Pellet and Paste
This has become one of the most popular baits over the last decade,
Ready made for the hook in all flavours and colors ,
I prefer to do my own and get expanders , To prepare these you really need a pellet pump Price from a fiver to about fifteen pounds, once you have pumped your expander drain of water place pellet into an air tight container add some water and by the time you are ready to use them they will have expanded , If you fancy playing around with your pellet you can add coloring via cochineal for a red pellet , Flavouring use a jelly thus turning the pellet into a firmer consistency thus stays on the hook better and deters small fish from having a go at it , Just soak the pellet in a flavoured jelly when its almost cold keep stirring and just before the jelly set drain of your pellet , Save the liquid to add to ground bait , 3m and 5 m I use for all my fishing and feed micro pellet but these have to be dampened other wise they float .
Banded pellets are a really good way as the hook is free, I use carp rigging tube and cut thin slivers and stretch it over the pellet using a small hook 20s to 18s the hook is not outstanding and can be deadly when fishing up in the water and spraying with micro pellet , By the way these pellet are hard and last for a few fishes if your lucky .

Pastes , I use micro pellet soaked and make into a putty consistency by molding it in my hands .To ship out a paste use and kinder egg cup set back down the pole and once your out tip over and you don't loose the paste from the hook , best to have to pots one at the front for a few loose pellets .
Experiment with anything you come across, Swimstim green and the black groundbait both make good paste .
Look in the fridge and cupboard see what in there , A tin of meat why not liquidize and turn that into a paste , bit different that a cub of meat on the bottom of the pool as the fish see lots of cubes so fool them , experiment and go for it .

Written By *Dave*