Sticky Baits
Buchu-Berry Pop Ups & Wafters

The days are shorter, the nights are longer and the weather is definitely getting colder but we as anglers still feel the need to get out on the bank. With the normal winter weather conditions being air temperatures below zero at night and water temperatures just above zero, our chances of catching the temperamental creatures that we try to catch are slim to say the least. So with the elements and natures well against us, we still follow our passion or as my wife calls it “stupidity” to the waters edge, just in case a fish might be mental enough to want to feed and take a hookbait.

Over the years, the trend for using day-glo or fluro coloured pop ups or wafters have dictated the rigs and presentations widely used by many experienced winter anglers. These seasoned anglers have learned by trial and error that the inclusion of a hookbait with bright highly visible colouration. This enables the fish to pick out your bait against a natural background, giving your hookbait a visibly attractive presence. Backed this up by adding strong, aromatic flavours and this will increase your chances of trapping these very hard to catch cold blooded creatures in the worst of conditions. 

Taking these factors into consideration, Newport based bait manufacturers Sticky baits have released the all new Buchu-Berry Pop Ups and Wafter hookbaits. These new for 2011 hookbaits options definitely tick all the right boxes. Firstly, the two sizes of Pop Ups and the Wafters have a very distinctive fluro pink colour that is designed to and does clearly stand out against any type of underwater aquatic backdrops. These include weed, silt, gravel and all the colourful seasonal chod that Mother Nature likes to through around during the autumn and winter months.

Secondly, Sticky Baits have given these latest additions to there hookbaits range an aromatic punch, with the inclusion of what I can best describe a fruity feast. The Buchu-Berry aroma can best be described as a combination of Hubba Bubba bubble gum and a strong berry aroma, possibly plum. What ever the combination of flavours might be?  They really give off a delightful fruity/berry aroma that has a very subtle after smell that lingers for ages without being over powering, which is in my opinion a very important factor when selecting a hookbait, especially one for winter.

On The Bank Test

The most important thing about any Pop Up is do they float and after tipping the tub into a bucket of water you’d be pleased to here that yes these all do. UKMA attached a Buchu-Berry Pop Up to a basic rig and placed both rigs in 2 feet of water in the margins to monitor them regularly over the 48 hour testing period and both sizes remained buoyant for the entire test period. UKMA also carried out the same basic rig test on the Buchu-Berry Wafters and they did exactly what they are designed to do, any type of  underwater activity registered as a movement of the Wafter, creating a natural movement of the hookbait that was totally un-restricted by the rig.

Final Thoughts

The Sticky Baits Buchu-Berry Pop Ups are available in a 12mm & 16mm options and the Wafters measure 10mm x 14mm. On average you get 100g of hookbaits in each tub which is more than enough to last you through the most demanding of winter campaigns. Each Pop Up and Wafter is perfectly formed and UKMA have found no fault in the product after 48 hours of testing. All three options in the Buchu-Berry range sell for £5.99 per tub and are now available from all Sticky Baits stockists.

As per usual the UKMA team don’t leave anything to chance, so over the coming winter months, we will be testing these latest offerings from Sticky Baits out to see if the carp like the look and aroma of the Buchu-Berry Pop Ups and Wafters as much as we did, so until then.

For more information on Sticky Baits, please click the logo below to visit their website.