Description
AABaits Wafter Mix
Our AABaits Wafter Mix has been refined to improve handling, making it easier to mix, roll and produce consistently high-quality hook baits. The buoyancy has also been carefully refined to create a mix that is ideally suited for producing balanced wafters.
When used on its own, this mix has been designed so that a 12mm hook bait will waft with the hook lying flat on the lake bed when used in conjunction with a Thinking Anglers Size 4 Curved Shank Hook and a Micro Rig Swivel.
The ideal buoyancy of every wafter is personal and will always depend on factors such as hook size, hook gauge, swivel size and your preferred rig arrangement. Some anglers prefer the hook to remain flat on the lake bed, others like the hook to be lifted slightly, while some prefer the hook bait itself to sit on the lake bed whilst still retaining slight buoyancy. There are countless variables, so use the recommendations below as a starting point and fine-tune them to suit your own fishing.
This mix can be used with either water or liquid egg, alongside bait preservative. When using water and bait preservative, the finished hook baits will still have excellent firmness. For those who prefer a slightly firmer finish, using liquid egg alongside bait preservative will increase the hardness slightly.
For the best results, always weigh both your liquids (egg or water) and powders accurately. Wafter mixes require precise measurements, so we recommend using digital scales capable of measuring to at least 0.1g.
The buoyancy of this mix has been designed specifically for smaller hook baits (12mm). For larger hook baits, simply increase the density by incorporating your chosen base mix. The recommended ratios below provide an excellent starting point for 15mm and 18mm hook baits, although some fine tuning may still be required.
Made using premium milk proteins, egg proteins and high-quality milk powders, this mix provides excellent leakage while absorbing flavours and liquid attractors exceptionally well. It is easy to mix, simple to roll and produces a firm yet workable hook bait that remains soft enough to use comfortably with a baiting needle.
Buoyancy Ratios
15mm Hook Bait
- 70% Wafter Mix
- 30% Base Mix
Produces a well-balanced wafter when used with a Thinking Anglers Size 4 Curved Shank Hook and Micro Rig Swivel, based on our own testing. As every base mix differs in density, your results may vary. Use this as a starting point and adjust the ratio to achieve your preferred level of buoyancy.
18mm Hook Bait
- 65% Wafter Mix
- 35% Base Mix
Produces a well-balanced wafter when used with a Thinking Anglers Size 4 Curved Shank Hook and Micro Rig Swivel, based on our own testing. As every base mix differs in density, your results may vary. Use this as a starting point and adjust the ratio to achieve your preferred level of buoyancy.
NOTE: These are guidelines, ratios can be altered accordingly. Adding more base mix will lower the buoyancy of the finished hookbait.
Mixing Ratios
Standard Mix (No Dye)
- 80g Liquid Egg (or Water)
- 20g Bait Preservative
- 10ml Flavour
- 184g Wafter Mix (Roughly extra 10g wafter mix when using water)
Standard Coloured Mix
- 80g Liquid Egg (or Water)
- 20g Bait Preservative
- 10ml Flavour
- 182g Wafter Mix (Roughly extra 10g wafter mix when using water)
- 2g Standard Dye
Fluoro Mix
- 80g Liquid Egg (or Water)
- 20g Bait Preservative
- 10ml Flavour
- 177g Wafter Mix (Roughly extra 10g wafter mix when using water)
- 7g Fluoro Dye
Pastel Mix
- 80g Liquid Egg (or Water)
- 20g Bait Preservative
- 10ml Flavour
- 178.5g Wafter Mix (Roughly extra 10g wafter mix when using water)
- 3.5g Fluoro Dye
- 2g White Dye
Iron Oxide Mix
- 80g Liquid Egg (or Water)
- 20g Bait Preservative
- 10ml Flavour
- 182.5g Wafter Mix (Roughly extra 10g wafter mix when using water)
- 1.5g Iron Oxide Dye
Colour, Flavour & Mixing Guide
Overall Mixing Ratio
IMPORTANT: Always weigh both liquids and powders accurately using digital scales capable of measuring to at least 0.1g.
The standard mixing ratio for this wafter mix is 1.67g powder to 1g total liquid. This ratio has been developed to provide the ideal consistency, workability and finished buoyancy.
When incorporating additional liquids or powdered additives such as flavours, oils, liquid foods, amino acids or powdered attractors, the ratio may require slight adjustment.
