Attractants are big business and offer your intended catch a huge variety of flavours to savour. If you want to increase your luck without too much effort or breaking the bank then attractants could certainly be the way forward but what should you use?
Natural Extracts
Natural extracts are liquids that are formulated from edible products and that feature proteins and amino acids. Amino acids in particular are something that animals recognise as a sign that your bait is edible. Natural extracts can make for powerful attractants and are used to soak into pellets and hook baits or are mixed together with ground bait.
Extract attractants were initially used by carp anglers in boilies, however you will find that they work their magic on most species of fish. This particular type of fishing liquid attractant includes molasses, cod liver oil, hemp oil and liver extract.
Artificial flavours
Artificial flavours are chemically based fishing liquid attractants that have been designed to mimic the aroma and taste of various edibles. This type of attractant can be used to customise your fishing bait in order to give it a unique quality. You'll find that there's a wide array available on the market so you have plenty to choose from.
Like most anglers and their bait, you will probably discover your favourite attractant via trial and error. You might even find that certain varieties work well in some areas but not in others. Chemically based attractants can be extremely concentrated and so a little will go a long way.
Coarse fish have a highly developed sense of smell. They can detect microscopic amounts of your chosen attractant and could be turned off if your bait ends up smelling too powerful. You may also be able to boost your success rate by adding a little sweetener to your bait.
Powdered flavours
Powered attractants can be mixed with your base ground bait ingredients to create a more enticing proposition. These powdered products release their aromas slowly and over a long period of time.
Choices include liver powder and mussel powder. any anglers claim that ground coriander and turmeric are also great additives for attracting carp. Nobody really knows why!
Bait soaks, dips and glugs
Useful for anglers who wish to boost their baits with the minimum fuss or expense, these soaks were developed to enhance boilies but are now used for coarse fishing.
The soaks are blends of different attractants and so you don't have to create your own cocktails. They are syrupy liquids which usually feature flavours, flavour enhancers, sweeteners and natural extracts. They are relatively potent but can be used more liberally than neat chemical attractants to boost pretty much any type of bait. This type of fishing liquid attractant makes life easy and presents you with an almost endless list of choices.
Fishing attractants are at once the appliance of science and a fabulous way to exploit traditional methods and bottle them. They provide an a la carte menu for fish. All you have to do is discover which dishes are top of your target catch's wish list!