Manilla Active From Sticky Baits

Like a football team with a shrewd manager and sensible financial backing, Sticky have risen up the leagues to the very top of the table over the last decade. Under Tom Anderson’s guidance they’ve gone from being a relatively small bait operation to one of Britain’s biggest in pretty short order. Where once it was all about their Bloodworm range, the real pivotal moment came with the introduction of the Krill boilies and then the instant coldwater classic Manilla. Now, though, it’s all about the Active range of coated boilies. Here are five reasons to love the Manilla Active.

1. The Active concept
If you’re not familiar with Sticky’s Active range, let us explain. Sold in big bags just like ‘normal’ boilies, the Active range features a boilie core with a rich paste outer coating. That fizzing top layer breaks down to leave an attractive powder pile around each bait, while the inner core remains boilie-like whether it’s on your Hair or used as a freebie.

2. The Manilla pedigree
The Manilla is Sticky’s flagship colder-water boilie and is made on a base of milk and birdfood proteins. Its taste, flavour and attraction comes from Madagascan vanilla extract and peanut protein. It has a yellow-creamy colour and is suitable for year-round use but comes into its own in winter and spring due to its digestibility. 

3. Different from the rest
Yes, we’ve seen coated buoyant hookbaits before, but not big bags of standard bottom baits each given an attractive outer jacket. To do so has taken big investment and years of research from the team at Sticky. Effectively, the result is like mixing normal boilies in liquid and powder in your bait bucket—except it’s already expertly done for you. 

4. As fresh as it gets
The Manilla Active boilies are exclusively available as a freezer bait. This might be an inconvenience to some anglers without such storage space, but it undoubtedly creates a fresher, better boilie. And if you don’t have freezer room, try the Manilla Active Wafters or Tuff Ones hookbaits—they’ll demonstrate the Active principle (drop one in the edge and watch it leak off) and you’ll soon be looking for a second-hand freezer for the garage! 

5. The results
There are few bigger and better bait teams in the carp world than the one assembled by Sticky. If the results of Adam Penning, Scott Lloyd, Tom Maker, Oz Holness, Martin Bowler and many, many others don’t fill you with confidence then nothing will. Indeed, Mr Penning calls Manilla Active “an incredible bait… at first glance or sniff it might seem like a lot of other baits, but believe me, it isn’t”.

Scott Lloyd’s Mushed-Up Manilla Mix!

What you need: Manilla Active boilies, Manilla Pellets in 2.3mm, Manilla Active Mix, Manilla Cloudy Liquid, water and a bucket.

1. Soak the Manilla Active boilies in water for 24hrs before using the mix.

2. Once softened, mush them up in your hands, ensuring that no whole baits are left. 

3. Next add some Manilla Active Mix to add further attraction to the mix and alter the wet consistency slightly.

4. A few 2.3mm pellets are then added, followed by a good dose of Manilla Cloudy Liquid.

5. And here’s the finished mix. It sounds incredible!