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SPOTLIGHT ON... | BAIT
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Over the years the
bait market has
changed considerably.
Maggots, boilies, frozen
deadbaits, worms, casters,
sweetcorn and breadcrumb
were pretty much the
staple baits that the local
tackle shop would typically
sell however nowadays
there is a massive choice.
The market has exploded
with continental style
groudbait mixes which are
species specifi c, simple to
use and relatively cheap
while on the other end of
the groundbait market are
some groundbaits based on
scientifi c foundations which
trigger fi sh into feeding and
keep them in front of you
for longer. That’s just the
groundbaits. There’s a whole
host of other baits available
such as pellets, pastes,
frozen boilies, grab and go
boilies, liquid glugs and
additives, powder additives,
preserved particle mixes,
colourings, fl avourings,
semi buoyant and buoyant
dumbells and many artifi cial
plastic baits that resemble
sweetcorn, bread and even
maggots.
Sometimes the choice
can be a bit overwhelming
however, if you ask any
retailer, it’s the number one
product that has the highest
turnover and makes up for
at least 90 per cent of all
purchases. It’s the number
one consumable product
that every retailer should be
capitalising on. Anglers get
excited about bait, fact. New
baits that come onto the
market are always eagerly
anticipated and you can
actually feel the excitement
of anglers when they
manage to get their hands
on the latest bait product.
There really is a massive
amount of choice these days
for the shopkeeper and with
all the bait that’s available
to them it can be a hard
decision on what to stock
due to the shelf space they
have. The best thing to do
would be to focus on your
local customers and what
type of fi shing is on offer in
the local area. Simply stock
the relative baits suited to
the local target species but
include a selection of the
weird and wonderful eye
catching products.
Every angler out there,
competitive or not, wants
to fi nd that one bait that’s
going to help them catch
more fi sh and will keep
trying various products
based on hearsay, and
recommendations.
The manufacturers are
constantly coming up with
new ideas and products to
satisfy the demands by the
end user even though their
existing range is substantial.
One thing that’s noticeable
is the quality of bait these
days. The ingredients that go
into some of these products
www.tackletradeworld.com 31
are fi rst class and sourced
from reputable
and sustainable
suppliers. One
of the biggest
concerns is that of
fi shery owners and
just what is it that
anglers are throwing
into their lakes to catch
fi sh. Many owners I know
don’t allow certain baits to
be used however, now, there
are many that are educating
themselves and allowing
certain brands of bait to be
used and even stocking it on
site to sell to anglers such
is the quality and of course,
demand for the product.
BAIT CATEGORIES
Naturals – Maggots,
Casters, Worms, Sweetcorn,
Luncheon Meat
PELLETS – A highly effective
bait considering it’s what
the majority of fi sh have
been reared on in
the hatcheries.
Pellets are
available in many
different sizes,
colours, fl avours,
textures and
breakdown speeds.
They are extremely
versatile and
loved by anglers
everywhere.
GROUNDBAITS
– The basic form
of groundbait is simply
breadcrumbs and
while this can be
used in its basic
state, it is often
added to more
expensive blended
groundbaits to “bulk”
out the volume and
sometimes to tone down
the strong fl avours. More
expensive groundbaits are
species specifi c and contain
all manner of fl avours,
attractants, particles and
colours. Mixed with water,
groundbait can be used in
many different ways.
BOILIES – Boilies need
no introduction in their
popularity and form part of
the staple diet on most carp
lakes. Available in many
different sizes, colours,
fl avours and also buoyancy,
boilies have been responsible
for many record carp
captures.
ADDITIVES AND
FLAVOURS – All baits
can be enhanced
by adding either
additives or
fl avourings.
Available in powder,
liquid, gel and sprays,
these additives can
really add up at the
till and are great
confi dence builders
for anglers.
MARCEL VAN DEN EYNDE
UK
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/www.tackletradeworld.com