How to make a 50/50 PVA bait stick

Knowing how to create a 50/50 PVA Bait Stick can put your streets ahead when fishing for big carp.

Not only does this method allow the angler to present plenty of highly attractive bait within millimetres of the hookbait, but when created as per the instructions below, a neat tube of bait wrapped in PVA can be used to hide the hooklength and therefore help you enormously when it comes to tricking really line-shy carp.

Although this is a method created to catch big carp, there's simply no reason why you cannot alter the bait incredients to help you tempt big barbel, tench and bream.

Experimentation is key to this method. Once you have mastered how to put the bait inside the PVA stocking you're well on your way...

You could try bread crumbs, fruit flavoured groundbait, different colours of groundbait, crushed pellets, all manner of different baits to give you the edge the next time you're on the bank.

Here's how it's done...

How to make a 50/50 stick

1. Use a vegetable chopper to chop up some boilies.

2. Here’s what they should look like – very finely chopped.

3. Now push a small amount of very lightly-dampened groundbait into a Funnel Web tube.

4. Add the same amount of your chopped-up boilies.

5. Compress, push the web from the plastic tube and tie the ends. Pull your hooklength through from the groundbait end.

6. Continue to pull the baiting needle through until the hook point sits in the bottom of the web bag in the groundbait like this.

7. Attach the top of the hooklink on to a quick link.

8. The finished rig ready for casting.

What happens to a bait stick underwater?

Because the mix has been highly compressed in the tube, it explodes from the melting PVA like this.

The deadly Dynamite Stick

Korda's Funnel Web PVA system became very famous after Nick Helleur invented the Dynamite Stick. A Dynamite Stick is a very compressed, three-to-four-inch ‘sausage’ of Dynamite Baits’ tinned Meaty Marine groundbait.

Because the groundbait is compressed, the PVA sausage explodes on the bottom. This not only attracts carp, but also perfectly covers the hooklink.

This technique has since been copied by many anglers and seen by many fish. Therefore, you need to do something slightly different to still get bites.

One way to keep one step ahead of the rest is to use a 50/50 mix of Dynamite Baits' Meaty Marine groundbait coupled with a black groundbait such as Black Swimstim. This darkens the mix, making it just as potent in terms of the smell, but less obvious to any passing carp.

It's best to avoid oily baits in the winter because the oil can leak into the PVA, preventing it from dissolving properly. At this time of the year use either low oil content crushed pellets or add a higher percentage of crumb-based groundbait to your Meaty Marine groundbait.

After casting, the PVA bag and hooklink sit for a few seconds on the bottom like this.