Just tie a knot in the top of the PVA bag without the hook link or anything in it and then take the hook point and drive it through the knot. Works for me. Also i like to use both PVA and method. If I catch on pva i switch another rod over to PVA and vise versa. There is some places where the method catches and some places where pva is the king.. not sure why.

Just so I don't sound anti-method I should say that I do use method at times. In fact, I will share my method recipe.

* Take 3 parts of Calf Manna, in a bucket, and pour boiling water onto the pellets. Do not apply to much, just enough for the water to rise to the top of the pellets.

* Let it cool so that you can work it with your hands.

* Mix in 2 to 3 parts of bread crumbs until it is mixed in really well.

* In the warmer months I will add this;

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...5007000_425-7-0


The oil will rise throughout the water column and along the lake bed. However, in really cold water oils can coagulate so I switch to; http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...5007000_425-7-0

* Add more bread crumbs until the mix is firm. You can add particles to the mix if breakers are needed.

doesent the bread crumb make it to solid,i mean calf manna alone binds really well. so in cold water wouldnt the bread crumb make it like a rock.

Nope. Calf Manna by itself will just explode when it hits the water. It needs a binder to make it to the bottom.

huh ok i always thought it made it to the bottom.

Chris, here's a trick i always use with new method mixes.

Make up a ball and put it in a bowl of cold water and time the break down. Calf Manna alone breaks down in less than 30 seconds.
I have a similar mix to Jason's and it takes about ten minutes to break down, by adding some creamed corn this process takes even longer. I like my mixes to take 15-20 minutes to break down.

I recast every 30-60 minutes on some lakes, if I'm casting every 2 hours I may tweak the mix a little more.

where do you get calf manna and what is it?

Calf manna and oats is what I use. Then add creamed corn, maize or hemp or bird seeds, and Hog Wild.

It has produced very well at many area lakes, including the two twenties from Athens.

After I prepare it, I make one ball of method and throw up in the air so that it lands in the shallow water and I see how long it takes to break down (this simulates the impact of casting.) Based on what I see, I then make adjustments to the mix if needed. After casting, I catapult some more method balls close to the hookbait and rebait with method balls as needed.

PVA does rock, BTW. Every technique has a time and place, our job is to figure out what those are!

JPF
You can get calf manna at most feed stores in DFW.

I work with two different size pellets one big plus a finer grade
Then I add dry boilie mix ..mix them dry up
Then just make it wet enough with water ( or the juice that you got left from cooking the boilies)so I am able to make good size round balls
I normally make about 20 of these and let dry up in the sun so they become solid..and fairly dry
And then they are ready to be dropped in your swim...but do it as gently as possibel so they wont break up
And for the rest I use boilies from the same mix...easy and fairly cheap..and basic
And it works for me many years..all over europe to

leo what method do you usually use to throw these out please?

guess i should have read more carefull . i assume you go out in the boat to chum??

If its not to far away I could use a baitspoon jesse ..but there is a chance they break up
I rather use a boat ,,kanou..or even a belly boat to bring them out..that way I am sure they are in the right spot to
The idea is that the carp is breaking it up with the nose...and eat the peaces around it..and that is were it finds your boilie

Anybody know where i can get some bigger PVA bags, the biggest i can find so far is 4"x6". Im going to give pva a go and im trying to find a bag big enough to cram a bunch of boilies and particles in to it.

I fell in love with the BDS leads when I was demonstratung them in a glass bowl at the Arlington Outdoors show. I had them loaded with Cracked Corn and a Boilie/Popup Hair.

Every time I put one in, the bag hit the bottom with the lead on the bottom. When the bag broke up, the chum pile covered the lead and the bait was presented perfectly- Sticking up on top of the buffet.

I use PVA mostly, but I really do like fishing The Method. The Method allows you to create a better bed of bait, and I really think it is more effective. I'm just a little too lazy to mix it all the time.

Chad