It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so im

The main minerals which have been detected in carp by scientific trials, the lack of which has been observed to cause signs of deficiency, are sodium chloride (sodium and chlorine,) phosphorus and calcium.

Others include magnesium and zinc, but there are possibly other deficiencies in carp which have not been observed yet through scientific study; e.g.: manganese, selenium, potassium, cobalt sulphur, iodine, chromium, and fluorine.

Many of these help repair and produce new cells, and repair damaged body tissues. Zinc helps in digestion, and magnesium has a role as an enzyme ‘co-factor’.

Fish absorb calcium from the water around them. They are rarely deficient in this important skeleton forming mineral, but the rate at which it is retained in the body is set by another important mineral, phosphorus.

Increasing phosphorus in the diet is beneficial, as it will increase calcium retention. In common carp, the total body ratio in the body is 4 to 1 of phosphorus to calcium.

Absorption of dietary phosphorus is not affected by calcium in the diet. Fish meals are rich in both. Plant-origin meals lack in calcium, and are high in phosphorus, but not in a readily digested form; animal sources are better absorbed to counter any possible deficiency in these.

Meat and bone meals have their benefits, for example from fish silage. Soya meal has an intermediate phosphorus availability of 40 %. The most commonly used phosphorus supplement in carp culture is dicalcium phosphate, with the highest level of availability of 80 %. It is used at levels not under 0.7 % of the dry meal.

Potassium may be provided through the potassium chloride and oxide salts in treated ‘ash’ or potash (potassium carbonate), as also supplied in agricultural pig, cattle and horse feeds. My friends and I have caught many big carp using animal feeds as the bulk nutritional provision in our baits!

Iron is supplied in blood meals, shellfish and crustacean meals derived from oysters and shrimps, prawns and krill; copper in oysters, crabs, lobsters; potassium in mussels, scallops, clams; iodine, phosphorus and selenium in sea foods in general.

* An especially mineral rich sweet carp attractor – molasses:

Black Strap Molasses from ‘second boiled’ sugar cane, are an extremely underestimated, scientifically proven feeding trigger, also high in iron and magnesium. The ‘unsulphured’ grade is the finest, and sweet tasting, with higher sugar content. ‘Normal’ grade is the bitter tasting, but most nutritious, as used in health supplements, and also used as animal supplements, like horse feed ‘liquid molasses’; a very economical source.

Sugar beet molasses are unpalatable, but high in calcium, potassium and chloride salts, worth mixing with cane molasses. The ‘first treated grade’ is 50 % sugar.

* An incredible carp attractor – salt:

One Japanese research paper stated that, in carp tests, in with various amino acids solutions and salt: sodium chloride gave ‘The most extreme response’. Interestingly, two of the amino acids tested were not ‘essential amino acids to carp’ but the scientists obviously had a reason for testing them against salt! These were proline, and also taurine. (Incidentally, taurine in squid extracts, has played a big role in one or two international bait companies ongoing success!)

* Mineral salts:

These have an interesting role in helping the carp’s own digestive bacteria to break down food, which is another good reason to use them in bait. When carp eat plant material, like water weeds, much energy is lost, as gut bacterial enzymes do the work of breaking down the cellulose cell walls to produce sugars.

I feel that additional molasses in the bait help here too. Molasses are used worldwide for industrial fermentation, as it is a highly nutritional food for bacterial activity in production of alcohols.

Molasses are mainly sucrose, but is also highly attractive in bait as it fulfils the dietary requirements of iron, magnesium, and essential vitamins and other essential minerals and traces.

Bakers and brewers yeasts are the highly nutritious active ingredients of fermentation. You can help bacteria to predigest your bait when using the ‘aging’ or curing method in moderate heat, by adding high volumes of molasses to your bait mix.

Note that salt is used as a preservative, like sugar, and is useful for dehydrating your bait to make it harder and last longer in the water with nuisance fish. This effect is especially helpful when using high levels of soluble milk protein and high-protein extract ingredients in boilies and, excellently, in using pastes as free baits!

It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so imp

Meat and bone meals have their benefits, for example from fish silage. Soya meal has an intermediate phosphorus availability of 40 %. The most commonly used phosphorus supplement in carp culture is dicalcium phosphate, with the highest level of availability of 80 %. It is used at levels not under 0.7 % of the dry meal.

Potassium may be provided through the potassium chloride and oxide salts in treated ‘ash’ or potash (potassium carbonate), as also supplied in agricultural pig, cattle and horse feeds. My friends and I have caught many big carp using animal feeds as the bulk nutritional provision in our baits!

