How to make two-toned pop-ups
Gain an edge, catch more and have the satisfaction of catching on your own hookbaits
There’s no doubt that we are absolutely spoilt for choice these days with a massive selection of fantastic ready-rolled hookbaits and on the face of it, you might think there wouldn’t be any need whatsoever to look further than the tackle shops shelves. I agree to a certain extent because if something is available ‘off-the-shelf’ I’m also likely to take advantage. However, when a situation comes up that requires something a bit different, I’ve never really been happy just making do with something that’s ok but could be better.
The main thing about going the extra mile and preparing your own hookbaits is that you can make them totally unique to you, and that can be really important at those times when we seem to be fishing just as much against our fellow angler as we are against the carp. I think I bought my first rolling equipment when I was about fifteen and since then a year hasn’t gone by when I haven’t rolled up some ‘special’ hookbaits of some kind.
Over the years there have been some great attractors discovered that are just as effective as any of the baits currently in fashion. This old school combination here was relied upon by many an angler in the 80’s and early 90’s.
Although a good selection of two-tone hookbaits can now be found in your local tackle shop, the idea of high contrast baits has been around as long as I can remember and they are dead easy to make yourself. On this occasion I’m making them with my next six week's angling in mind, but different variations can be made depending on the time of year. For instance, if I wanted some alternative summer hookbaits I might go with a 50/50 mix of yellow pop-up mix and the base mix from my chosen summer boilie – remember that special hookbaits don’t always have to be pop-ups and could be wafters or straight bottom baits. I’ve found these two-tones to be an excellent alternative on waters that although respond well to bright hookbaits, have been hammered on the usual options such as pineapple etc.
1 A mixture of orange and yellow is perfect for winter and these pop-up mixes are available from Richworth etc.
2 One egg per colour will make loads of pop-ups. For bright baits I use the egg white only as leaving out the yolk helps to preserve the pop-ups vibrant colours.
3 Strawberry Jam and Cornish Ice Cream is a classic flavour combination. On this occasion I’m using both flavours in each colour paste but if I was using a fish/fruit combo, I would probably use the fish attractor in one mix and the fruit in the other.
4 Measure out concentrated flavours carefully.
5 Add the pop-up mix in small quantities at a time.
6 The paste that benefits from being left to stand for 15 minutes before being rolled out.
7 Place the paste in a bag to ensure the paste is consistent all the way through.
8 After mixing the orange paste, both mixes are ready to roll – it’s important to work quickly from this point on.
9 To get the two-tone effect, simply mould the two paste together. This looks about right – mould them too much and
the effect won’t look as good.
10 Get the paste straight into the boilie gun.
11 The first sausage out of the bait gun can be used to see if the paste will roll properly.
12 Roll the first baits and check for paste left on the rollers. If the rollers are sticky, leave the mix for a few more minutes and try again.
13 Perfect – a few minutes later the baits roll perfectly leaving no paste on the roller.
14 Within a matter of minutes I have rolled just over 100 baits.
15 Don’t waste the off-cuts. They can be put back through the gun or saved to use as a high-attract paste to mould around your hookbaits.
16 I boil the hookbaits 30 at a time so the water doesn’t come off the boil.
17 During the cooking process, keep a lid on to ensure a rolling boil – this helps to cook the baits evenly.
18 Leave to dry overnight and it’s job done. These baits can either be stored in the freezer or left to air-dry for a further 48-72hrs to give them a shelf-life.
Top tips
If you’re serious about your hookbaits then this inexpensive rolling kit is an essential purchase. A cheap bait gun and a couple of different sized rollers is all you really need to get going and will last you a lifetime.
When adding liquid attractors I measure them out carefully and always make a note of the exact levels used. If I’m fortunate enough to come up with a real flier it’s then an easy task to roll some more identical baits.