Crafty Catcher King Prawn Retro Range

Crafty founder and current MD, Cliff Davis, began experimenting with bait way back in the 70s. Almost half-a-century later, his King Prawn bait - part of Crafty Catchers Retro Range - is still going strong today, but it now comes in a couple of different forms and with a range of back-up products to match…

The Big Questions

Say what?! That bait hasn’t changed since 1984?!
Pretty much, yes. Whilst this 2018 version keeps very in-line with the original recipe - a simple fishmeal base mix with an alcohol-based flavour and some shrimp meal - it does now contain a few other extra niceties, such as brewers yeast, krill protein concentrate, Belechan fermented shrimp, LT fishmeals and liquid foods – all mixed and rolled (into 10, 15 or 18mm balls) at the optimum level. That key flavour, which is what makes this bait truly ‘retro’, is the original prawn flavouring - the very same one Cliff poured into the first ever batch in the mid-80s. And it’s as tried and tested as it gets: catching right across Europe for the last three decades; from Cassien and Salagou to Redmire and Wraysbury.

A heritage-packed bait indeed, but I only like freezer baits…
You’re in luck then. Until 2016, Crafty only made the King Prawn in a shelf-life form, but during the spring of that year, they rolled out their production to include both stabilised and freezer baits, offering them in the three sizes we stated earlier.

So what are all these back-up products then?
There’s three, and the first is the Washed Out Pop-Ups. These are the equivalent to using a high-attract hookbait which is kicking out a ton of attraction but isn’t a blindingly bright yellow or white; these are watered down pink and white. If you don’t fancy deviating too far from the hookbait rulebook, then Crafty have the King Prawn Pop-Ups: uber buoyant, tough and perfectly round darkish brown pop-ups which mimic the freezer baits in every way.

And finally you have the Bait Booster. Loaded with the best ratios of carp-attracting liquids - digestible fish proteins, meat proteins and amino acids - this stunning fat/food source is ideal for all-year-round use and also amazing at stopping silt impregnating your bait. And don’t be afraid to give your foodbait a good drink of this stuff – it can’t be overdone.

They all sound good. Have you got any tips to “spice” it up even more?
We sure have. By pouring the Bait Booster liquid onto your bait straight from the freezer, as the bait thaws out, the liquid is drawn in. Once thawed, the baits can take on an additional coating of the Booster liquid, giving you supercharged bait. Or, if you’re on limited time, then try washing out your bait. By doing this, you can create the illusion of the bait being present in the swim for longer than it has been. And with washed-out pop-ups already in the range, the hookbaits are an easy option.

How do the prices stack up then?
Competitively! The boilies retail for £8.99 a kilo or £19.99 for 2.5kgs; the two types of pop-ups are £4.99 a tub and the Bait Booster comes in at £5.99 for a 250ml bottle.