Thursday, 18th March 2010
Red Factor™ is one of those ingredients that lend itself to a myriad of carp fishing applications. Some see it as a seed blend and, yes, Red Factor™ does contain seeds: some use it as a paste bait, and, yes, it is ideal as such: others see it as the ideal binding agent for boilie mixes and yes, it is a perfect binder. In effect Red Factor™ is probably the most versatile carp bait ingredient on the market. It is formed by blending granules of egg biscuit with a subtle mix of micro seeds and Haith's Ready Mix™ .
There are several ways in which you can prepare Red Factor™ and for a quick and easy mix-and-go option simply add water and a touch of flavour/sweetener and you have the perfect soft paste bait. Simply add 4ml of your favourite flavour along with 1ml of a liquid food additive such as Minanimo to water and then add sufficient Red Factor™ to result in a sticky, compact mixture.
The finished paste can now be rolled into paste balls and introduced into your swim by catapult. Once in the water they will begin to break down but will not do so fully for at least 8 hours, all the while emitting the subtle smells of your flavour and liquid food as well as the unique attraction provided by Red Factor™, which contains Robin Red!
Of course, for a longer catching life you can indeed use eggs in the process rather than water to provide a longer breakdown time. Again you can boil the egg-based paste to form proper boiled baits but bear in mind that after about three minutes boiling Red Factor™ boils as hard as bullets.
Finally, by adding a proportion of Red Factor™ to your normal method mix, you can make the mixture bind together for longer.
Red Factor™ is one of the most effective and versatile canary seed products available but it has to be said, it is not cheap due to the fact that it contains the expensive ingredient Robin Red®. On the other hand a little goes a long, long way.
Ken's Preparation Tips:
In the photo you can see two ordinary boiled paste balls of pure Red Factor™ on the left, while on the right the small glass dish shows an unboiled paste ball after about four hours in the water. As you can see it is breaking down nicely and giving off a milky liquid, which carp simply adore.
This photo shows Red Factor™ in its unprepared state (lower left). In the middle is a ball of Red Factor™ paste that has been formed by mixing with water, In the jar is more water-based Red Factor™ paste and this shows its amazing binding qualities.
You can of course use eggs to create a stiffer more long-lasting paste, or you can boil the paste balls to form boilies.
Mix with other seed blends to form a stiff ground bait ball that will fire out for miles from a catapult!
Finally, don’t forget to use Red Factor™ to create the perfect Method Mix.
Written by Ken Townley
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