THE NEW ROBINS - The first test in 2014.

We introduced three new attractors to the Robin range in the shape of Robin Green, Robin Gold and Robin Orange. The new Robins share some of the ingredients of Robin Red and those ingredients are included at exactly the same level as in Robin Red. The ingredients are blended in the same order and sequence as Robin Red, and the different Robins are machine-blended for exactly the same time. In effect these are three new bait ingredients made using the same Robin Red technology.

The idea behind these new ingredients is to allow bait makers to utilise much of the attraction of the original product, Robin Red, without the subsequent – possibly unwanted – consequence of having the bait finish up a deep red colour. Thus naturally yellow base mixes can be coloured orange, green or gold, and still maintain the taste and attraction offered by Robin Red, which would otherwise create red baits.

Since the release of the three new Robins both the retail customer and the trade have been very receptive, clearly seeing the potential for a powerful attractor that is built around the Robin Red concept and technology, but one that can be tailored to identify a finished bait with a colour other than red, and from the feedback we have been receiving since their release the new Robins have found a unique niche in the bait world.

As an initial experiment I asked my friends at Nutrabaits if they would help me test the new Robins by including them in batches of one of their prime sellers, Enervite. This is one of Nutrabaits flagship mixes, introduced at the launch of the company in 1987. It has been going strong ever since. Evervite leans heavily on Robin Red to form part of its attractor package, so it was an ideal test bed for Enervite with Robin Orange, Enervite with Robin Green and Enervite with Robin Gold.

I took the baits to Bounty Lakes in France to test them, employing big beds of bait comprising pellets and the vari-coloured Enervite in equal quantities. As a control element I also used the original Enervite with Robin Red as a separate bait carpet. The two areas were baited quite independent of each other so that the catch results were not affected by one area of bait competing with the other. The results were very encouraging with the new Robins accounting for as many carp as the original version. This is just one of the carp caught during that trip.