Below you will read how I make and use paste baits for fishing. Also you will see recipes I use for making a paste bait. These are my own preferences and only for advice. Its all trial and error (hopefully not many errors). Give it a go and experiment yourself.

There is a link at the bottom of the page to an article written by Tim Richardson on how to make Carp Baits which is well worth a read.

Paste baits are not new and were used over 300 years ago by Izaak Walton.

Extract from The Compleat Angler, by Izaak Walton Chapter IX

The fourth day – continued
On the Carp
Chapter IX
Piscator

The Carp bites either at worms, or at paste: and of worms I think the bluish marsh or meadow worm is best; but possibly another worm, not too big, may do as well, and so may a green gentle: and as for pastes, there are almost as many sorts as there are medicines for the toothache; but doubtless sweet pastes are best; I mean, pastes made with honey or with sugar: which, that you may the better beguile this crafty fish, should be thrown into the pond or place in which you fish for him, some hours, or longer, before you undertake your trial of skill with the angle-rod; and doubtless, if it be thrown into the water a day or two before, at several times, and in small pellets, you are the likelier, when you fish for the Carp, to obtain your desired sport. Or, in a large pond, to draw them to any certain place, that they may the better and with more hope be fished for, you are to throw into it, in some certain place, either grains, or blood mixt with cow-dung or with bran; or any garbage, as chicken’s guts or the like; and then, some of your small sweet pellets with which you propose to angle: and these small pellets being a few of them also thrown in as you are angling, will be the better.

And your paste must be thus made: take the flesh of a rabbit, or cat, cut small; and bean-flour; and if that may not be easily got, get other flour; and then, mix these together, and put to them either sugar, or honey, which I think better: and then beat these together in a mortar, or sometimes work them in your hands, your hands being very clean; and then make it into a ball, or two, or three, as you like best, for your use: but you must work or pound it so long in the mortar, as to make it so tough as to hang upon your hook without washing from it, yet not too hard: or, that you may the better keep it on your hook, you may knead with your paste a little, and not too much, white or yellowish wool.

And if you would have this paste keep all the year, for any other fish, then mix with it virgin-wax and clarified honey, and work them together with your hands, before the fire; then make these into balls, and they will keep all the year.

And if you fish for a Carp with gentles, then put upon your hook a small piece of scarlet about this bigness, it being soaked in or anointed with oil of petre, called by some, oil of the rock: and if your gentles be put, two or three days before, into a box or horn anointed with honey, and so put upon your hook as to preserve them to be living, you are as like to kill this crafty fish this way as any other: but still, as you are fishing, chew a little white or brown bread in your mouth, and cast it into the pond about the place where your float swims. Other baits there be; but these, with diligence and patient watchfulness, will do better than any that I have ever practiced or heard of. And yet I shall tell you, that the crumbs of white bread and honey made into a paste is a good bait for a Carp;

Paste Baits for fishing

What is a fishing paste bait?
A fishing paste bait is similar in appearance to dough (the result of mixing flour and water when making bread).

How is a paste bait for fishing made?
A paste bait for fishing is made by mixing dry ingredients together with water, beaten eggs, margarine or other form of liquid or colloid to form a paste. In the process colouring and flavourings are added as an attractant to entice the fish.

How to use paste baits.
Paste is moulded around your hook. When putting the paste on my hook I always leave a bit of the point showing.

Ok now you know the basics of making paste baits lets get down to making some paste for fishing.
Below is how I make my paste for fishing. I am not saying this is the right way or wrong way and other anglers may well disagree with me and make theirs differently. I catch fish with my paste and if they catch fish with their past – mission accomplished.

Bread Paste
Bread paste has been used in fishing for hundreds of years as you will have read from the Izaak Walton extract above. He recommended a paste of white bread and honey as an excellent bait for carp but it is also a good bait for most fish. I disagree with his use of flesh of a rabbit, or cat mixed in when making the paste. Chub and Barbel are two common targets when using bread paste.

The easiest way of making a simple bread paste for using as your hook bait is to take a slice of bread and cut the crust off. Lightly wet remainder with water (this can be flavoured to your choice) and squidge it about in your hands until it forms a paste. Don’t wet it too much or you end up with a hand full of mush – If you do, then cut the crust off another slice of bread and mix the remainder with it (dry) if it is then too dry add a small amount of water

note: if using a very fresh sliced loaf then you may not need any water and by pressing and moulding the centre of a slice between your fingers you will produce a paste for hook bait.

Below are recipes I have used and sometimes still do use for making paste baits with and without colouring and flavours.

Nowadays I more often cheat by making my paste with bread as follows:
Go to you local store and buy some bread. Probably the cheapest form of fishing bait available to buy.

I prefer to use white bread.

I usually ask if they have any bread that is nearly out of date that they are going to throw away and usually get it free or very cheap. I then put the bread in a liquidiser and liquidise it. If I will be fishing and using paste for a few days I will use around one loaf for making fishing paste and the rest I save for making or mixing with groundbait.

I empty about a loaf (liquidised) into a bowl. I then add either a cup of groundbait , ground trout pellets or halibut pellets (they have a strong smell and high oil content), or half a cup of fishmeal.
Then I mix this together while dry. I don’t add colouring. Then I add a bit of water – quarter of a cup maybe. I mix this and if the mix is too dry I add a bit more water. I do this until the paste is stiff enough for using. You will find it is trial and error.
If just using bread I sometimes add some extra flavouring to the water for the mix. This can be sweet such as strawberry or fishy such as cod liver oil, herring oil etc.

Another method is to buy a commercial boilie mix and follow the instructions on the bag to mix this but don’t boil it.

You could also opt for the ready mixed commercial fishing paste baits found in your local tackle shop. These are generally tried and tested but can be more expensive. There is more of a feel of achievement though when you catch a fish using your own homemade paste bait.

These measures are approximate. I have never yet got the water ratio correct on the first attempt.

1 ½ cups of flour – plain or wholemeal
2 thirds of a cup of water
1 capful of colouring (your choice)
1 or 2 caps full of flavouring.

1½ cups of flour – plain or wholemeal
1 cup of supercup ground bait (you can use what groundbait you prefer)
2 thirds of a cup of water
1 capful of colouring (your choice)

1 cup of flour – plain or wholemeal
1 cup of ground up trout pellets, halibut pellets or boilies
2 thirds of a cup of water

If you are going to use a flavouring and / or colouring, mix it with the water first.

1. Put the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl
2. add the water (with flavouring and colouring if used) and stir together using the wooden spoon.
3. stir until the mix gets stiffer and ends up a lump stuck around your wooden spoon
4. spread a bit of flour onto a flat surface. Lift out the spoon and take off the mix and put it on the floured surface and  use your hands to kneed it. If you find the mix is too sticky add a little more flour.
5. you need to knead it to make it smooth and stretchy. Push your hands into the dough, gather it back into a ball, turn it slightly and then repeat. Do this for about 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth and pliable.

6.Separate enough of the bread paste to use on your fishing trip and if you have any small containers put the rest of the paste into these otherwise use a plastic bag and save it in the fridge. If your not going to use the bread paste within a week I suppose you could keep it in a freezer. (I’m not sure how long it keeps in the freezer though)

That’s it.  Bait paste made lets go fishing.