Catching pellets – is an individual granule that can serve as a nozzle or a component for a bait. So how to make pallets for angling? They are made from different ingredients, full of protein, vitamins and all sorts of nutrients.
The pellets are made of:
- cereals;
- nuts;
- flavouring;
- protein supplements;
- meat (fish, shrimp, etc.);
- fats;
- flour, etc.
How are pellets made?
There are two ways. The first one – is the extrusion. In this method, the pellet is prepared as the result of heat treatment and exposure to high-pressure. The second method is a cold press. Because of that moisture also leaves the moist mixture under the high pressure.
As for its consistency, it is very hard. If only it gets into the water as it soaks and begins to spread attractive smells and nutrients. Naturally, the sazan comes to the place of catching. Her appetite strongly increases, because she feels food, but can’t get enough.
Besides, the effectiveness of the granules is explained by their unique structure. By absorbing water, the pellet gradually softens. As a result, the harvest gets already diminished food. And of course, she likes it. As a result, fodder activity improves. That is why pellets are used both as a nozzle and as bait for carp.
Which pellet is suitable?
There are several varieties of pellets. For example, the most popular of them all is carp and salmon pellets. As you can understand, both were created to catch and feed the harvest the family of sazan or salmon. Do they have any differences? Yes, each contains components that can be good to the taste preferences of sazan, tench or trout.
Since we are interested in angling, it is worth noting that the pellet, made to catch or feed its, almost does not contain fat. But trout is just opposite. Why? It’s simple – fats are practically not digested in the body. So, this fish does not have a great need for food with a high content of fatty acids.
However, this does not mean that you can’t catch sazan with trout pellets. After all, sometimes because of the high content of protein, fats and oils, it becomes an excellent way to attract. Especially in cold water, as well as in autumn or spring.
On this variety, pellets do not end. There is a classification of these granules in size. It is based on their diameter. It is customary to allocate:
Mini-pellets (diameter <1 mm). It is often used as a component. It is also actively added to PVA packages.
Small (diameter about 5 mm). It is mainly included in the composition of feed mixtures.
Medium (1-1.5 cm). It is used as a nozzle for small sazan or as a point bait.
Large (diameter from 1.5 to 2.7 cm). The most effective for catching. On this pellet, a take weighs from 2 to 8 kg.
Extra Large (in diameter from 3 cm). More aimed at catching trophy hunting. It can be carp with a weight of 10 kg.
All listed pellet variants can be used in hunting. The main thing is not to forget those small granules are much more effective in the bait. And putting large pellets on a hook or “hair” is much more effective.
But that’s not all. These catching granules can also be different in their physical properties. Therefore, it is customary to allocate pellets:
Floating (used as a pop-up nozzle for catching in the middle layers); sinking (it is used as an ordinary nozzle, which is because of its negative float stays at the bottom).
Both are suitable for hunting. Because of the different circumstances, the hunting can peck from different depths. For example, in the heat carp often keeps close to the surface, where catching floating pellets is much more effective. While in other cases this catch tries to eat from the bottom, and the sinking granules will be a right decision.
Pellets for angling
- Ball pellets
Ball Pellets split into tiny parts – some of them remain on the water surface and attract carps form middle and upper water levels; other parts help make sazan feel hunger-insane and wake up their appetite. The point here is that the hunting touches the feeding, but it is not full. Speaking of pellets, I’d say that it is something delicious and new. Nevertheless, it’s been a long time since their creation before the angler in England started using the pellets instead of traditional entice. It is not a secret that when you want to catch a sazan, you don’t care about overfeeding it. I think that the usage of pellets will help the hunter is the bite and the sazan are not active. If the harvest doesn’t have a response to the entice – provide it with a dessert in the form of pellets. A half of a usual dose made up from 5-6 balls of the bullets with 2-hour pause is an excellent method for such situation. The same approach is right for winter catching when you count on catching one.
However, if in the water body you choose the fish is not acquainted with Ball Pellets, there are some subtle ways of their presentation. They are better than just throwing them into the water in the place of angling. I want to remind that even the wildest sazan sometimes shows mistrust and caution to the finding equipment so that any disguise will be useful. Make a hole in the pellet to make it slide on the floating line. It will prevent catching line knot and attract its. Instantly soluble bullets are perfect for this case because there is no risk to lose a harvest which will bite. Nowadays there are Ball Pellets the dissolution period of which is half an hour.
In case you put the pellets into the main catching line, it is better to use the ones of 4-5 hours dissolution period. I usually put them near the sinker or above it. This approach helps reach two goals: first of all, pallets play the role of the entice; secondly, they may give a warning signal of a possible bite that you may recognise as slight twitches at the moment the fish is eating.
- Carp Pellets
I do like this type of pellets, and I’ve been a big fan of them for quite a long time. Some years ago I came across an unpleasant situation. I used to take using Rod’s Formulae Majic and Nutrabaits Hemp Pellet, but frequently as additional feeding for the boilies (in contrast to Ball Pellets, you could not get them to the far distance without a ship). Such tactics worked well on water bodies like Cassien and the rivers in Loire Valley. For this purpose, I throw a lot of pallets over an extensive area.