Iron is supplied in blood meals, shellfish and crustacean meals derived from oysters and shrimps, prawns and krill; copper in oysters, crabs, lobsters; potassium in mussels, scallops, clams; iodine, phosphorus and selenium in sea foods in general.

* An especially mineral rich sweet carp attractor – molasses:

Black Strap Molasses from ‘second boiled’ sugar cane, are an extremely underestimated, scientifically proven feeding trigger, also high in iron and magnesium. The ‘unsulphured’ grade is the finest, and sweet tasting, with higher sugar content. ‘Normal’ grade is the bitter tasting, but most nutritious, as used in health supplements, and also used as animal supplements, like horse feed ‘liquid molasses’; a very economical source.

Sugar beet molasses are unpalatable, but high in calcium, potassium and chloride salts, worth mixing with cane molasses. The ‘first treated grade’ is 50 % sugar.

* An incredible carp attractor – salt:

One Japanese research paper stated that, in carp tests, in with various amino acids solutions and salt: sodium chloride gave ‘The most extreme response’. Interestingly, two of the amino acids tested were not ‘essential amino acids to carp’ but the scientists obviously had a reason for testing them against salt! These were proline, and also taurine. (Incidentally, taurine in squid extracts, has played a big role in one or two international bait companies ongoing success!)

* Mineral salts:

These have an interesting role in helping the carp’s own digestive bacteria to break down food, which is another good reason to use them in bait. When carp eat plant material, like water weeds, much energy is lost, as gut bacterial enzymes do the work of breaking down the cellulose cell walls to produce sugars.

I feel that additional molasses in the bait help here too. Molasses are used worldwide for industrial fermentation, as it is a highly nutritional food for bacterial activity in production of alcohols.

Molasses are mainly sucrose, but is also highly attractive in bait as it fulfils the dietary requirements of iron, magnesium, and essential vitamins and other essential minerals and traces.

Bakers and brewers yeasts are the highly nutritious active ingredients of fermentation. You can help bacteria to predigest your bait when using the ‘aging’ or curing method in moderate heat, by adding high volumes of molasses to your bait mix.

Note that salt is used as a preservative, like sugar, and is useful for dehydrating your bait to make it harder and last longer in the water with nuisance fish. This effect is especially helpful when using high levels of soluble milk protein and high-protein extract ingredients in boilies and, excellently, in using pastes as free baits!

It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so im

* An especially mineral rich sweet carp attractor – molasses:

Black Strap Molasses from ‘second boiled’ sugar cane, are an extremely underestimated, scientifically proven feeding trigger, also high in iron and magnesium. The ‘unsulphured’ grade is the finest, and sweet tasting, with higher sugar content. ‘Normal’ grade is the bitter tasting, but most nutritious, as used in health supplements, and also used as animal supplements, like horse feed ‘liquid molasses’; a very economical source.

Sugar beet molasses are unpalatable, but high in calcium, potassium and chloride salts, worth mixing with cane molasses. The ‘first treated grade’ is 50 % sugar.

* An incredible carp attractor – salt:

One Japanese research paper stated that, in carp tests, in with various amino acids solutions and salt: sodium chloride gave ‘The most extreme response’. Interestingly, two of the amino acids tested were not ‘essential amino acids to carp’ but the scientists obviously had a reason for testing them against salt! These were proline, and also taurine. (Incidentally, taurine in squid extracts, has played a big role in one or two international bait companies ongoing success!)

* Mineral salts:

These have an interesting role in helping the carp’s own digestive bacteria to break down food, which is another good reason to use them in bait. When carp eat plant material, like water weeds, much energy is lost, as gut bacterial enzymes do the work of breaking down the cellulose cell walls to produce sugars.

I feel that additional molasses in the bait help here too. Molasses are used worldwide for industrial fermentation, as it is a highly nutritional food for bacterial activity in production of alcohols.

Molasses are mainly sucrose, but is also highly attractive in bait as it fulfils the dietary requirements of iron, magnesium, and essential vitamins and other essential minerals and traces.

Bakers and brewers yeasts are the highly nutritious active ingredients of fermentation. You can help bacteria to predigest your bait when using the ‘aging’ or curing method in moderate heat, by adding high volumes of molasses to your bait mix.

Note that salt is used as a preservative, like sugar, and is useful for dehydrating your bait to make it harder and last longer in the water with nuisance fish. This effect is especially helpful when using high levels of soluble milk protein and high-protein extract ingredients in boilies and, excellently, in using pastes as free baits!

