SPECIAL INGREDIENTS

The “gluten bread” used in Crucian Carp fishing is a crushed form of “baked glutens” that are used in food. There are considerable differences in diffusion, stickiness and feel of the bait depending on the hardness and size of crushed particles, which are determined by the degree of baking.
Gluten bread baits are the most frequently used for Crucian Carp fishing. The reason for this is when it diffuses in the water, it looks similar to a lot of plankton floating in the water, so Crucian Carp are visually attracted to it. As a result, it is said that this bait is effective for catching all fish who prey on plankton.
At MARUKYU CO.,LTD. (subsequently referred to as MARUKYU), we have over 30 kinds of gluten bread baits, and in order to enhance the features of each bait we use various characteristics of “gluten bread”. In order to attract even more fish, we also have many compound baits combining attractive ingredients such as “Silkworm chrysalis” and “fishmeal pellets”. Depending on the weather, water temperature, visibility and number of people fishing, the condition of the fish is always changing. We have a varied line-up of gluten baits to enable you to adapt to all conditions at any 　particular time.
The quality of baits made from “baked gluten” can be completely different depending on subtle changes in the manufacturing process. The natural ingredient of “gluten” is always different according to its origin and harvesting period, however MARUKYU carefully plan its ingredients to ensure the stability of our products.

“Mash” is a dried form of flaky ground potato. This was the main form of bait used for Crucian Carp fishing before gluten bread baits appeared. The small particles in “Mash” create a white smokescreen in the water. This white smokescreen gives the appearance of plankton floating in the water and attracts fish as a result. Despite the popularity of gluten bread baits, this bait has lower attractiveness and thus smaller fish are less attracted to it. Due to its ability to predominantly attract only Crucian Carp, it is often used in natural fishing areas with a lot of smaller fish, or where larger fish are being targeted.
Although there is a range of quality of raw mash depending on its type and when it was made, MARUKYU carefully select and obtain the most appropriate raw mash for fishing baits. We also consistently provide the same quality bait by carefully checking its contents yearly and making small adjustments. The line-up of MARUKYU mash baits is varied, so you can use them according to any fishing condition.

Although baked “gluten” becomes “gluten bread”, “Vital wheat gluten” is a raw form of “gluten” that becomes like mesh in water, and has the benefit of staying on the hook for long periods of time. Gluten baits used in fishing are a blend of disintegrated “Vital wheat gluten” and “mashed potato”. Mash baits diffuse well in the water and attract fish by creating a white smokescreen, however this diffusion makes it difficult to develop a core and stay on the hook for long periods of time. The gluten fibres contained in ‘gluten’ baits keep the grains of the ‘mashed potato’ together underwater. As the mashed potato grains quickly diffuse in the water, only cotton-like fibres remain on the gape of the hook.
MARUKYU have a variety of gluten baits that use a range of thick, thin, strong and weak gluten fibres. As there is also a variety of flake sizes for the “mashed potato”, the characteristics of diffusion can vary according to the combination of “gluten fibres” and “mashed potato”.
Many people are surprised when they first make gluten baits and observe how it diffuses in the water. Although it is soft to touch at first, and expands and becomes even softer as it absorbs water, it still remains on the hook for longer. As it is easy to hook the fish when it inhales the bait and can stay on the hook for longer, gluten baits are used in a wide variety of fishing fields irrespective of the type of fish you are targeting.

Tororo baits are essentially the processed form of edible kelp used for fishing. They are mixed and used with powder baits such as “gluten bread” and “pellets”. Similar to gluten fibres, the role of Tororo fibres is to hold the grains of “gluten bread” and “pellets” together tightly. As it is light and drifts in the water, the fish have no reservations about eating the bait. Gluten baits are typically used in periods when the water temperature is lower, however as Tororo fibres are stronger than that of gluten, Tororo baits can be used during periods with higher water temperatures when the fish are more active.
The main characteristic of these baits is that different to the edible form of kelp, its properties are processed specifically for fishing. The quality of the original ingredient is definitely important, however it is also necessary to have the skill to process its properties so it can be used as fishing bait. Staying on the hook for a long period of time while slowly scattering the grains of the gluten bread or pellet, and hooking the fish smoothly when it swallows the bait. These are the series of functions MARUKYU’s Tororo baits have.

