About Mike Kavanagh

Testimonials

In the first fourteen of my thirty two years carp fishing, I used a number of different baits, homemade to begin with from secret recipes formulated mainly by carp anglers in the know who had caught well, and later from well established prepared base mixes widely used. But, with hand on heart I can tell you none of those baits come close to those supplied by Mainline.

There are a lot of bait company’s out there now, and generally they all have one or two baits in their range that have proved to be outstanding, but Mainline could easily lay claim to several. The original Grange, Essential Opal, the incredible Activ-8, Maple-8, Fusion, Pulse, New Grange and Cell are just some that spring to mind. As an example, I’ve caught carp and other species from wherever I’ve fished with Activ-8, Barbel on the Bristol Avon, Chub from the Wensum, big carp and tench from a variety lakes, and I know anglers who have had done the same. Activ-8 is without doubt one of the best all round readily available specialist baits ever produced, but it doesn’t stop there because the liquids used in its preparation are an edge on their own. A friend of mine is an experienced regular match winning match angler and in his own words Activ-8 liquid Activator mixed with micro pellet and ground baits is the best he has ever used, he can’t get enough of the stuff!

I always think the length of time someone sticks with essentials like rods, reels, bite indicators or in this case bait, is a sign of just how reliable and effective they are, Mainline started supplying bait eighteen years ago and I’ve used it in front of any other offered to me since day one.  No doubt there will be those of you who will may think, ‘Yeah you would say that, you get it for nothing’ but trust me, even if it was delivered free of charge to my swim in whatever quantity I asked for, if it didn’t catch or fill me with confidence there is no way I would use it. As a family man with a full time job I have to fit my fishing in between all the usual commitments that entails, so I don’t have time to waste when I do get on the bank, I’ve got to be able to rely on my bait and know that if the carp feed, it will be eaten.

It is rare these days to be able to thoroughly recommend a product of any sort to friends or fellow anglers, but throughout the entire range Mainline has developed an outstanding food source that fish crave, so I have no hesitation in recommending any of their bait products in liquid or powder form to anyone.

Publicity

Written column for Carpworld magazine since 1998.