As a starting point for customised recipes, reduce the ratio to approximately 1.57g powder per 1g total liquid, then fine tune until your preferred dough consistency is achieved.
Colour Inclusion
The inclusion rates below are intended as a guide and can be adjusted to achieve your preferred colour intensity.
Standard Colours
- 2g Standard Dye
- 182g Wafter Mix
Fluoro Colours
- 7g Fluoro Dye
- 177g Wafter Mix
White Colour
- 4g White standard dye
- 180g Wafter Mix
Pastel Colours
- 3.5g Fluoro Dye
- 2g White Dye
- Per 178.5g Wafter Mix
Iron Oxide Colours
- 1.5g Iron Oxide Dye
- 182.5g Wafter Mix
Larger Batch Guide (Per 1kg Wafter Mix)
- Bright Fluoro Colours – 40g Fluoro Dye
- Pastel Colours – 20g Fluoro Dye – 10g white dye (not essential). Lowering the fluoro dye will create a pastel colour but we personally prefer the colour achieved by adding white dye, as it creates a softer, more natural-looking finish.
- Standard Colours – 11g Standard Dye
- Iron Oxide Colours – 8g Iron Oxide Dye
- White Colour – 22g White Standard Dye
Note: For the most even colour distribution, place the dry mix and dyes into a sealed bag, trap some air inside and shake thoroughly before adding any liquids.
Flavour Inclusion
Some flavours simply are not compatible with pop-up and wafter mixes and can significantly affect the binding properties of the dough.
If this occurs, try one of the following:
- Dilute the flavour with bait preservative.
- Mix it with your other liquid ingredients.
- Dilute it with a small amount of water before adding it to the egg.
Some flavours can only be applied to the finished hook baits because they interfere with the binding process too much to be incorporated into the mix.
For maximum attraction, we recommend boosting finished hook baits with flavours and additional liquid attractors after boiling. During the boiling process, some attractants are inevitably lost, while the coagulated egg albumen locks in a proportion of the remaining liquids, reducing their leakage. Applying flavours and attractors to the finished hook baits maximises leakage and overall attraction.
Note: Allow the hook baits to dry until they still retain a slight amount of flexibility before reapplying additional flavours or liquids. These can be applied multiple times to further increase attraction.
Instructions
- Weigh out 80g water (or liquid egg) and 20g bait preservative (100g total).
- Add 10ml flavour and mix thoroughly.
- Add your chosen powder blend and mix until a light, fluffy consistency is achieved.
- Lightly coat a pair of vinyl gloves with approximately 0.5ml of your chosen oil.
- Knead the mix for 2–3 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
- Place the dough into a sealed bag and leave to rest for 15 minutes to allow full absorption.
- Lightly knead again before rolling into a sausage suitable for your extruder.
- Load into your sausage gun and extrude a small amount to check sizing.
- Begin with a slightly undersized nozzle and gradually trim it until it perfectly matches your rolling table. Always test using a full-length sausage before making further adjustments, as a full sausage can expand slightly differently during extrusion.
- Roll your hook baits and transfer them to a tray. Rice flour is normally unnecessary with this mix, but if sticking occurs, lightly dust the tray and remove any excess before use.
- Bring water to the boil, then reduce slightly (approximately 98°C). Although the mix will withstand a full rolling boil, a slightly lower temperature is recommended.
- Remove the hook baits and place them onto an air-drying tray.
- Air dry your hook baits for a minimum of 24 hours before storing, allowing longer during colder or more humid conditions. The lower the remaining moisture content, the greater the resistance to mould.
Batch Yield: Approximately 250g of finished hook baits. Simply halve all ingredients to produce approximately 125g.
Boiling Times
12mm – 60 seconds
15mm – 1½–2 minutes
18mm – 2–2.5 minutes
Drying & Storage
Proper drying is essential. Air dry your hook baits for a minimum of 24 hours before storing, allowing longer during colder or more humid conditions. The lower the remaining moisture content, the greater the resistance to mould.
Avoid over-drying your hook baits. Excessive drying can make them brittle and prone to cracking when squeezed. We prefer our finished hook baits to retain a slight amount of flexibility, allowing them to bounce back slightly rather than becoming stone hard.
Unit E2, Russell Road, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, CH42 1LU, UK
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