When water is added to starch and heated, it becomes “alpha starch”. This is then crushed into powder and solidified to make “UDON”, which is mainly used as a hook bait to catch Crucian Carp. MARUKYU currently have 3 types of bait in the “UDON” series, an instant type that is easy to make at the fishing area, a type that can be made at home beforehand, and a granular type that can be used in its original state at the fishing area.
The benefits of instant types 「KANTAN」 and 「KANTANⅡ」are the convenience of being able to make it easily at the fishing area, and that you can adjust the hardness and size of the bait.
The type which can be made at home beforehand, 「TOKUSEN WARABI SAI」 and 「ATARI」, have both flexibility and stickiness, and as a Crucian Carp hook bait the highest quality of ‘UDON’ can be made. Its quality will even satisfy those fishing enthusiasts particular about their baits. The warabi type 「TOKUSEN WARABI SAI」 can withstand any temperature changes both in the water and outside, and using the characteristics of bracken, you can make “UDON” which is light and contains a lot of stickiness. The main characteristic of the tapioca type 「ATARI」 is that it can last for a longer time after making it. The tapioca that is regularly circulated is not very sticky and unsuitable for fishing, however the tapioca used in 「ATARI」are carefully selected to have the perfect amount of stickiness.
The granular warabi types 「CHIKARADAMA」and「CHIKARADAMA HARD Ⅱ」overcome the disadvantage of warabi not being able to last for a long time, and this unprecedented product using MARUKYU’s technology can be used as is at the fishing area. This is also an extremely convenient bait that can be used by beginners as it doesn’t require you to make it at the fishing area.

“Silkworm chrysalis” is the most meaningful attractant bait ingredient for MARUKYU. We started selling “silkworm chrysalis” from sericulture as fishing bait. It is not an exaggeration to say it has been an achievement for this bait to be widely recognized by fishing lovers.
“Silkworm chrysalis” contain numerous attractive ingredients for feeding, notably amino acid. No matter if its freshwater or saltwater, silkworms have proven to be highly attractive for a range of fish.
At MARUKYU, we not only consider its attractiveness for fish, but also the environment when selecting our silkworms. Silkworm chrysalis can have a negative effect on water quality and the fish who eat it due to its high acidic value (amount of oxidized fat). We measure the acidic value of the chrysalis at all times and only choose chrysalis of the highest quality. We crush them into various sized grains in our factory and combine it with our products to utilize its characteristics.

“Pellets” refer to the feed used in fish farming, and this is processed into granular or powder form so it can be easily used as pellet fishing baits. The animal proteins such as “fishmeal” contained in these baits make it a very attractive ingredient for fish. There are many kinds of fish farming feed, and MARUKYU also make their own original pellets specifically for fishing. The various sized pellets are combined to balance well with our products. Pellets used in fish feeding are only concerned with attracting fish and getting them to eat it, not how to hook them. MARUKYU fully use this ability to attract fish, and alter them to have a better balance of the characteristics necessary for fishing baits, namely longevity on the hook, ability to hook the fish and ease of attachment. We offer a varied lineup to match any target fish or season you need, ranging from bait that dissolves slowly into small grains and diffuses widely, to a bait with large grains that break up instantly.

At MARUKYU, we have liquid baits that increase the attractiveness of our attractant baits and hook baits. Each fish has its own preference of food, so we research each ingredient they like to develop our products.
For example, 「KOI NI KOREDA」contains a large amount of “silkworm” and “crayfish” extract which Carp love, 「CHINU NI KOREDA」has a concentrated extract of ingredients taken from “silkworm” that Black Bream love, and「GURE NI KOREDA」 has a concentrated extract of ingredients taken from “krill” that Blackfish love. We also have a series called 「SET 100」 that can attract any kind of fish and covers a wide range of fishing.
We have also developed a manufacturing method which enables components extracted from ingredients such as “silkworm”, “crayfish” and “krill” that fish love to be stored for long periods of time at room temperature. This technology was developed after a long period of research.

MARUKYU offer a wide range of liquid baits that harden the meat of the hook baits, thus increasing the functionality of the bait and also preventing discoloration. As hook baits are what the fish essentially eat, it is necessary to continually maintain a high level of freshness and softness. Depending on how they are used, this feature increases the probability of catching fish.

MARUKYU use many types of yeast in their baits, but the most common is “MP yeast”, which is used for sea baits (Black Bream, Blackfish etc).
MP, which stands for Maximum Protein, is a high protein ingredient full of effective peptides that attract fish. Although you would think there is abundant food to be eaten in nature, as there are changes in the environment due to the seasons and weather, fish cannot always eat three meals a day like human beings. That’s why they are attracted and get excited when there is food with high nutritional value. “MP yeast” is exactly one of these ingredients, and is an essential part of MARUKYU’s highly attractive baits included in a wide range of our products.

