It is a very big number indeed, and it is precisely the amount of days from when I left Nutrabaits in 2013 (it eventually became a “conflict of interests” for me to be a Brand Ambassador for Nash but use somebody else’s bait) to rejoining Team Nutrabaits on the 1st of December 2025.
Some of you may know my history with Nutrabaits, but I guess many of you won’t. I was there from 1987 to 2013 and, if you read any carp fishing magazine in that era, I’d bet somewhere in there I’d be found extolling the virtues of Enervite, Enervite Gold, Big Fish Mix, Biollix or Trigga Ice. Twenty-five years was a long old tenure, but I can tell you it feels great to be back… but how, and possibly more importantly, why?
In July of this year, Alan Blair announced the closing of Nashbait and, although Nash Tackle would continue (possibly even stronger now they could focus solely on tackle), the rolling of bait was going to stop in September. From that afternoon onwards I was approached by numerous bait companies (and their representatives) to give them a look / try. Thanks but no thanks, guys… I’m not one to flip-flop anything and, to be honest, I needed time away from it all.
Nothing looks more ridiculous, and damages your reputation more, than going from one to another and shouting from the rooftops “Best ever…..” (yawn). I’d finish off my Scopex Squid, then buy some bait and see what I thought of it and the brand. No stress, no heartache, and as it was going to be a slowing down of bait application from November to March, I didn’t need much anyway.
A guest session with Brian Skoyles changed all that. We were fishing together and, as you do, chatting rubbish and carp fishing. Brian knew that Nashbait was over and he also knew I wasn’t in a rush for a new bait. During a lull in the (well, his) action he passed me some 20mm baits and boilie bites to look at. From memory it was Trigga Ice with additional Blue Oyster (I knew the musky aroma from my days at Nutrabaits), and I cracked a freebie open.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of baits in my life, but when I broke / squeezed the freebie… OMG. Not only did it smell right, it looked incredible. The best way to describe it was like a top-quality slab of fruitcake. Soft inside, and I could see the quality oozing out. This wasn’t just the bait I’d left in 2012, it was something a lot, lot better in my opinion.
I told Brian I’d definitely entertain a call from the main man, Richard, and away we went. That call led to an informal catch-up one evening at a lovely eatery and allowed me to understand the ethos of Nutrabaits in 2025 and beyond. For me, it was simple:
A) I wanted a bait that, off the shelf, was not just good but one that was an edge over other baits.
B) I wanted a bait that was available both shelf-life and frozen, plus quality hookbaits that would accompany it.
C) I wanted to be part of a company where I felt I could make a difference, not just be one of numerous well-known anglers “on the books”.
B) I wanted a bait that was available both shelf-life and frozen, plus quality hookbaits that would accompany it.
C) I wanted to be part of a company where I felt I could make a difference, not just be one of numerous well-known anglers “on the books”.
Two visits to the factory, meeting the staff and seeing the bait being made, confirmed for me that Nutrabaits was the best — heck, the only place to go. I loved the bait (Trigga Ice and CO-DE, just to start with), I liked the staff and the low-key atmosphere, and most importantly for me, there was no pressure at all on what to use or targets to achieve.
Use what you want, help us grow the visibility of the brand (the bait world’s best-kept secret at times), and enjoy. Sounds good to me!
So here I am — here we are. You’ll see plenty of me on social media and definitely at the shows. There’ll be some “throwback” films looking back at my time with Nutrabaits from 1987–2013, and from the spring onwards some filming of my angling and my approach to bait and bait application.
See you soon,
Julian Cundiff
