural honey has a sweet aroma, and when dissolved in a liquid medium, it gives the composition the necessary viscosity.
- Sugar syrup. Has a neutral odor. In high concentrations, it is viscous enough to deprive the mosquito of mobility and the ability to escape from the trap.
- Detergents with floral fragrances. In small quantities they do not drive away and cause additional interest. And the liquid, sticky texture allows you to draw in the uninvited guest and eliminate him.
When making mosquito bait at home, it is enough to mix an improvised attractant and a substance that will hold the insect. The proportions depend on the specific type of homemade trap.
Fishing sauces
Dips are a type of attractant. The name comes from the English word “dip”, which means dipping, immersion. They are impregnating liquids containing amino acids, sugar, and flavorings. They come in liquid, powder, and gel forms. The bait is dipped into them before casting, after which it is saturated with aroma and other properties attractive to fish.
These supplements are now produced by hundreds of manufacturers. Despite all the diversity, they are divided into two groups:
- Simple - capable of luring fish. They were originally used for catching bream, crucian carp, and other types of fish. They are oil-based liquids mixed with aromatic substances. They are simple and convenient, good for short fishing, and nowadays they are successfully used by fishermen. The bait is dipped into the odorous solution for a few seconds and is ready to be cast.
Simple ones include sticky dips. They are a sticky aromatic gel. The bait immersed in it is covered with a shell, which dissolves in water and attracts fish. Before use, place the jar in hot water. When heated, its contents become more liquid. The bait is dipped into it, then it cools in the air, turning into a gel again. Corn grains, pellets, and other bait particles can easily be glued to a still warm boilie treated with such an attractant.
- Nutrients - lure fish and stimulate their appetite. They differ from simple ones in their manufacturing recipe and method of application. The bait is immersed in them for a long time. They are more stable and effective: they better transmit food signals to prey, and have a longer and more complex effect on the fish.
Luminous dips are nutritious; their composition contains a gel that can glow in water. Its greenish glow is the main attraction for fish. This type of bite activator is divided into two types: for daytime fishing and night fishing. The latter has the function of charging from the light of a flashlight.
The fish sees the ultraviolet glow of the bait. Adding sparkles to the substance gives a good attractive effect. Suitable materials for using illuminated lubricants are ribbed silicone and foam rubber.
Many carp anglers prefer powder additives. When using them, the bait is dipped into water, then into powder and back into water. During these manipulations, the boilie is covered with a layer of jelly, which, dissolving in water for several hours, transmits appetizing and luring signals to the fish.
This type of nutritional fluid has many beneficial properties. Some are used as preservatives: boilies soaked in them remain fresh for several weeks even in hot weather. Other dips keep pre-dried baits moist for up to several months. Fishermen carry them with them, using them for a long time if necessary. They are also used to increase the efficiency of artificial baits.
You can buy them at any fishing department or make them yourself. The basis is taken of several nutritious liquids, different in properties, to which one or more other components are added: flavors, essential oils, powder components.
Correct Application
For an attractant to be truly beneficial, it must be used very carefully.
- Firstly, before applying the substance to the bait, you need to wash your hands well (especially if they smell of gasoline or other industrial substances).
- Secondly, under no circumstances should you dip the nozzle into liquid. It is enough to apply a small drop on it and distribute it evenly throughout the bait. After completing this procedure, you must wash your hands thoroughly again, otherwise any nozzle that you touch will begin to emit the smell of the attractant you previously used.
Predatory fish also do not remain indifferent to this, but in this case the process of choosing a suitable smell will be somewhat different. For example:
- A pike, waiting in ambush for a passing fish, simply does not have time to catch the smell of the prey and navigates mostly by sight. The only thing that can attract her is the smell of fresh blood;
- A pike perch hunting in the dark, on the contrary, will readily respond to an attractant if you select the right scent;
- Perch, in turn, is a picky fish whose taste preferences can change over the seasons. Therefore, one should not be surprised if the attractant he liked in the spring did not bring the desired result in the summer.
The number of opinions about the benefits of attractants in fishing is equal to the number of fishermen. Some regularly use these substances and bring home an excellent catch, while others achieve the same results without specific odors. Still others believe that the use of such tricks deprives the process of fishing of sporting interest and are neutral towards attractants. In any case, everyone can try the effect of the bite activator and draw their own conclusions.
