The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

It isn't too important which flavour you use, it's just the fact that it will smell/taste a little different to something that they may associate with danger. If you think about Spam (or any other tinned meat), there's it's shape, size, smell/taste and appearance which can all act as appetisers or as scare triggers. All you need to do to revert back to the appeal of something that the fish obviously love, is to alter one or more of those appetisers.

Fish can get wary of the usual 1" cubes so altering the size or shape can revive the bait as does feathering it's edges to give the impression it's been in the water a while and has been nibbled at as well as helping with flavour leakage.

Adding a flavour is always worth doing and powdered spices do work well as Mark is bound to discover but so do liquid flavours of all types be they savoury or sweet.

When I used meat a lot more than nowadays, colour was another area I had success in. Mixing a powdered food colouring (red, green and black being my favourites), the striking PINK! of the meat was subdued and fish were far less wary as a result.

Be careful Mark. You've dipped a toe into bait making/altering and, now that you have Archie's book, you may never be the same again

I've previously tried frying the cubed meat in some olive oil/spice but this can make it float or it goes soft then falls apart (depending on the brand).

I now just buy a 50p foil tin of 'smalec' from a Polish grocer, I used one with meat in it rather than just pure fat. Its just flavoured chunks of meat with pork lard, herbs and garlic...I take the meat chunks out and then use the flavoured lard for frying my luncheon meat. I warm the fat in a frying pan just till it has melted, add my spices, chuck the meat cubes in give it one good stir then turn the heat off. Leave for 5-10 mins to cool, pop in a freezer bag and either refrigerate or freeze.

The meaty chunks from the smalec end up in my sandwiches or mashed with liquidised bread to make a meaty bread paste. If you want to use liquid flavours/colours then I find 'Frühstücksfleisch' better at absorbing it. I get tins of it sent from Germany but Tescos also sell it. Its just a kind of luncheon type meat but its much lighter as it must have other things mixed in.

Other thing worth trying is any of the polish sausage that are in a plastic casing, their not quite spreadable but are already cooked. Big lump of it moulded round a paste cage/hair has worked well for me.

I look forward to hearing how you get on. I tend to score a block of luncheon meat but then tear lumps off as needed. I just figure ragged lumps must appear a bit more natural. I only buy SPAM brand, it smells the best to me and seems to be less greasy than others I've tried.

Bacon Grill is generally firmer than luncheon meat and makes a better hookbait. As for ragged edges, I cut it into varying sized slices then strips with the back of the knife which tears rather than slices. Put some flavour -liquid or powder - into a plastic bag, add the meat, inflate the bag and give it a good shake. Job done. Freezing does help but is not entirely necessary.

Dave, I want to try Bacon Grill now you've sung its praises, what do I look for in the supermarket, a tin of it?

It sounds really good and I looking forward to seeing how it go's.

I too swear by it - http://www.princes.co.uk/our-products/m ... con-grill/.

There are many variations tho! I like 'Tulip' brand.

Beresford wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2017 5:08 pm Dave, I want to try Bacon Grill now you've sung its praises, what do I look for in the supermarket, a tin of it?

The 'classic' was Celebrity BG but I haven't seen it around for a while. It's like leather but great bait. But, as Olly says, Princes, Plumrose, Tulip, Morrisons own or check out Lidl or Aldi and see if they have any different brands. They all catch fish as do Hotdog sausages and meatballs (but they are soft to cast) any sort of salami, chorizo, smoked sausage.... the list is endless.

Thanks, will try it next week.

Beresford wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2017 5:08 pm Dave, I want to try Bacon Grill now you've sung its praises, what do I look for in the supermarket, a tin of it?

I love bacon grill for bait, taste disgusting though
I use the Lidl bacon grill, it is pretty good, quite tough straight out of the tin, it is £1.19 per tin
B&M stores sell the Tulip brand which is also pretty good, they also sell a hot and spicy spam which I have not tried.

For the record I fry my bacon grill to give it a nice tough skin, I use it plain, or I use Schwartz pilau rice seasoning or Cjaun spice which I add during frying