Particle preparation Guidelines

[Carpoholic]

One of the questions i get asked the most here in Sweden is about particles and how they should be prepared.
So here are some guidelines taken from a recent article that i wrote on my website. I hope it is of use to some.




Particle preparation Guidelines.

Incorrectly prepared particle baits can kill fish. They must be prepared according to the instructions for the particular variety.





The definition of particle is ‘a very small portion or part’, so particle baits basically means small or mass baits.
Over the years, and more recently particle baits have just been associated with seeds, nuts, and beans.



Ask almost any carp angler to name two particle baits and he/she will more than likely tell you hemp, and tiger nuts.
These are what are generally known as particles.







Hempseed:

Well what can I say about hemp, it’s probably the best fish attractor known to man, and when used properly can bring tremendous results.
Hempseed is a small black seed about 2 – 3mm in diameter, they swell a bit when prepared. They are enjoyed by most species, so you can also have good catches of bream and Tench using hemp.
Many people have many different ways to prepare this seed, the way I use that works well for me is as follows: Tip the required amount of dry hemp into a bucket with a lid, cover this with cold water to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. To this add sugar and some flavouring. Press the lid down firmly and leave over night.
Now move the hemp and water into a large pan and bring to the boil, once boiling turn the heat down a bit and leave for about 15 minutes, make sure that the hemp is covered with water at all times, you may need to add some more water to the pan. Once boiled tip the hemp and water back into the bucket and let it stew for a few hours, preferably overnight.









Particle

TIGER NUTS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

MINI TIGER NUTS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

JUMBO TIGER NUTS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

CRUSHED TIGER NUTS
Pre-soak N/A
Boil/Simmer N/A

CHICK PEAS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

HEMP SEED
Pre-soak 24 hours
Until kernels split

LARGE GRADE HEMP SEED
Pre-soak 24 hours
Until kernels split

TARES
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

MAPLE PEAS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

MILO
Pre-soak 6 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

FRENCH MAIZE
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

NAKED OAT GROATS
Pre-soak N/A
Boil/Simmer N/A

BUCK WHEAT
Pre-soak 6 hours
Boil/Simmer 10 minutes

GRADED WHEAT
Pre-soak 6 hours
Boil/Simmer 15 minutes

GRADED BARLEY
Pre-soak 6 hours
Boil/Simmer 15 minutes

PEANUT KERNELS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

ADZUKI BEANS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

WHOLE BRAZIL NUTS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

BROKEN BRAZIL NUTS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

HARICOT BEANS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

RED KIDNEY BEANS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

PINTO BEANS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

SOYA BEANS
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

PARTICLE MIX + ANISEED
Pre-soak 6 hours
Boil/Simmer 15 minutes

MINI MAIZE (Popcorn Maize)
Pre-soak 12-18 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

RED MAIZE
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes

SWEET LUPINS
Pre-soak 24 hours
Boil/Simmer 30 minutes




Notes:
Although there are many more ways of presenting particle baits such as sprouting, fermenting, colouring and flavouring, provided the guidelines are adhered to, the baits listed will be totally harmless to all fish and can be used with the knowledge that they are completely safe.

When soaking, particles absorb water quickly. Check and top up after two hours and again after four hours. Always allow plenty of water to cover the particles, and where boiling is specified this must be done to ensure safe preparation. If in any doubt, play safe. It is impossible to over soak.

1. Hemp - during certain times of the year, when hemp becomes difficult to split, follow the above process and then wash it with fresh water, pour boiling water back onto it and leave it to soak in a bucket until it splits (maybe a further 24-48hrs). Don’t panic it will split!

2. Boiling - When any product is boiled or heat treated the molecular structure and nutritional profile (including attraction properties) are denatured and damaged. This means that the less boiling time required to make the particles suitable for use, the better. However, it is vital to ensure particle baits are correctly prepared to avoid fish damage. Therefore, pre-soak particles for longer than usual, making required boiling times shorter.

3. After Boiling - To improve attraction properties, leave the boiled particles to soak and partly ferment in their naturally occurring sugars that remain in the boiling water. After several days certain particles will start to form a caramelizing liquid that makes the final particle much more attractive.



Where to find Particles in Sweden


HÅ-PE Import AB
Magazinesv. 19,
438 36 LANDVETTER
Tel 031-91 78 59
Fax 031-91 83 26
E-post info@hape.se



Chris Thornhill

[Shanghai Lilly]

Great Article Chris!

[Flodebanan]

Ja, nice

[Shanghai Lilly]

Ive heard somwhere you can add bicarb to the hemp when cooking, for the life of me i carnt remember why, or what use it would serve.

[Carpoholic]

William, my boy It makes the carp fart so you can see where they are when the bubbles come to the surface

A farting carp always gives away its location , Parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!!

[Shanghai Lilly]