Mainline Baits - Spodding and Spod Mixes

PVA Bags and Sticks

PVA Bags & Sticks

The use of PVA bags or sticks in modern Carp angling is now common place, quite simply because it is such an adaptable and effective tactic, for a number of reasons, and best of all easy to use.

PVA bags and funnel web systems of various sizes.

As an aid to rig mechanics, the extra weight of a small bag of pellet on the hook, or stick threaded onto the hook link will help keep the hook link straight, and away from the casting lead, a very beneficial anti-tangle quality, especially when using supple hook links, such as braid or when long range casting.

A little extra weight and drag from a small bag or stick will help prevent tangles on the cast.

Larger bags/sticks can contain enough bait, that no other freebies are needed, an excellent approach when fishing to small lake bed features, you can guarantee all you’re free offerings will be tight to the feeding zone. Once down on the bottom, PVA bags and sticks will quickly dissolve, before bursting open, dispersing the contents, a reaction that can be used to cover terminal tackle, and disguise rigs. This bursting effect of the PVA, also gives the important aspect of angling confidence that the rig should be clear of any lake bed debris and well presented.

Then of coarse there is the ‘Attraction’ factor.

For me, this is when PVA bags and sticks really come into their own, enabling the angler to place a high concentration of food attraction, into a compact package, that once dissolved in water releases a stream of particle and liquid attractors through out the water column, sending feed inducing signals to the Carp. The size of this small offering upon discovery, then leaves the Carp little to think about as far as feeding goes; one gulp is all that’s needed for a take.

On well stocked waters, high attraction methods can be extremely productive. Whether keeping bait down to a minimum by casting single baits or fishing over beds of bait, you want the Carp to zone in, straight to the hook bait for increased action, and that’s exactly what a bag/stick incorporated in the rig will do, a ploy the Carp match boy’s exploit to the full.

No matter what type of venue you fish, its always a good idea to take a bit of pellet or small amount of stick mix, enough to make up a few bags or sticks with you, maybe left in the car, if you don’t want to carrying lots of ‘Just in case kit’, because even on the slowest waters, opportunities of ‘Bonus’ fish to this method, can arise at any time.

A lot of my fishing recently has been based around focusing on one venue in particular, where tactics have consisted of a lot of pre baiting with boilies in the main, trying to get the low stock of Carp on the bait, a long term campaign really. Rigs are often left out for over 24 hours, fished boilie only, in attempt to reduce the disturbance to the presentation, by nuisance species of fish, Bream and the like.

Yet there has been many times, where almost out of the blue, Carp have suddenly started showing and become extremely active, perhaps triggered by a natural food that has become ripe? From an angling point of view, the best tactic has been to attach a bag or stick to a single bait rig, and get a mouthful of attraction in front of the Carp ASAP! Often resulting in instant action!

Making up PVA bags or sticks with a little practice is easy.

Funnel Web Bags

Funnel web bags are probably the quickest bag to make and easiest bag to use, simply attach the bag straight onto the rig hook. Once cast into the water, the PVA will dissolve, leaving the free offering around the hook bait.

Here I’m going to use a Korda funnel web PVA system to tie up a standard bag of Mainline Hempseed pellets, I really like these pellets not just because Carp love Hemp, but most anglers I know use a trout or halibut pellet, so these offer something different, often a real edge.


*Firstly keep the PVA clear from moisture and using dry hands, ensure one end of funnel web is sealed by a knot.*	*Fill the open end of the tube with the desired amount of pellet.*
*Gently compact the pellets to create a tight ball.*	*Maintaining the tention of the ball, form a loop in the empty section of the funnel web sock, pass through the ball of pellet, to form a simple over had knot.*
*Tighten down the knot.*	*Tie a second overhand knot, just above the first and cut between the two knots, separating the ball of pellet, leaving a sealing knot ready for the next bag on the remaining PVA sock.*
*The finished bag, ready to go!*	*Bags can be hooked straight onto rigs, or multiply bags can be made, and catapulted accurately to the fishing spot.*

If there is real concern that bottom debris or weed may impair the presentation of the rig, I like to incorporate the hook bait or whole rig, inside the PVA bag along with the freebies.

In this situation I prefer, solid PVA bags.

PVA Bags

Hook Bait Inside The Bag Set Up

*Take a small/medium sized PVA bag, and hold open between forefinger and thumb.*	*Place some pellets in the bottom of the bag.*
*Cut a PVA nugget in half, as you only need enough of the nugget to cover and protect the hook point, not taking up too much space in the bag.*	*Cover the rigs hook/hook point, with one half of the PVA nugget.*
*Place the hook bait into the bag, with the hook link coming out of the top of the bag.*	*Fill the bag with more pellets, leaving enough of the bag empty, to pinch together for tying off.*
*Twist the top of bag, tightening it down, and tie off with some PVA tape.*	*The hook bait and pellets are now sealed by the PVA bag, with the hook link coming out of the top.*
*Next push the pellets in the corners of the bag inwards with your finger, compacting the bag.*	Lick your finger and add the saliva to the now empty corners of the bag, taking care not to get the bag too wet so it splits, fold the bag corners so they stick to the main body of the bag. This will increase the aerodynamics of the bag when casting.
*Also stick down any surplus at the top of the bag, again carefully with a little saliva.*	*Peirce the bag all over with a bait needle, to release trapped air, and ensure the bag gets down the bottom, resting in position before the PVA dissolves, and release the bag contents.*
*The finished bag.*

