How to hone your hookbaits

Making your own hookbaits is a serious edge - it’s something all the big names including Kevin Nash, Gary Bayes and Alan Blair have always done. Now Nashbait has made it easy to create amazing pop-ups, balanced baits and special bottom baits. The base mix in the Hookbait Kits uses additional hardeners to create perfect skins around corkballs or extra durable bottom baits that can be left out for long periods of time. Of course the included liquid blend is just a starting point - as is the colour - there’s other suggested recipes on the ‘How To Guide’ which is included within each tub. Here’s how you use them…

What you need:

Scopex Squid Hookbait Kit
One egg

1. Start by cracking and whisking one egg into a bowl.

2. Next add all the dedicated liquid addition and mix well to distribute the additives with the egg.

3. Slowly add the Hookbait Base Mix to the egg, mixing thoroughly with a fork.

4. Once the mix cannot be worked with a fork, remove the paste from the bowl with lightly greased hands and then knead it until it becomes soft and pliable and leaves no sticky residue on your hands.

5. Roll (by hand or a rolling tackle) hardened bottom baits of your required size; make barrel-shaped hookbaits (gun the paste out and then cut with a knife); and for corkball pop-ups, mould a small 2-3mm skin of paste around the corkball and roll between your palms.

6. Drop your hookbaits into boiling water; the longer they are boiled, the tougher they will be. Corkball pop-ups: 30-40 seconds; bottom baits: anywhere between 60-75 sec for a 12mm bait right up to 2m 30 sec for a 24mmiller.

7. Drain and then leave them to air-dry for 24hrs before potting up and adding a small amount of glug.