Bait Elastic – Inova review

Bait elastic is one of those things that, until you use it, you don’t really appreciate how useful it is. I have used various bait elastics for numerous years, mainly in sea fishing, but they do have uses in pike fishing. The primary use is, of course, to stop your bait flying off on the cast – this is particularly important during very cold months where a cast- off bait could be the only one a pike needs for several weeks, if the water temperature is below 4 degrees.

The other reason to use them is the make sure your hook placement on the bait stays correct, a couple of times I have missed fish because the bottom treble has come out of the bait on water impact and twisted up the trace – no more.

Now you would think that all bait elastics are equal, and to be honest most are, however before heading off the other day I was desperately short, and popped into the local angling shop on the way – only to find that they only had some very expensive bait elastic dispensers in stock. These were made by Inova and were a shocking £9.99 for a pack of three – with little choice I bought a pack, and sulked off.

Now the Inova pack came with a holder for the elastic which I thought was just some tacky novelty, but it’s amazing! The reason I go through so much bait elastic is I inevitably drop them in the mud or water, leave them in my pocket or generally misuse them, so an applicator system with a lanyard is actually a godsend. Not only have I not lost it yet, it makes the actual application of the elastic to the bait very easy, without using excessive amounts! Absolutely brilliant.