The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I love to experiment/ play with baits.
This evening was cheese paste day. Getting ready for the chub campaign to come.
Wandering around Aldi, picking up bits for tea and a lump of stilton for the paste. I had one eye out for other worthy inclusions. In the health foods section I spotted a bag of Spirulina. Many moons ago, a carping friend swore by this as an addition to his baits.
At £2 a bag I thought it worth a try.
Mixing, kneeding and folding last season's remaining paste, the stilton, a sprinkle of Spirulina and some flour produced a dark green stinky paste which hopefully the chub will find to there liking

It will be well camouflaged in a weedy river, good job it is smelly

I was fascinated to see this, as I'd never heard of Spirulina ... so I googled it.

I was amazed to discover that it's "made from fresh water blue-green algae" which has been "sustainably and organically farmed," and is being marketed as "ideal superfood for vegetarians."

Now I'd heard of our environment being damaged by mink escaping from 'mink farms' ... and crayfish escaping from 'crayfish farms' ... but could there be a link between the blooms of blue-green algae we've been seeing over the past few years and 'blue-green algae farms' ?????

One for the conspiracy theorists !!!

People have been using spirulina in carp baits for a while now and to great effect. I first became aware of it a few Years back when I was big into rolling my own bait.
It's almost crazy how deep you can delve once you get started. I came across Tim Richardson who had some very unique ideas you can find him on YouTube he has been using it for ages very intriguing guy.
I'm sure alot of anglers and bait companies took note and I'm pretty sure dynamite baits in conjunction with Terry Hearn are using it in their bait now.
I look forward to reading of your results with the bait

A very nice pate mix there LL, and I reckon a certain for chub and barbel. There's no problem with green baits either. I used to use green paste, boilies and even luncheon meat, the fish have no problem in finding it.

Tight lines

Barbel appear to like spirulina as much as the carp do. Stains everything though.

http://www.ccmoore.com/spirulina-p-743.html.

Thanks guys. Success or failure will be reported in due course.

Shaun Harrison wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:49 pm Barbel appear to like spirulina as much as the carp do. Stains everything though.

Cheers Shaun.
Fingers crossed that other species roach, chub, crucians, tench etc find it equally appealing!

LuckyLuca wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2017 10:50 am Thanks guys. Success or failure will be reported in due course.

Shaun Harrison wrote: ↑Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:49 pm Barbel appear to like spirulina as much as the carp do. Stains everything though.

Cheers Shaun.
Fingers crossed that other species roach, chub, crucians, tench etc find it equally appealing!

They do. I had a customer tell me off because he had to stop using the Spirulina bait I do because of the carp not getting a look in. He was catching carp with it but never had he caught so many bream and tench too.

Funnily enough, whilst testing the paste version my very first cast into a water I had not caught or seen a tench caught from in 17 years, yielded a tench. I have caught another too.

Have you every tried the Italian Dolcelata? Not sure of the spelling. It really is smelly!!