Barbel on big wagglers????

[rickybiggs99]

I heard that some people use big wagglers on the trent for barbel with 17ft rods and get some good results.Anybody ever tried this method?I've only ever used a stick float on a river before and haven't a clue how to use a waggler.

Cheers
Ricky

[alan whittington]

Welcome Ricky,are these guys using speci-wagglers,or normal wagglers,the reason i ask is that the former tend to be broader at the tip and made of balsa,allowing more line and shot to be dragged through,which will slow it down a little and improve presentation for the barbel,the reason i ask you is ive not heard of many anglers using 'speci-wagglers' on the Trent.

[rickybiggs99]

Not sure,I presumed they were like normal wagglers but more heavy duty to hold more shot and keep the bait well down,might be some homemade jobbys.

[alan whittington]

Ive fished the Trent many times on the waggler over time and had a few barbel on them,but if your looking for decent fish,obviously line strength requirements give float control problems and 3-5 swan capacities would be a must,as soon as you get down to below 4lb line 3-5aa would be fine,if not chancy.

[Paul C]

I fish the waggler (usually home made ones) on a 15 foot rod on the ribble.

Although, I am targeting anyting from dace upwards, it regularly produces barbel of all sizes and usually more per session than static style albeit the average sizes are smaller.

Great method, especially when conditions aren't too favourable for the bait and wait approach, like now.

The main reason it works well on there and probably on parts of the trent is because there aren't too many stickfloat swims about. Most good pegs require you to wade and then cast across to mid river or beyond to the deeper water.

[rickybiggs99]

Got the week off next week so I might give trotting for barbel a good crack.Can't wait to get back on the banks.Did a two nighter last weekend on the trent,never seen it as low.Only had 3 barbel but really enjoyed it.

[jasonbean1]

Only 3 barbel off the trent.....?

Trotting, watched an oldy type match angler on the wye at hereford last week catch more than his fair share on a large pellet waggler in fast water about 3 ft deep with an 18mm pellet dragged 2ft over depth,...he coudnt go wrong. Outfished all the barbel experts with there lovely shiny barbel rods, shimanos, grubber elips and centre pins...

lovely chap to talk to and very informative and he could not believe others were feeder fishing....by the way his tally when he finished was 23 barbel and 6 chub....he was on the best swim though

location, location, location.....with the right method of course in these low waters

Cheers
Jason

[Paul C]

Jason

Out of interest what set up did he use - long waggler rod? open faced reel? trotting of the rod end or mid river? etc.

18mm is a big pellet and hence must = big hook. Did he not have any problems foul hooking fish?

A friend of mine has used a similar set up in a fast shallow swim on banded pellets but continually foul hooked fish due to the exposed hook. He didn't have the same problem with baits directly on the hook.

[tigger]

I use an avon style float carrying between 7 or 8 BB's (my favourite being the Steve Maher floats) or if the conditions dictate then a larger one. My favourite bait is maggot usually bunches of 8 to 10 red and white mixed on a drennan superspade 14's or 12's tied direct to 6lb sensor. On my last two trips I managed 8 barbel and 8 chub and then 9 barbel, 6 chub and a small dace. The largest barbel topping 7lb and the largest chub topping 5 1/2 lb. The fish had only recently spawned so their weights where drastically reduced, in several weeks they should have put on quite alot of weight, that's if the rivers have'nt dried up first LOL. I use a 13ft drennan im8 specimine float or a normark Avenger combined with a centrepin.

[Lee Swords]

The big wagg is something I was thinking about last week...

I think it has a lot of potential!


I fished the Trent last weekend and had 13 barbel 2 chub 2 eels and a zander


location method aplication

Goodluck!