“Corn” is a fishing bait widely used for catching Carp and Black Bream in either seawater or freshwater. Yellow baits are highly visible to fish, and “corn” is a typical ingredient used in both MARUKYU’s hook baits and attractant baits.
「NEW KUWASE CORN」is a hook bait that uses pickled corn good for bites. In order to prevent smaller fish taking the bait, amino acid is added to the inedible corncob to increase feeding. The frozen bait 「GATSU GATSU CORN」has “corn” marinated in “silkworm mince” to increase feeding, and has two forms, cut corn kernels and corn on the cob.
Recently, yellow baits have become popular with many fishing lovers. There are now many yellow baits for not only sea bait, but for Crucian carp hook baits, Black Bream paste baits and hook baits for Snapper in saltwater fishing ponds. “corn” can be seen as the leader of yellow baits.

We use a number of “wheat” baits at MARUKYU. “Pressed barley” is often used as attractant baits in sea fishing as they slowly flutter when sinking from above, and this appeals to fish such as Black Bream, Blackfish and Snapper’s vision. MARUKYU mainly use “pressed barley”, “pressed barley with skin” and “small barley”, and they are differentiated by the kind of fish and usage. In order to fully maximise the appeal of fluttering bait, two kinds of “wheat” with differing falling speeds are combined to make a slope over a wide area, and in this way you can aim for a wide range of fish from all layers of the ocean. In addition to the “wheat” baits mentioned above, we have a wide lineup of products differing in color and smell, such as “pressed yellow barley” which further appeals to the fish’ visibility, and “barley soaked in silkworm extract” which increases feeding. MARUKYU is deeply concerned with how “wheat” can effectively attract the target fish you are trying to catch.

One of the essential ingredients in attracting fish is “shrimp powder”. The shrimp differ in smell and colour according to the area they were produced or treated. MARUKYU carefully select the shrimp, crush it into powder, sort them by size and add it to products that match accordingly. Baits with “shrimp powder” are surrounded by a sweet smell produced by its ingredients.

MARUKYU are very particular about one of its main ingredients, “bran”. Nukazuke foods have been used in Japan for a very long time and contain a lot of nutritious elements. “bran” refers to the seed and peel coat generated when grains such as rice and wheat are peeled. It’s characteristics differ considerably according to the type of grain and degree of peeling.
MARUKYU mainly use “rice bran” peeled from rice, and either wring the oil from it or add heat to it according to its use.

MARUKYU mainly use “garlic” in their baits. Garlic is added to many attractant and hook baits. The tonic effect of garlic can increase the level of activity among fish, and so has continued to be one of the essential ingredients of MARUKYU baits for a long time.

The main form of shell used by MARUKYU is “oyster shell”. By adding “oyster shell” to attractant baits, you can add to its weight and visual effect as it flutters while falling from the top of the water. There are various sizes of particles which MARUKYU add to match the type of fishing you are doing. They are used mainly as attractant baits, with smaller particles usually being used in Dango baits for Black Bream where a smokescreen is required, and larger particles being used to attract fish from far away as it has a visual effect from its fluttering motion.

Similar to “silkworm chrysalis”, “fish meal” is one of the most essential attractive ingredients used in MARUKYU baits. “Fish meal” is mostly used in attractant baits that target saltwater fish. Depending on the type of target fish and product, a “fish soluble” made from grains absorbing fish soup after boiling is often added to our baits. Animal proteins serve as important nutrition for a fish' growth. MARUKYU’s high protein fish meal is a highly attractive ingredient with supreme quality.

“Bread powder” are one of the main ingredients for saltwater fishing. It is widely used in Blackfish fishing as it is lightweight, so they can attract fish to shallower areas of the sea.
“Bread powder” are divided into coarsely crushed and finely crushed grains and added to products according to these characteristics. Finely crushed grains are used in paste baits. Coarsely crushed grains are mainly used as attractant baits, but can be used in paste baits on occasion.
Although the main characteristic of “bread powder” is being light, it doesn't guarantee that it will be effective by floating near the water surface. That's why MARUKYU produce a specific “bread powder” bait with carefully selected ingredients. This enables the bait to lightly drift around the water surface and fall slowly.

“Bean curd lees” is a byproduct derived when making tofu, and is used as a base in attractant baits. It is characterized by increasing in volume when water is added to it whilst also maintaining its lightness, so when combined with bait it can be used in a variety of ways. MARUKYU use a variety of “bean curd lees”, and our products are divided into coarse pieces and small pieces when it is crushed.

We have a mineral matter ingredient called “kirara” that reflects light underwater and appeals to the fish' vision. Compound baits containing this ingredient are also effective for night fishing and when targeting smaller fish who react easily to light.

“Molasses” is a byproduct of purified sugar that is used as an ingredient in attractant baits to add weight to it and to increase the activity of the fish. It is mainly combined with attractant baits for Black Bream and Blackfish fishing, but can also be effective in freshwater Carp fishing and as a secret ingredient in hook baits.