How to pack solid PVA bags with attraction

Solid bags are not just a small-carp tactic. In fact, some of my biggest carp have fallen to a roving, solid bag approach. By that, I mean opportunistic bites, slinging them at showing fish. I guess it is a little like fishing single, bright pop-ups, except these contain scent, oil and a parcel of attraction – just enough to entice them to the hookbait.

I have caught numerous hefty mirrors to over 40lb from the gravel pit I fish, so it is a tactic that I always have in my armoury, whether that be on one rod or all three. However, these aren’t just any old solid bags containing pellets… I spice them up to enhance attraction two-fold, again just like dosing up a single hookbait, but with even more oomph.

The injected bags doing the business again

Double bagging

My solid bags are rock hard. I regularly fish to distances well in excess of 100yd. Therefore, they need to be aerodynamic and fly like bullets. The mix is ultra important, not only to allow me to compress everything tightly, but also to leak attraction to my chosen hookbait. This tends to be in the form of a bright, high-attract hookbait – a Northern Special generally.

Fishing at distance also requires the right bag: a robust, tough PVA that won’t tear or break on the cast. In fact, I double bag for optimum peace of mind. I start off with my rig, a simple drop-off in-line set-up comprising a supple coated braid and a Multi Rig. I fill the bottom layer with CC Moore Salmon Micro feed. The texture of this stuff is like sand but with appeal of course. It’s quite dense and heavy, not too dry but not too wet either, perfect for pushing into a bag. I then place my hookbait and lead inside.

A lovely boxy mirror is the result

Ensuring that the lead and hookbait are separated, I begin to fill with more Salmon Micro Feed. This is followed by a handful of Milkmin Pellets – a very sweet, creamy pellet that the carp digest particularly well. I fill the bag three-quarters and then grasp the bag between my fingers. I twist the PVA and tap all the bait down so it is compact. I then finish and tie off with PVA tape, ensuring it is solid.

To ensure that the bag is completely aerodynamic, I fold the corners in and then lick and stick. It just helps it to fly truer. I trim the top of the bag where I have tied off just to keep things tidy. I then double bag it to finish, to slow down the breakdown rate and ensure that it reaches the bottom intact.

Added attraction

Now for the enhancing bit. Using a deadbait syringe, I choose an attractor – this could be in the form of an oil, an extract or whatever you wish to inject into your PVA. I personally love CC Moore Slicker Oil in the warmer months. I simply suck in the liquid, poke the needle into the bag and inject. It will fill up full of goodness which leaks through the water.

Oil is also a fantastic indicator as to whether or not a fish is feeding. Quite often a fish will swim over the area and dip down to feed. If it’s windy, the disturbance will send oil to the surface, creating a slick. If this happens, you know something’s happening beneath.

On the day of the session I used roving solid bag tactics and having pinpointed a few fish porpoising at range, I opted for this tactic. I didn’t want to disturb them with a Spomb, so I slung out three bags towards the showing fish and was rewarded with a lovely, boxy mirror at over 34lb. If you want to nick a bite when all else is failing then give it a try!

For even more attraction, once you’ve injected the bag, you can give the outside a dunk too!

Bait bushcraft

How Karl packs the tightest solid bags around and then pumps them full of attraction

1. What makes up Karl’s bags: salmon fry crumb, Milkimin Pellets and liquids.

2. Karl’s rig is a simple braided Multi Rig fished with a small dull pop-up.

3. First he fills the bottom layer with CC Moore Salmon Micro feed like so.

4. He then places his hookbait and lead inside (lead at the bottom, pop-up at the top).

5. Ensuring that the lead and hookbait are separated, he adds more salmon fry crumb.

6. This is followed by a handful of Milkmin Pellets – a very sweet, creamy pellet.

7. With the bag three-quarters, Karl twists the PVA and ties off with some tape.

8. To ensure that the bag is completely aerodynamic, fold the corners in.

9. Karl then trims the top of the bag where he’s tied it off just to keep things tidy.

10. He then double bags it to finish, to slow down the breakdown rate.

11. Once again, he secures it with tape and then trims off the excess PVA.

12. And here’s the finished bag: small, tight and packed full of attraction!

13. But he wants to add more attraction! And Karl does this with liquid attractors.

14. Using a dead bait syringe, suck up your chosen liquid as Karl has here.

15. Poke the needle into the bag and inject. It will fill up full of goodness!