Carp bait additives mainly come in two forms, powder and liquid.   It is the former that we are going to discuss in this month’s Carp Baits series, detailing what a powdered additive is, what it is added to and why; also, when you would use them. Powdered additives are installed firmly in the memory of a lot of angling sessions and it is their pungent smell that often triggers that memory back again when we catch a whiff of a strong smelling additive either on the bank or in our second homes (the tackle shop!). Personally every time I pick up a piece of garlic bread the memories of mixing up a base mix with a garlic powdered additive come flooding back! Getting the right overall mix is both an art and a science. We angling bait companies have spent time and money ensuring that the theory behind the creation and application of our baits is one that science agrees with. That’s step 1. Step 2 relies on you, the angler. How baits are mixed is often at the preference of the angler, our guidelines are there for good measure, but proof is in the pudding and experimenting with different quantities, colours, flavours and smells of bait is what makes angling so exciting and proves that angling really is an artform. So what is a powdered additive? Simply put, a powdered additive is an attractant. It exists in powder form and will enhance one of the following features of your bait;

• Colour
• Smell
• Flavour
• Consistency
• Nutritional Value

What would you add a powdered additive to? Powdered additives can be applied to a number of carp fishing baits,   but generally speaking because of their fine powder consistency they are added to groundbaits and base mixes.   They are often used to coat hook baits such as luncheon meat and can be used to enhance boilie mixes in cases where powder is preferred to a liquid additive. Why would I use a powdered additive? Base mixes are often just that, a base, in which further additives can be applied in order for the angler to create a bait with a desired appearance, smell, taste and consistency. In the angling world no single bait is king forever and as seasons change the dietary requirements of fish, and angling conditions, change also. This demands a varied approach to angling baits and what better way than to give anglers the ability to alter their baits as and when they require. In winter months and poor light conditions brighter white or yellow hook baits can often outscore darker ones and having the ability to bring a selection of different colour baits to the bank increases your chances of getting it right on the day. There are numerous situations when a particular colour of a bait can outscore others such as matching the colour of your base mix to the mud on the lakebed, or vice versa. Fish have eyes, they can see, it may not be their strongest sense but it is not one to be ignored. The smell of a bait is often one that can entice a fish to feed and we’ve lost count of the number of times an angler on the bank has pulled out a huge carp straight after changing baits with different smells - it can’t be coincidence. A similar train of thought can be applied to flavours and often the two go hand in hand. The final two factors to consider when deciding why to use a powdered additive would be bait consistency and nutritional value. Consistency does not tend to change with additives, but there are minor variations in how course an additive can be so this is a factor to consider. Finally nutritional values are one of the most overlooked benefits of an additive. It is strongly believed that fish are conscious of their diet and will often seek out baits that offer a higher nutritional value and if you do not believe that then what harm is there to using one? We want our fish to be looked after well so that they can grow into the big 60/70lb carp we dream about. What Powdered Additives Are On The Market? There are a multitude of powdered additives on the market today from a variety of brands. Walk into any tackle shop today and ask the assistant to show you the additives section and you will find an Aladdin's cave of smells and flavours. Here at Target Baits we provide a wide selection of powdered additives to help you enhance your baits. Below is just a small selection of our powdered additives.

• Vanilla
• Fenugreek
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Pepper