Making Changes

One thing I don't like doing in my fishing is changing bait.

Over the last 40 plus years, I've changed very little because I've always believed that if something consistently catches carp, why change it?

For the last ten years or so, Trigga: Pineapple & N-Butyric has been my go-to bait across the UK and Europe, accounting for some incredible captures. Before that, it was Big Fish Mix from its introduction in the 1990s, and before that, my own home-rolled Ener-Vite.

So, as you can see, I'm not someone who jumps from one bait to the next in search of the latest trend. Confidence is everything, and confidence comes from results.

After joining the Grenville’s syndicate back in 2018 however, I found myself in unfamiliar territory.

After spending time fishing Grenville's in Cambridgeshire with very little success, I reached the point where I had to do something I really don't enjoy—go back to the drawing board.

Trigga: Pineapple & N-Butyric had caught carp for me almost everywhere I'd fished, so why wasn't it happening here?

Was it the flavour profile? Was it the N-Butyric? Or, perhaps more likely, was I simply putting the bait in the wrong places! We all know that location is king.

Fortunately, I'm in a unique position.

Nutrabaits supplies all the ingredients that go into Grenville's own house bait, which is rolled on-site by lake owner Paul. It's a high-quality spicy fishmeal bait, and it quickly became obvious that the carp absolutely loved that spicy profile.

The house bait has become incredibly popular with members, with hundreds of kilos going into the lake every week. The fish see it regularly, trust it and clearly recognise it as a safe food source.

With that in mind, I looked through the Nutrabaits range.

For me, the choice came down to Big Fish Mix or Trigga Ice.

I knew Big Fish Mix had accounted for plenty of the lake's biggest carp over the years, but Trigga Ice kept drawing me back. Like the house bait, it has that premium spicy fishmeal profile, combined with the unique natural attraction that has made Trigga Ice such a consistent performer around the world.

The question was simple...

Would changing from a bait I trusted completely be the right decision, or would I regret walking away from something that had served me so well for so many years?

Thankfully, the answer came quickly.

Over the next three sessions, Trigga Ice produced numerous carp, and it became obvious that the fish in Grenville's simply preferred that spicy edge.

Should I have made the switch sooner?

Would I eventually have achieved the same results if I'd stayed with Trigga: Pineapple & N-Butyric?

We'll never know.

What I do know is that every water is different. Carp develop preferences, and while confidence in your bait is hugely important, sometimes you have to let the fish tell you what they want.

For the remainder of my time on Grenville’s, there was only one bait in my bucket...

Trigga Ice.

Sometimes, the hardest change turns out to be the right one.

Tight lines,

Rich Hughes