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* Vitamins are essential proven carp attractors and additives! * Vitamins are essential for healthy carp and this applies whether they are commercially farmed or wild carp! Farmed carp are given a vitamin supplement mixture, usually combined with the essential minerals and trace elements that are also required for optimum carp growth and weight gain. These nutrients are essential to a carp’s health, growth, and ‘sense of well-being.’ They may exist in an environment rich in natural food, possibly supplemented frequently with anglers’ baits. But if a carp is deficient in a particular nutrient even like one essential vitamin, it may well eat your bait instinctively to fulfill that dietary need! * The vitamins most essential to carp, (and so carp baits,) (based on carp nutritional trials,): Vitamin A (‘IU’ with antioxidant effects,), A (‘RE’) also has antioxidant effects. Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (for growth), B5, B6, and B12. Other B vitamins are responsible for metabolism of amino acids and fats. Vitamin C is for good digestion and antioxidant effects. D, E (an antioxidant,) H (for blood cell formation), K (for blood clotting.) Then there are vitamin M, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and inositol. All these can be excellent carp attractors, being essential for a healthy carp. They are either included in your bait by using ingredients that are rich in them, or by adding a vitamin supplement in powdered or liquid form. Seafoods are very rich in vitamins, such as the easily digestible crustacean oils. Fish liver oils, like cod liver oil, are an excellent supplier of vitamins A and D, and these are fat soluble. Seafood has good levels of niacin, particularly water-soluble B vitamins, including B12, B6 and thiamine. (They are also an excellent sources of minerals!) Vitamins, minerals and trace elements are best used in fresh, natural form for the best absorption and synthesis in the carp’s body. A few successful commercial spray-dried fruit juice baits have been designed around vitamin C, and it is a very important, essential vitamin to carp. Like vitamin E, vitamin C has protective antioxidant properties; very healthy! Carp seem to love these. In aquaculture feeds, vitamin C is ‘phosphorylated’ (stabilized with phosphorous,) so getting the best from this important combination of phosphorus and ascorbic acid! Carp need vitamin C especially, and in ‘carp rearing stew ponds,’ where algae are not available vitamin C is especially supplemented for healthy carp growth. A Spirulina phytoplankton, (blue-green algae,) is commercially produced used as a supplement! Vitamin D has a possible role in calcium absorption in carp. Deficiency of vitamin E in carp has been caused by excessive oil levels in carp baits in some UK fisheries; carp liver damage was the result! Sadly, many UK anglers have seen many big carp with a bulging body, where the carp’s liver has been damaged and swollen. Fish meal baits have dominated the UK bait scene for 20 years plus. More anglers are adopting a “more bulk oils in my bait, equals more fish on the bank” mentality. But this is a very damaging to fish! * Fat levels and carp induced vitamin E deficiency: Fat levels incorporated via the dry base mix, especially containing high-fat, oily fish ingredients, are often enough to satisfy basic carp dietary needs. ‘Overloading’ with fish derived, or, ‘bulk food’, or ‘fish feed inducing’, or other oils, can be detrimental. The recommended usage rates are 15 to 30 milliliters maximum per pound of dry boilie base mix. Pure salmon oil is particularly recommended, especially for lower ware temperatures in the winter. This is because this oil has extremely healthy effects on the body and processes of the carp, and is very easily digested. * Other carp essential vitamins and their sources: B vitamins are listed repeatedly in commercial feeds. Often it’s B1, B6 and B12. This seems to reflect the carp catching success of carp bait ingredients which are high in these vitamins! Brewers yeasts, deactivated bakers yeasts, and yeast extract, are excellent sources of B ‘complex’ vitamins. They also provide essential minerals and trace elements, and are very well proven attractors! Brewer’s yeast is, even used as an important food supplement in the health industry. Yeasts are full of the ‘palatability’ and taste enhancer, L-glutamic acid, one of the most abundant amino acids found in nature. It is also used in ‘monosodium glutamate’, another famous taste enhancer. Pure (‘pharmaceutical grade’) liver powder is another great source of B vitamins that catches carp extremely well; and it smells really pungent! Corn steep liquor and molasses are often used in baits for their vitamin, mineral and trace elements nutritional attraction. The proficient angler will often cover all nutritional bait angles over a range of baits and frequently in a single bait. A single source of easily obtained, balanced nutrition, in boilie form is often most successful. It often has the long term ‘edge’ in producing big carp captures over lower quality baits with little biologically available carp nutrients. However, even a low food value boilie soaked in a mineral and vitamin supplement, will prove much superior to the same bait without! You too may well discover that minerals and vitamins are actually great attractors in their own right! 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.) By Tim Richardson. ‘The thinking man’s BAIT MAKING EXPERT.’ *** FOR MORE EXPERT FISHING IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION AND BAIT MAKING BOOKS SEE: http://www.baitbigfish.com Tim Richardson is a leading big fish angler with many incredible catches to his name. He is also a nationally recognised carp and catfish bait guru in the UK. His best selling bait making and bait enhancing books / ebooks help beginners and experienced anglers alike to improve and enhance their baits achieving far greater catches of big fish. *His books are even used by members of the elite “British Carp Study Group” for expert reference. * If you feel your catches could gain from more expert bait experience, insights and fishing information and techniques, take a look at Tim’s dedicated website.
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