We all know that particles like nuts and peas and beans all make good baits be it for feeding or for use as hook baits but do we know how these baits should be used in terms of safety,do you know how to prepare such baits so they offer no harm to the fish because uncooked nuts and such are potential killers why because the fish (carp)can not digest these baits unless they are cooked so they are soft and easy to digest if used in there natural state (uncooked)these can and will cause death to the fish so understanding how to prepare these baits is critical in carp (fish) welfare.
I will try and put together a table of the most common used particle baits and the time that is needed to prepare these baits from there natural source but it is important to remember that you can buy ready cooked baits that saves the problems of preparing them but if you want to buy in bulk and save your self a lot of money then the uncooked or unprepared particles that you can buy from farm shops and supermarkets just to name two outlets off hand are the best bets of supplies but you must cook them and that means boiling.
In the following list you will find that a lot of these baits have a very similar if not identical times for preparation....
BLACK EYED PEAS.....soak for 12 hours and then boil for 30 minutes
BROAD BEANS.....the same time is needed for these as the above and all the ones that follow have the same preparation times as well...
CHICK PEAS
DARI
MAPLE PEAS
PEA NUTS
RED KIDNEY BEANS
TARES
all these have the same cooking time and preparations.
Now for some that differ in times and preparation..
HEMP......soak for 12 hours and boil until split.
PARTIBLEND......soak 12 hours and boil for just one minute.
HAZEL NUTS...soak for 24 hours and boil for 30 minutes.
MAIZE....the same as above (hazel nuts).
TIGER NUTS...the same as above (maize).
WHEAT....soak for 12 hours but no boiling needed.
You can see that all need to be soaked for at least 12 hours or longer to soften the hard outer skins and most require a boiling time of 30 minutes after soaking,you can buy SWEETCORN and CHICK PEAS already cooked and ready for use in tins and to be honest it would be a lot easier to buy the tins than prepare them.
It is as always personal preference has to what you might add for attraction because many like to use food dyes to add colour or other ingredients that they think will give them the edge but the preperation time is nearly always the same so if you use this table as a guide you should be fine and the carp (fish) will be safe from any harm...hope this helps you....tight lines!
