I first started toying with the idea of a pop-up stick mix ... - CC Moore

I first started toying with the idea of a pop-up stick mix last September after
fishing in the British Army Angling Championships with a good mate of mine,
Rod Simpson. We discussed the idea and thought it would be a perfect
solution for presenting a hookbait on weed alongside some really attractive
bait particles that can draw fish into the area.
I thought about our conversation and believed it could be really beneficial to
my fishing to take it several steps further. We all know that fishing in weed
can really put anglers off and many struggle to get their heads round the
best way to approach rig and bait presentation. Having the confidence and
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ability to do this can be a huge edge on weedy waters, particularly as fish
tend to feed more readily and confidently in weedy areas.

After thinking of a few possible ingredients for
the mix I decided to speak to Ian at CC Moore’s
and together we came up with what I think is the
ideal mix.
This newly-designed ‘Weed-Beater Mix’
combines highly attractive meals and powders
with other key ingredients which reduce its
density and actually make it fizz and explode
when immersed in water.
This makes it the perfect bag or stick mix to be
used over silkweed but the powerful attractors in
the mix also draw fish into the area where my
trap is set.
The devastating combination of aromas,
flavours, particle movement and bubbles the mix
releases gives me 100% confidence that my
hook bait is perfectly presented
and is sat amongst a fizzing,
moving cloud of irresistible bait
particles. Silk/blanket weed is
where the stick mix really comes
into its own; because it grows
across the lake bed and usually
only reaches ten inches or so
high, it is perfect to present a bait
on using this method. However,
any water that contains areas of
less dense weed can also be
fished using this method.
I am currently fishing The Carp
Society’s Horseshoe Lake, which
is full of silk weed and have
recently caught many big fish
using the mix.
Because of the length and the thickness of the
weed I am using leads on a safety clips and hook
links between 12” and 15” inches, baited with a
snowman presentation to slow the stick down as
much as possible. This ensures you get a nice
gentle landing on top of the weed, although the mix
will also work perfectly when using a bottom bait
due to the buoyancy of the bag mix.
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Take some narrow pva mesh and make a stick of around 1 inch
with the Weed-Beater mix, making sure you compress it as hard
as you can. There’s no need to add any liquid or oil to it, just use it
dry straight out of the bag.
Thread the stick on to your long hook link, pulling the hook right
into the end of the stick. This will prevent your hook from being
masked on the way down.
Once you have attached your rig to your quick link you are ready
to go.
Now for the interesting part! When your lead hits the bottom and
buries itself in the weed, the stick will pop right up off the lead
holding your hook link straight up above any weed.
The pva will then melt leaving everything that’s in the stick still
popped up. This takes around 2-3 minutes before you can see
anything happening, then your rig will very slowly start to fall
through the water landing softly on top of the weed. Your hookbait
and hook will now be free of any obstructions and will be
surrounded by a nice little food source.
The Weed-Beater mix will work continuously for several hours,
popping and fizzing releasing small particles and attraction into the
area of your hookbait- perfect!
The Weed-Beater Mix is perfect for tackling
weedy waters and I’m sure, like me, you’ll
catch many fish when using it.
I hope this brief insight will help build your
confidence when fishing in weed, bringing
you great benefits and results in the
process. Personally, I wouldn’t fish in silk
weed any other way!
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