Having used BYT for well over 12 months now I’ve had a great insight into its effectiveness as a carp bait. It’s been a bait that I’ve come to rely on for all types of fishing, whether it’s been rivers, lakes, canals or wherever, and for all sizes of carp. The mere fact that BYT contains three of the most effective big carp catching ingredients (Belachan, yeast and ground tiger nuts) no doubt has been a contributing factor behind why this bait is so good.

It first caught my attention when I heard Lockey tell me that one of the UK’s most sought after 50-pounders had been caught on it. At the time I wanted a high quality bait that I knew very few people were using and one which would give me the edge I was looking for. I still think that edge is present today as I really do think that the message about BYT’s effectiveness as a great bait hasn’t totally caught on. In 2007 I caught carp with it from more than twenty different waters, the biggest being a 60lb 2oz common which I braced with a 55lb 8oz at an Austrian lake. That was my only overseas carping trip of the year.

In the UK I used a single BYT hook bait to catch my first Yorkshire forty from the tough Brickyards weighing 41lb 12oz, and I also landed a 38lb mirror from North Yorkshire’s Fairview Lake on my fourth night at the venue - both very big fish for the north of the country. It didn’t end there either, as I also landed fish to 36lb from the demanding Tilery Lake in Yorkshire, as well as 30s from Motorway Pond and an undisclosed very tough Yorkshire estate lake. Basically it seemed that everywhere I went, the carp were on the bait - something which is so, so important for anglers who fish on a limited time allowance like I do.

An Austrian 60lb'er takes a liking to Crowy's BYT!

Solar make BYT as both a ready made and a freezer bait, and although I much prefer the fresh approach, I must say that I’ve seen no difference between the effectiveness of either. The 6mm ready-made BYT’s are lovely for those waters where nuisance fish are not present or anywhere where the carp mainly feed on small naturals like bloodworm and the like, especially when mixed with some matching pellets or a bit of hemp. I suppose I’ve had more success with it as a large 18-24mm size though - there’s something very attractive about baits of this size, in particular their similarity to naturals like crayfish and big snails, and perhaps the mere fact that the carp don’t need to work too hard to get a good meal from them.

Basically BYT is a food bait that one day I think will rank alongside the likes of the Club Mix which has made it’s mark all over the world with a huge amount of big carp captures. It has a very subtle smell to it, something which I really do like since it puts me in the minority compared to the many anglers who seem to be using glugged and overpowering baits these days. It’s also a bait that can be used in small and large quantities, and on both a short and long term basis. I say, get on it before the whole world is on it, because it really is that good!