In this section i will talk about other baits, some common ones some not so common ones and some down right strange ones.We properly all heard of cheese for a bait but what about potatoes or even strawberry's?

The trick is when you go to a new water for your first time have a walk around, look for trees over hanging the water or very close the edge then have a rummage around the bottom of them trees or bushes and see if you can find any berry's or any other food source.

WARNING if you collect berry's common sense must prevail DO NOT EAT THEM, make sure you got some baby wipes for washing hands after baiting up.

The stuff you gathered is a natural bait that the fish will be use to so its not going to spook them also most other anglers wont have thought about collecting natural food. The food will work best around where you found it so if you found some nice berry's under a over hanging bush put you bait there.

Another good fruit based bait is whole cherry's or bits of strawberry's.
Mushrooms can also be a good bait but you will need to either leger them or soak them first as they will float. Berry's and mushrooms work best on the hair rig, as they can be a little hard to get to stay on the hook.

LIVE NATURAL BAITS.

Ok so we all know about worms as a bait but how about a slimy slug? gather a few up and then try them very good on chub waters or where there's a good head of Tench. To hook slugs you need a large hook around a size 4 straight through the back,

Snails can also be very effective (remove the shell first!!) hook the same as slugs.

Frogs , Well frogs are very good for pike but they only really work in the early season (June and July) gather a few live ones and then just nick the skin with your trebles and free line them.

Tadpoles are good for smaller fish again early season only just hook one on a size 16 hook and away you go.

Whatever you find around the water will probably work as this is what the fish will be used to, I know im probably going to get a few emails over the frogs and things like that but we need to remember that when we fish we try to present the bait in its natural form so the fish are not spooked by it, frogs tadpoles etc are natural baits that get eaten by fish everyday, and being natural there are not full of any additives or unnatural chemicals so better for the fish and environment.

PASTES

Ok we have covered Trout pellet paste what about the others?

Cheese paste is another good bait, to make it is very easy get a block of the smelliest cheese you can grate it down and either use it like that (just compress it around the hook) or get some very fresh bread and liquidize it mix together and kneed it till a stiff paste, this is the base works well on its own but what about adding a few flavour's? Curry powder, chili powder, Marmite, anything is worth a try. You can also add colouring (the stuff your wife has in the cupboard)

POTATOES

An old bait but hardly used now, get some potatoes (new or old) par boil them so they only go slightly soft or you wont be able to hook them, cut them into small cubes and hair rig them, again you can add flavour's to them, either in the water you boiled them in or just some curry powder in the box with them.