UKMA GROUNDBAITS

Dynamite Baits Swimstim - RRP £3.40

Amino Original was the first choice groundbait of most anglers who fished the method feeder or cage feeder for carp, bream and tench over the last decade. Its distinctive aroma and texture made it stand out, which is possibly why so many fish have been caught on it. Working to the basic formula given to me many years ago by a much younger Omer Patel [Kobra Feeders] of 1.4litres of water, to one kg bag of groundbait, a perfect mix could be achieved every time, which was a factor that gave this product the edge over it’s early competitors.

 With the chasing pack jumping on the band-wagon of fishmeal based groundbaits, Dynamite Baits knew they had to develop the range further, to offer the angler something that little bit different, So to compliment the Amino Original they released the Betaine Green and Amino Black. Now for the first time anglers had the opportunity to mix different colours groundbaits together, to create a feed that was a perfect match for the venue they were fishing or more critically the time of year.

Using the Amino Original as a base mix, anglers soon learned that by getting the balance of colours and fish attractors correct in the mix you could potentially increase their catch rate, which is why a decade after the launch of the Dynamite Baits Swimstim range they are still probably the biggest selling groundbaits in the UK. In 2004 Dynamite Baits added the final member of the match-winning quartet by releasing the Swimstim Method Mix, Making the Swimstim range complete

UKMA without question would recommend any of the Dynamite Baits Swimstim Groundbaits to any match or specimen angler who requires a bait that will do exactly what it says on the tin. Quality and consistency are hard to find in these days of profits over quality but Dynamite Baits have got the balance spot on, They just keep on producing top quality baits that will do the only job you can ask of them, They will catch you fish.

Ringer Baits Original Bag-Up Carp - RRP £3.99

In the late 90’s, a name began to regularly appear in the angling press, virtually every event where carp were the target fish and the method feeder was the essential skill to conquer the resident carp, the name Ringer was being talked about nationwide. Father Geoff and his sons, Steve and Phil, had discovered an ingredient or additive that was taking venues apart. Many a myth passed from angler to angler, with tales of rare Spanish Fruit Juices discovered whilst on holiday and the process of liquidising fish livers being the source of their success, little did we know back then, this was only the start.

Demand for the bait that was winning so many matches hit boiling point when Steve Ringer comfortably beat a strong field to win the 1998 Fishomania Final. Not to be outdone, in 1999 Steve Cooke fishing under the Ringer Baits banner also managed to win the most converted prize in match fishing. 1999 was also the year that Phil Ringer launch the Ringer Baits range of commercial fishery baits that a major majority of the match fishing world had been waiting for, myself included.  To complete this companies amazing story, Geoff Ringer then won the 2000 Fishomania Final and the brand name Ringer Baits was well and truly established.

Over the next years the Ringers Original Bag–Up Carp Mix steadily built a huge reputation for being a versatile groundbait that was taking carp & bream venues apart nationwide. Used on its own or as a 50/50 mix with other branded groundbaits, match anglers everywhere were reaping the benefits of using this superb product. I personally caught my personal best match weight in 2002 at Drayton Reservoir using Ringers Bag-Up, I landed 58 carp on the method feeder for 316lb, I have to admit, I have only come close to that weight on one other occasion with 251lb 7oz, that was also at Drayton and yes, I was using Ringers Original Bag-Up.

More recently The Ringer Bait machine have developed the groundbait range further by adding 2 new additions. In 2007 they released the Ringers Dark, which was developed for cold and clear water conditions, with the same pungent aroma as the Original Bag-Up but less distinguishable against the autumnal debris you find on most lakebeds in cool water conditions. A year later the Ringers Red groundbait was made available to the general public and it instantly received great acclaim from both grass roots anglers and the angling media,. Being described as a brilliant method groundbait, that is also suitable as a paste. I personally haven’t used this groundbait yet so I’m really looking forward to field testing this product to see how well it performs.

Bait-Tec Special 'G' Green & Gold - RRP £3.40

Taking its place in the UKMA Groundbait Hall of Fame is the Special 'G' Green & Special 'G' Gold. When they were released back in 2007 as part of the original selection of produce from Suffolk based manufacturer Bait-Tec, many a head was turned in both match and specimen circles by this original twist to an established format. The twist being the use of GPS90, which is possibly the most soluble fishmeal available in conjunction with other high quality fishmeals, Bait-Tec claimed they have produced a bait that was perfect for all methods of modern match & specimen fishing. So now having used this versatile product for some time we can give a conclusive review on its full potentials 

Bait-Tec has designed the Special 'G' Green & Special 'G' Gold to be an all round bait source rather than just another fishmeal based groundbait range. The list of potential uses for the match angler are endless but to keep it simple we have tested and used the Special 'G' Green & Gold by using both as a method mixes, as a conventional feeder mixes, we used it as a paste (both soft and stiff mixes), as an additive to meat and corn in their original dry form to flavour and colour the baits and we also tried both as a balling groundbaits. All the above methods have produced exceptional results in both match and pleasure situations but I would recommend you use them primarily for the method feeder and conventional feeder as these methods produced by far the better results.

