PREPARING CHICKPEAS
Well the first thing you will need to do is put a layer of chickpea’s into a saucepan as shown in the photo. You want enough to put maybe two layers of peas on the bottom.
Next you want to add your flavouring, colouring and any additives such as Corn Steep Liquor or Betaine. You will also notice some white granules in the photo, these granules are Potassium Sorbate and will allow you to keep the Chickpea’s unfrozen for at least 4 month’s.
Now you will need to leave these in soak for 18 hours to not only take on the flavours, etc but also to help prepare them so that they expand in your saucepan and not in a fishes stomach.
Once you have soaked them boil them for 30 minutes giving them an occasional stir, one warning about this they stink so if your wife/partner is around it may be best to boil these outside on a gas stove.
Finally drain them off and allow them to cool and you will end up with a bait that is firm, moist and attractive to the fish.
Just to emphasise how important it is to correctly prepare particles the one on the left is a normal unprepared chickpea and on the right you have a correctly prepared chickpea. Hopefully you can see the danger of a fish splitting it’s stomach if too many unprepared were to be eaten and then expand within the fish.