It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so im

* Mineral salts:

These have an interesting role in helping the carp’s own digestive bacteria to break down food, which is another good reason to use them in bait. When carp eat plant material, like water weeds, much energy is lost, as gut bacterial enzymes do the work of breaking down the cellulose cell walls to produce sugars.

I feel that additional molasses in the bait help here too. Molasses are used worldwide for industrial fermentation, as it is a highly nutritional food for bacterial activity in production of alcohols.

Molasses are mainly sucrose, but is also highly attractive in bait as it fulfils the dietary requirements of iron, magnesium, and essential vitamins and other essential minerals and traces.

Bakers and brewers yeasts are the highly nutritious active ingredients of fermentation. You can help bacteria to predigest your bait when using the ‘aging’ or curing method in moderate heat, by adding high volumes of molasses to your bait mix.

Note that salt is used as a preservative, like sugar, and is useful for dehydrating your bait to make it harder and last longer in the water with nuisance fish. This effect is especially helpful when using high levels of soluble milk protein and high-protein extract ingredients in boilies and, excellently, in using pastes as free baits!

It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so im

It is interesting that ammonium chloride is used in confectionary, for example in gelatin-based sweets, sweetened with liquorice and sugar, and given a less salty taste.

An example is the Dutch ‘Double salt’ liquorice buttons which also contains aniseed oil. These can make great ‘alternative’ baits! Other examples are ‘Jelly beans’, ‘Jelly Babies’, ‘Gummy’ pectin fruits, ‘Liquorice Allsorts’ and ‘Malted Milk Balls’, etc.

* Mineral rich sea salt:

Apparently, the former common carp record holder, Tim Paisley, used sea salt in his baits. Sea salt is ‘superior’ to table salt, because it still has other natural beneficial mineral salts. Of course, it makes a great taste enhancer too! So why put salt in your bait?

* Sodium Chloride:

Is essential for life! It was so important for humans, in some regions it used to be worth its weight in gold!

It is extremely highly regulated in the body. It is divided, in roughly equal amounts, between the soft tissues and the bones.

* Sodium:

Makes up 93 % of the basic mineral elements in the blood serum, and importantly, regulates blood pH. Sufficient sodium is needed for efficient amino acid absorption in the intestine. Correct sodium concentrations allow the muscles to contract. It’s also important in nerve impulse transmissions and heart rhythm.

* Chlorine:

Is also essential for life! Chlorine is the main anion in the blood; two thirds of the acidic ions are composed of it. Movement in and out of the cells is essential in maintaining the acid balance of the blood. And obviously, chloride is part of hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach, which is required for the digestion of most foods.

Animals have a ‘hardwired memory’ for salt detection and remembering its source. They have a definite appetite for it, more strongly than any other mineral. It is often used as a ‘mineral delivery system’ for other, less palatable salts for animals.

Salts play a part in fermentation, and this is very interesting to those thinking ‘bait enhancement!’

I caught my first 30 pound common carp on a pig feed-based bait. This bait was extremely salty and granular. I’m sure mineral salts made this such a great bait!

* Bird foods:

carp seem to favour many ‘bird food’ type ingredients and extracts. Many are rich in vitamins and mineral salts.

* Dried ground seaweeds:

For example kelp. In the form of powders, granules, and meals these are excellent sources of minerals, and are especially high in iron, and provide important dietary fiber that assists peristalsis (the movement of digesting food along the gut). They are also strong taste enhancers!

* Trace Elements:

Other minerals been discovered to be required by carp, but in tiny amounts. Examples of these are phosphorous and potassium. The most common way to deliberately supplement your carp baits with trace elements, is by using a specialist mineral supplement mixture.

Although a mineral might be in a commercial animal feed and so be put into a boilie base mix anyway, you can add a minerals and vitamins supplement to your bait, as part of an added attractor soak.

Minerals and traces very attractive to carp, even in very small amounts and I have found, are best added to your bait as liquid dips and soaks so your hook bait is literally dripping with them as you cast out.

There are so many more nutrients and ingredients you can leverage to achieve more 'bites' and land more big fish. Knowing as much as possible about all these ‘edges,’ definitely converts into countless more big fish caught!

The author has many more fishing and bait ‘edges’ up his sleeve. Every single one can have a huge impact on catches. (Warning: This article is protected by copyright.)

*** FOR MORE EXPERT FISHING IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION AND EXPERT BAIT MAKING BOOKS SEE: http://www.baitbigfish.com