How to make your own two-tone washed out pop-ups

Why bother?

Why roll your own custom baits? The answer is simple: with carp waters becoming increasingly pressured by anglers, making your feed or hookbait exclusive and specific to you and your approach is always going to be a massive edge. This month’s bait typifies this ethos, being what could perhaps be best described as a ‘chameleon’ style pop-up hookbait, as its appearance covers two great ways at fooling edgy carp: (a) the ‘washed-out’ safe bait characteristics coupled with (b) flecks of bright visually stimulating colour. The result is a unique, high-attract pop-up customised by your flavour choice that’s perfect for everything from single hookbait tactics to a heavy baiting or PVA bag approach.

The recipe

Approximately 90 minutes

Ingredients
1ml Scopex
3ml Cherry Juice
1ml Sweet Ade
5ml Multi-Stim
Ľ tsp. Tru Colour White
Ľ tsp. Tru Colour Red
Polaris Pop-Up Mix
One egg

Equipment
Mixing bowl, measuring syringe or pipette, rolling table, bait gun, fork, spoon(s), saucepan and sieve or strainer

Ready-to-use in…
24hrs air-drying but preferably five to seven days

1 Crack the egg and tip both the white and yolk into the mixing bowl followed by the flavours at levels recommended here.

2 Whisk the egg and the flavours together evenly before keeping back around half the liquid in a cup or bowl for a later step.

3 Add the red bait dye next. For the ‘washed-out’ appearance we’re looking for, only add a tiny amount – around Ľ of a tsp.

4 Now add the Polaris Pop-Up Mix to the bowl a little at a time. Mixing with a fork then by hand to slowly build-up the paste.

5 Once the paste no longer sticks to your hands and the texture is firm yet pliable place in a plastic bag and put to one side.

6 Make another ball of paste using the remaining liquid but with white dye this time and then roll each colour paste into three sausages.

7 Alternate the different colours and stick together to form one larger sausage – giving it a little twist before loading into the bait gun.

8 Pump the paste onto the rolling table (some will be whiter, some redder but this is perfect) and then roll the paste into round baits.

9 Bring some water to the boil, add around 20 baits, boil for two minutes and then leave to stand and dry on some kitchen towel.

10 Ideally, air-dry for several days before storing; a few drops of flavour with 5ml Multi-Stim will then make a great soak.