The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

You can boost the attractivness of a prawn hookbait....and make your hands smell into the bargain...by rubbing on a little Far-Eastern fermented prawn paste.


It used to be very hard to find, but even Sainsbury stock it these days in the form of either a jar in the Thai and Chinese food section:

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsbur ... _120g.html


Or a foil packet in the Specialist Food section:



http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sainsbur ... e_44g.html




This stuff stinks !!!!



But it's water-soluble and sure draws them in........ It has many names in many countries but is an ingredient in nearly every commercial fish bait out there when it's usually listed as belachan, one of its rarer names

Balachan - shrimp paste - has been used by carpers for years! I started using it with great results in the late 80's.

Barbel, chub, perch, & carp have all fallen to it - either as a flavour or as an additive to pastes/boilies.

It's your shrimp flavour in Chinese food amongst others.

May I ask what's the best way to hook prawns, through the blunt end like a big maggot, or through the thin end?

Wagtail wrote:May I ask what's the best way to hook prawns, through the blunt end like a big maggot, or through the thin end?

I use cooked king prawns on the hook and side hook them just below the fat end then nip off the last section of tail and use it to obscure all but the tip of the hook point.

I bury the hook in it (following the bend of the hook with the bend of the prawn, if that makes sense) and then cut a bit off with my thumb nail to expose the hook point.

I cut the king prawns into smaller sections - about 3 - and just hook them on a 6 hook.

It is really surprising what fish other than perch & carp will take the smaller shrimps/prawns - roach to nearly 2lb, rudd over 1lb, tench of all sizes, eels, barbel, chub and even the occasional bream.

Why not raw Prawns?

Pretty smelly on the bankside on a hot day, nearly all prawns still have food in their gut and go go 'off' really quick. Cooking at least sterilises the prawn and gut content and gives you a chance of not poisoning yourself

Most seafood ( and I am aware that most prawns are now farmed in freshwater) also carry a naturally occuring bacteria called scrombrotoxin. It can multiply to dangerous levels quickly and produces fatal anaphylacsis in some unfortunate people.


A search on the 'net will find you loads of people saying raw prawns are safe and tasty:


https://www.google.co.uk/#q=raw+prawn+danger


I think they are fools to put such trust in the food chain and to take such risks.



I realise the prawns aren't there to be eaten by you on the bankside, but I doubt even the most careful of us wouldn't get cross-contaminated somehow...

I'm given to understand the the newer freshwater prawns, because the water they live in is not tidal are even morte contaminated.

Putting on my professional hat, Scombrotoxic fish poisoning is also known as scombroid or histamine fish poisoning, very few people suffer any fatal consequences (UK) the usual treatment is antihistamines or epinephrine....
Paralytic shellfish poisoning, is one you pray that you don't become infected with, its bloody fast. This toxin is known to concentrate within certain shellfish that typically live in the colder coastal waters. Symptoms begin anywhere from 15 minutes to 10 hours after eating the contaminated shellfish, although usually within 2 hours. Symptoms are generally mild, and begin with numbness or tingling of the face, arms, and legs. This is followed by headache, dizziness, nausea, and muscular incoordination. Patients sometimes describe a floating sensation. In cases of severe poisoning, muscle paralysis and respiratory failure occur, and in these cases death may occur in 2 to 25 hours.

Now chaps remember, no nibbling on the bank side and wash those hands.........

I gave the Tesco cooked King prawns a go yesterday, not a touch MMMMM very tasty lol, ate the lot, not good for my Diabetes though.

Used the ordinary sized ones before and yes worked, (size 8 hook) not tried the smaller shrimp sized ones (think these are what Olly is referring to) so will give them a go, maybe couple of hours tomorrow morning.

Jim