Old School Bait

Michael Cato

Many older anglers have nostalgic memories of homemade baits crafted from family recipes handed down through generations.

These traditional baits, now affectionately referred to as ‘old school’, hold a special place in their hearts. Personally, I cherish the memories of watching my father prepare bait in our family kitchen, a routine that filled me with excitement knowing it meant a fishing trip was on the agenda for the weekend.

He usually created three types of backings: a custard backing “pap”, a curry backing “pap/brownbread”, and a plain mealie backing “pap”.

All three of these “pappies” proved to be quite successful. However, there were drawbacks to these time-consuming baits—they would spoil after a day or two of use, and they often left a significant mess in the kitchen.

Fortunately, those days are behind us. Now, you can enjoy the benefits of these traditional baits without the hassle of preparation or cleanup. Although many anglers might hope their partners will handle the mess, we at Magic Baits have taken the initiative to produce these ‘old school’ baits within our Chooby Bait range.

Our Choobys work just as effectively as the baits made by our fathers and grandfathers, with several key advantages: 1) no lengthy preparation, 2) no messy kitchens, and 3) no waste of bait after just a day or two.

The Chooby baits are crafted based on the ‘old school’ 1-2-3 “pappie” concept, but we’ve enhanced the experience by packaging these baits conveniently, preserving and flavoring them to ensure they are ready to use.

The Custard Backing (Pappie).

This bait is made with genuine Custard powder, staying true to the original recipe.

The Curry Backing (Pappie).

This bait is made with genuine Curry powder, staying true to the original recipe.

To boost its attractiveness to fish, we’ve also included a sweetener known for its effectiveness as a fish attractor. After being cooked to perfection, the bait is neatly packaged in a user-friendly plastic tube.