How to Prepare Peanuts for Fishing Bait: A Step-by-Step Guide

Peanuts can be infected with a fungus, which produces a poisonous carcinogen called aflatoxin. Since there is no clear scientific evidence of what is a safe level for wild birds, Haith's® buy only 'nil detectable aflatoxin' - the safest standard there is.

So to be sure you are feeding safe peanuts, ask your supplier if they screen their peanuts for aflatoxin. Haith's check all their peanut consignments.

In this photo you can see Haith's peanuts in their raw form (on the right) and after a 1-hour soak (on the left).

While the standard version is a good reliable nut, I actually prefer their Redskin Peanuts, which I feel have a slightly more attractive taste and smell. Again you can see in the photo the raw and soaked versions side by side.

I like to add a few ounces of peanuts granules for added attraction. These little white chops swell up very quickly and as they do so they exude a lovely sweet-smelling milk that clouds up in the water.

To prepare your peanuts simply soak them in water overnight (add flavour should you wish, but it won’t make much difference!)…

…And then bring them to the boil. (This is optional as outlined earlier in this text.) Boil hard for about 5 minutes…

…And then simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Drain off the water and mix in the soaked, milky granules.

Though the peanuts are now ready to use, I like to tweak them still further to add extra attraction and make them easier to introduce to the swim. This is a blend of Red Factor and Ready-Mixed Colour Food.

Add the blend to the peanuts with a little water and use a heavy pestle to work the two together. This will crush some of the nuts, while leaving other intact.

You should soon end up with a sticky mixture…

…That can be rolled into peanut-laden balls.

The balls should be tough enough to be fired out from a caty and they will quickly dissolve on the lakebed, to leave little individual piles of whole and crushed peanuts, peanut granules and tiny granules of Red Factor and Ready-Mixed scattered throughout the swim.

A very simple knotless knot with a couple of hair-rigged peanuts will do the trick.

Written by Ken Townley