The Whole Rig Inside The PVA Bag Set Up

*Use a large or long PVA bag.*	*Cut a split into the top of the bag, to create to tag ends for tying, and sealing the top of the later.*
*Start with some pellet in the bottom of the bag.*	*Run the hook link down inside the bag; push only the point of the hook through the wall of the bag, so the hook bait is held in place at the bottom of the bag.*
*Add some more pellets.*	*A few whole and broken boilies, go into the bag.*
*A few more pellets, to fill any gaps.*	*This Activated Nut ground bait from Mainline, goes very well with their Cell boilies & pellets, already in the bag.*
*Layers of the ground bait in the bag, give off loads of attraction and a good covering of the area around the rig.*	*Continue to fill the bag with repeat layers of the boilies, pellets, ground bait, to about 3/4 full, and add the lead.*
*Fill the space around the lead at the top of the bag, with some more pellets.*	*Take hold of the two tag ends of the bag, formed with a cut earlier.*
*Wrap the tag ends tightly around the top the lead a couple of time, and tie off.*	*As with the smaller bag, push in the corners and stick back with a little saliva, and pierce the bag all over with a bait needle.*
*Ready to go!*

PVA Sticks

A big plus point of PVA sticks, is that they are generally pretty aerodynamic, and are well suited to distance casting. The rigidity of a stick, before it comes into contact with water and dissolves, also provides excellent anti-tangle qualities, when threaded onto long or supple hook links.

When you first start using stick mix, I recommend you begin simply by using a powder, pellet and liquid attractor mix only, before you think about adding anything else like salt, chilly powder or tinned tuna. Because mixes like the ones I’m going to use now from Mainline, have been designed and tested to be effective with or with out additives.

So try them as shown first, and believe me they will catch Carp, add something like tinned tuna and experiment later, that way, you will be able to judge which additives increase catch’s, at any particular venue.

*Dedicated stick mixes from Mainline, Crushed Tiger Nut & Crushed, fantastic on their own, or combined together.*	*Pour some Tiger Nut mix into a bait tray.*
*Add an equal amount of the Crushed Hemp mix, to the Crushed tiger mix.*	*Stir the two mixes together with the kompressa tool for an even texture.*
*Add some small pellets, Mainline Response pellets are ideal, I’m using Fusion to match the dumb bell hook bait, attached to the rig later.*	*Add some liquid attraction with a Mainline syrup, this Halibut version works well with Fusion flavour.*
*A good squirt, boosts the attraction factor of the mix.*	*Rub the mix between your fingers, for an even consistency to the mix.*
Use a PVA funnel web system to hold the mix and form the ‘Stick’. Here I’m using the smallest of the Korda funnel web systems, the ‘Long chuck’; begin by ensuring one end is sealed with a knot.	*Dependant on what length/size of stick you need, scoop up the required amount of mix with the system tube.*
*Push the Kompressa tool down the system tube, to compact the mix and form a ‘Stick’.*	*Maintaining the tention of the stickl, form a loop in the empty section of the funnel web sock, pass through the stick, to form a simple over had knot.*
*Tighten down the knot.*	*Tie a second overhand knot, just above the first and cut between the two knots, separating the stick, leaving a sealing knot ready for the next stick on the remaining PVA sock.*
*Sticks of different sizes, ready for use.*	*Slide a stick onto a long stringer/stick needle, with a latched end.*
*Loop the end of the hook link onto the needle latch, draw the hook link through the length of the stick and slide the stick onto the hook shank.*	*Attach the hook link to the rest of the terminal tackle with a quick change style clip, to complete the set up.*

High Attract Set Ups

Both PVA bags and sticks can be used in conjunction with each other to create ‘High Attract’ presentations.

The ‘High attract rig’ Mainline 10mm dumb bell hook bait, balanced with yellow floating plastic corn, to add visual attraction, sat between a small stick and small bag of pellet. Dip this set up in Mainline hook bait enhancement glug, of your flavour theme, for increased attraction.

I also like to use a stick mix/paste combination.

Start with smallish hook baits, like this 10mm Fusion dumb bell, on a good length hair.

Mmm! Carp love paste. But how many times do YOU use it?

Place the hook bait in the centre of some flattened paste.

Mould the paste around the hook bait, so that it hangs free of the hook on the hair. The paste will begin to break down in the water, giving off loads of attraction signals, but can still be taken by a feeding Carp during that time.

Finish off the rig with a stick.

My first fish, from my first visit to The Carp Society’s, Horseshoe Lake, taken on the ‘High Attract Stick & Pellet rig’. Before a PVA bag of pellet accounted for what Horseshoe Lake is famous for, one of its heavily scaled Mirrors.

Whether disguising a rig or casting too showing fish, PVA bags &sticks certainly offer the angler many solutions and opportunities alike.

Enjoy your fishing.

John