http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~chamade/leefish.htm
Groundbait
With so many different groundbait mixes on the market these days it can now be difficult to decide which one to buy. Hopefully this decision can be made a little easier with this list of groundbaits. the mixes mentioned are amongst some of the more popular, many of which will work well on the Lee.
The first thing to decide before buying any groundbait is whether the use of groundbait is needed at all. depending on venue and time of year the introduction of groundbait into your swim could kill it stone dead.
Bearing in mind that the main species of fish throughout the Lee are roach then a groundbait aimed mainly at this species would be a good buy, unless of course you are aiming for a different particular species. It might sound obvious but you would be surprised how many anglers can be seen on the bank with a mix designed for carp whilst it is obvious that they are fishing for roach. As well as having different ingredients groundbaits will also differ in colour, texture and action.
The colour is an obvious difference and, in general, a dark mix would be first choice. The reason for this is that fish are darker in colour on their back than they are on their flanks or underbelly. As a fish moves over a dark carpet of groundbait it is more difficult for any predatory fish to spot them. By using a light mix the fish would stand out more and be more likely to attract attention whilst feeding.
Texture also plays an important part in deciding which groundbait to choose. The texture of a mix is decided mainly on its ingredients. A rough textured mix containing large food particles would be more suitable for larger fish such as carp and bream. There would be little point in using a mix such as this when fishing for small fish as they would soon gorge themselves on the groundbait whilst leaving your hookbait. The idea of a groundbait is to attract fish into your swim and then encourage them to stay by giving them just enough food to ensure that they stay in your swim.
The action of a groundbait is also very much based on its ingredients. To all intent and purposes there are two types of activity, active and dormant.
An active groundbait would contain a great deal of crushed hemp. When introduced into your swim the hemp "fizzes" in the water. This action encourages fish into your swim to investigate. These active groundbaits are good for roach, smaller skimmers and gudgeon. Perch would also be attracted to your swim although this would more likely be due to the activity of the small fish than to the groundbait itself.
A dormant groundbait would be a more cereal based product. This mix would be more suited to larger skimmers, bream and carp. These fish are more likely to "graze" over any groundbait in your swim so plenty of bulk is needed to keep them interested. Due to the mix being made up of mainly a dormant ingredient the activity of the mix is greatly reduced.
Van Den Eynde SuperMatch and Sensas Roach*
are good examples of an active groundbait. Consider either of
these as your first choice when fishing the more canal like
sections of the Lee such as Ponders End, Picketts Lock and Cooks
Ferry. There is not a great deal of difference in activity or
food content although the SuperMatch is very slightly darker in
colour. (* now also known as Sensas Roach and Silver fish)
Sensas Roach Noire is the same as the normal Sensas Roach but is black in colour once mixed with water.
Sensas Match Blend does not contain a great
deal of feed and would be mainly used as a fish attractor. Once
the fish are in your swim you would rely on any loose fed
offerings introduced to keep the fish occupied. This mix contains
a great deal of salt, which acts as a laxative to fish. It is
ideal for use in the winter when you want to attract fish into
your swim without having to worry about overfeeding them.
Van Den Eynde SuperFeed is an excellent example of an active groundbait that contains a large amount of food content. This mix is reasonably light in colour although there is a red coloured mix also available. Be careful when using this mix as it would be very easy to overfeed the fish due to its high food content. More suited to larger species of fish.
Van Den Eynde SuperBlack as the name suggests is black in colour. It does not contain a great deal of food content and like Sensas MatchBlend is used mainly as an attractor. Can also be mixed with other groundbaits to produce an overall darker mix.