On another level, Bait-Tec’s Special 'G' Green & Gold has developed a huge following in the world of specimen carp fishing with top names reaping the rewards after using Special 'G' Green & Gold as part of their stick and spod mixes. A top tip past on to me by a one of the countries top anglers is to soak your particles and pellets adding all essential oils and flavourings at the same time, and leaving overnight. When you give the mix a good stir you may find that you still have a residue of water in the mix, which will make it totally unsuitable for any PVA bag or stick work. To remedy this problem and boost the potential pulling power of you mix, simply add dry Special 'G' Green  or Gold to the mix until all visible moisture has been absorbed,  leave to settle and you now have the perfect PVA mix.

To accompany the Special 'G' Ground bait release in 2007, Bait-Tec also released the incredibly successful VOODOO which is available in 2kg bags and sells for around £5.99. The essential difference between VOODOO and other Fishmeal Ground baits is that the ingredients are milled to a finer texture than conventional groundbaits, producing a much faster cleaner breakdown. During testing VOODOO produced a far better stamp of fish compared to the other ground baits we were testing at the same time. Bait-Tec also added 3 new products to the range in 2008 & 2009, these are MOJO, which is available in 1kg bags and sell for £3.40 and to complete this inclusive range of groundbaits you have ENVY and KARMA, which are available in 2kg bags that sell for £4.99, we will fully reviewing these new products over the next few months.

Sonubaits Match Method Mix - RRP £5.99 for 2kg

Over the past 2 years, a new name has been setting standards in the already congested British bait market place. Sonubaits may be a new name to the industry but they are already fighting well above their weight. This has been made possible by well managed investment into product development and carefully putting together a team of respected consultant and sponsored anglers that includes names like Des Shipp, Andy Findley, Tom & Emma Pickering and Clint Elliott to name just a few, this established team reads like a who’s who of match fishing and accumulating all this knowledge will in time prove to be the making of this forward think company. After a brief discussion with Sonubaits man in charge, Ian Day and arrangements where made for samples of the Match Method Mix to be sent down to our office for the UKMA team to put it through its paces.

On arrival we had a good look at the packaging and its contents and were pleasantly surprised with the 2kg re-sealable bag and it’s informative, well presented labelling... Sonu have thought long and hard about the things a label should carry and clearly on each label is an easy to follow mixing technique described by Des Shipp which makes the mixing process a simple task even for the novice angler, 10 out of 10 for that Sonubaits. Followed the mixing instructions to the letter, and a perfect mix was achieved, removed the free Flat Inline feeder from the mix and of I went to my local club water to see just how the Sonubaits Match Method Mix performed on a prolific mixed fishery. Fishing to an island feature about 40yds away my first thoughts where “can the groundbait hold the feeder during a medium distance cast?” and the answer was a simple, yes!

Time after time I cast the method feeder to my target area by an overhanging bush and the feeder’s heavy load made its way to the bottom of the murky depths on every cast. After introducing about ½ a kg of the Match Method Mix to my swim my tip flew round to the charge of one of the lakes resident doubles figured mirrors, after a short tussle, she was in the net and I recast. Over the next 5 hours I landed 14 bream up to 6lb and 11 carp to 16lb, no trouble at all, well over 150lb of fish in just over 5 hours. I have normally found that groundbait will only hold the fish for a short period of time on this particular venue but the Match Method Mix seemed to keep the fish feeding. Even after I had bumped a couple of fish off the lake residents seemed to take no notice and continued to feed oblivious to the constant commotion.

I have now used the Match Method Mix on several occasions and find it to be as good as any other method mix currently available and most definitely better than many that have been around for years. The consistency achievable is spot on every time if you simply follow the mixing instructions on the label, even I can get them right! To accompany the Match Method Mix, Sonubaits have also released the Supercrush Green Crushed Koi Pellet and the Supercrush F1 Sweet Fishmeal groundbaits. These are steadily building a cult status on the commercial match scene nation wide, so over the next few months the UKMA Team will put them to the test to see if they can make it onto the UKMA Groundbait HALL OF FAME.