This type of pallets is the only one that suits best for boilies catching. Having a short dissolution period, they attract its correctly just in the right place and wake its appetite up. Especially useful are hemp seeds and tiger nuts based pallets. Besides, these pallets being dissolved create benefits for hunters especially in the water bodies where the small counterparts are the primary objects of food.
I do not like to use too many boilies combined with the pallets as entice. Usually, I take just one put on the hook and about two kilos of pallets thrown around nearby. The area is approximately 10×10 meters. Don’t worry other fish’s reaction to your treatment – they will need to much time to finish everything and this time will be enough for the carp to come and get the entice. The pallets are the best for angling in the big and deep water bodies. At least, my own experience brought me to such a conclusion.
Powdered or liquid Betaine is excellent padding. It is a substance included in the animal feeding and eats it. The number of nutrients and proteins depends on the season. Lower I will give an example of the essential mix, and you will use your fantasy, imagination and experience to decide which components to add or to drop.
Approximate percentage of components balance:
- 40% of feeding mix
- 20% of hemp or sunflower seeds (roasted and blended)
- 10% of dry milk or protein
- 10% loams
- 20% biscuits
- 50 gr salt
- Two ts betaine
- 2 ml flavouring
Instruments:
To make it we need a cooking board to create boilies with 2-2.2 cm diameter, olive oil, pottery, wages, syringe, net to dry the product.
Step by step instruction:
- Put olive oil to your hands, mix all the dry components carefully and add boiled water with flavouring and betaine in it in parts.
- Continue mixing the dough until it stops sticking to your hands. Take not very big part of it and make a “sausage”.
- Put it to the cooking board and pin on a patch.
- Make just two movements – forward and backwards – it will be enough.
- Take the first portion and dry it on the net.
- Put it to the dry, cool place for 4-8 days until it is ready to use.
What is the difference?
So what is the difference between these three types of pellets? I will start with the Ball Pellets. This enticing is the brainchild of Clive Dederich, one of the founders and owners of Richworth (‘rich’ – the word that gave the name to the Richworth brand is the ending of his last name). Nowadays Ball Pellets are produced by various companies, including Nutrabaits, Nashbaits, etc. The components of Ball Pellets are the same as the boilies have.
The technology of production is different – the reference mass is utterly dehydrated at the very beginning, and after that, it is pressed and brought into the needed shape. You can buy Ball Pellets with standard porridges and mixtures, food, seeds, etc. It is evident that most of the ingredients the pellet consists of, – are the porridges. If the situation were the opposite, the angler would come across the problem of placing the entice to the particular place, as any other food is unlikely to remain on the hook after throwing the hunting pole to the distance. Moreover, in England predominate waterbodies where the usage of radio-controlled ships or other devices for feeding delivery is impossible.
As for the other type – Carp Pellets, there is a list of companies specified in its production. But the most famous entice in the world of angling is the one of Formulae Majic, consisting of the four favourite components of Rod Hutchinson. They are made the same way as Ball Pellets, but most of them have the elongated shape. Starmer and Nutrabaits companies produce such pellets with hemp seeds as the main component.
Pellets named ‘The Pellet’ of Solar Tackle company are in high demand. On the English market and possibly on some other countries’ markets there are few types of Pellets, but the mentioned are the most popular and broadly used. Even though the pellets are named as sazan, I believe the term is not relevant. The pellets appeared as a result of scientific researches of the water world. The food with the low percentage of fat is its main constituent parts.
And, finally, trout pellets. We should talk about them separately as there are a lot of them in the markets and anglers tend to confuse them with the ones, because visually they look practically the same. Salmon and trout catching industry has developed significantly and became very popular, especially in the places of the salmon breed with no or not successful human control, where they are on the pellets-diet the whole life. Suzan eats food, rich in vegetable and animal fat, what is somehow dangerous for their immune system. It is why the scientists have developed pellets recipe with low content of fats designed to fish households breeding (now they are called Carp Pellets).
All these types of the pallets have different sizes. I can not choose the best size, but in general, the best result showed small Ball Pallets. Taking into account the peculiarities related to pallets-based angling, I try to talk about my favourite methods in more detail.
What you need to know about catching with pellets
Anglers use bullets as a nozzle, and as bait. In this case, they are treated with attractants or soaked in first dips. Due to such liquids, pellet becomes much more attractive to carp.
Another important thing is that many hunters sometimes have problems with putting pellets on the hook. To avoid them, you need to know about what you can use to apply the bullet. It can be:
- miniature rubber bands;
- dental floss;
- the leash of thin floating line.
Just remember, that the correct installation of such a nozzle – is the key to success. After all, if the pellet is securely fastened to the hook, then the fish can’t easily knock down or pull the granule. She has to swallow it while noting the point. As a result, the number of unoccupied bites is reduced, and there are almost no fails while catching.
How are pellets made?
The time of pallets dissolution depends on the number of viscous components. The best time is 45-90 minutes about the season and the intensity of nutrition.
The time of dissolution may be defined by the method of trying and making mistakes on a small number of the components. Make notes of the components’ percentage.
When the pallets are dry, test it in the water. If you are not satisfied with the time of dissolution, correct the percentage of the counterparts or glueing components. In case everything is OK, you will catch your goldfish. Hope, the information will be useful to you.