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This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: Catching Big Chub on Boilies
Catching Big Chub on Boilies
- Thread starter FishingMagic
- Start date
Cliff Hatton
Well-known member
Very, very well done, Peter - an absolute stonker! I admire, too (no matter how irrationally) your decision to 'cut and run'...I know the feeling: you don't want to break the spell, do you? You're reluctant to fish on for fear of diluting the significance of your catch-of-a-lifetime! You get a lot of chub for 6lb - if you know what I mean - and I bet the bulk of that fish had you gasping in disbelief!
Matthew White
Well-known member
Great article Peter. What type of rod do you use when fishing this rig?
geoffmaynard
Content Editor
Do you think hook size plays an important part when fishing these baits?
bigchub
Well-known member
Matthew -
For this rig I use my Free Spirit Specialist Stepped Up, 12ft, 1.75lbtc, old style chestnut blank. You would think that a rod with a tc of this nature would be quite stiff but not so. It has really quite a sensitive tip but with plenty of power of reserve to bully a big chub and or barbel if it comes along. I also have a quiver top section for my other Free Spirit Specialist but with this style of fishing its really not needed.
For my lighter chubbing work with link ledgers and the like I have a custom built Tony Fordham, 12ft, 1.25tc rod with a built in 1 1/2 ounce quiver. It really is a delightful little rod. I was glad I got rid of my old Shimano Technium Specialist and replaced it with this.
Geoff -
I think hook size does play an important size but a 15mm boilie with a Drennan Continental seems to sit right. I will be conducting experiments at the start of next season and throughout the summer especially with midi or mini boilies of 8mm-12mm with a size 10 hook.
For this rig I use my Free Spirit Specialist Stepped Up, 12ft, 1.75lbtc, old style chestnut blank. You would think that a rod with a tc of this nature would be quite stiff but not so. It has really quite a sensitive tip but with plenty of power of reserve to bully a big chub and or barbel if it comes along. I also have a quiver top section for my other Free Spirit Specialist but with this style of fishing its really not needed.
For my lighter chubbing work with link ledgers and the like I have a custom built Tony Fordham, 12ft, 1.25tc rod with a built in 1 1/2 ounce quiver. It really is a delightful little rod. I was glad I got rid of my old Shimano Technium Specialist and replaced it with this.
Geoff -
I think hook size does play an important size but a 15mm boilie with a Drennan Continental seems to sit right. I will be conducting experiments at the start of next season and throughout the summer especially with midi or mini boilies of 8mm-12mm with a size 10 hook.
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Lord Paul of Sheffield
Well-known member
Nice write up Peter
The hair rig bait approach is, as you say, not the norm and maybe that's worked for you.
The hair rig bait approach is, as you say, not the norm and maybe that's worked for you.
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
I'd like to give Peter a big vote of thanks. That's a very informative article and the pictures and rig illustration are good too.
Whether you agree or disagree with Peter and his methods is irrelavent to a great degree, it's what he uses and what he has confidence in that matters.
If I'm fishing for chub specifically, I'll avoid a boily prefering to use pastes wrapped around the hook with only a hint of teh point sticking out. Saying that, my biggest chub came on ........... a boily!
My next biggest chub came on 2 casters on an 18s hook to 1½lb hooklink. I had no idea until the fish was in the net that it was so big! It does knock the wind out of you!
Whether you agree or disagree with Peter and his methods is irrelavent to a great degree, it's what he uses and what he has confidence in that matters.
If I'm fishing for chub specifically, I'll avoid a boily prefering to use pastes wrapped around the hook with only a hint of teh point sticking out. Saying that, my biggest chub came on ........... a boily!
My next biggest chub came on 2 casters on an 18s hook to 1½lb hooklink. I had no idea until the fish was in the net that it was so big! It does knock the wind out of you!
bigchub
Well-known member
Thank you very much for you comments Jeff. I'd like to say a big thank you to all those who have posted comments so far and to being so receptive to my methods especially as this is my first ever article.
Neil Maidment
Moderator
Excellent read Peter, thank you.
The impact a big chub can have is quite extraordinary, they really do look the part!
A couple of years ago I returned to my "home" river on the Dorset Stour (Throop) and finally managed to get a 6-02 and then equalled my long time pb at 6-06 (a positively huge fish for the 1980's), both on the float. I've since improved that pb to 7-02, which was a bit special, even though it came on the feeder :wh, but that first one stands out as the one.
The impact a big chub can have is quite extraordinary, they really do look the part!
A couple of years ago I returned to my "home" river on the Dorset Stour (Throop) and finally managed to get a 6-02 and then equalled my long time pb at 6-06 (a positively huge fish for the 1980's), both on the float. I've since improved that pb to 7-02, which was a bit special, even though it came on the feeder :wh, but that first one stands out as the one.
john conway (CSG - ACA)
Well-known member
Congratulations Peter on your Chub and your article. I’m not surprised that boilies are picking up big Chub some Chub Study Group members are doing very nicely with boilies and their popularity has certainly increased over the last three or four years. Most of the CSG lads targeting chub with boilies tend to fish them on a very short hair. The rig will depend on the river and water condition. On the Ribble my boilie set up is very similar to yours Peter but with a much short hair.
Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)
Senior Member
A very interesting article... cheers Peter
How close do you mount the boilie to the size 6?
Do you feel the large hook increases the hooking potential?
Just read some of the above comments and should contextualize...
If I use boilies for chub they tend to be chopped down to 6-8mm with the bait mounted nearly snug to a 14s or 12s.
Also if using braid and boilie I tend to go shorter with un-coated braid (3-6 inches) on semi-fixed rig.
Just interested in your thoughts
How close do you mount the boilie to the size 6?
Do you feel the large hook increases the hooking potential?
Just read some of the above comments and should contextualize...
If I use boilies for chub they tend to be chopped down to 6-8mm with the bait mounted nearly snug to a 14s or 12s.
Also if using braid and boilie I tend to go shorter with un-coated braid (3-6 inches) on semi-fixed rig.
Just interested in your thoughts
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bigchub
Well-known member
Thanks you for your comments Neil, John and ****y.
John - The picture of the rig is just a generalization but I agree with you that hair rigging as tightly as possible to be the most effective. It's interesting to find out that I'm not the only person that is targeting chub with boilies and I cannot wait to do more experimenting. The hardest thing was actually making the change to this style of fishing for chub. I was actually thing of joining the CSG next year (if they would have me!)
****y -
As stated above and in my article I always mount the boilie as tightly as possible to the hook no matter what size I'm using. A size 6 is my standard size for chub no matter what bait I'm using (with the exception of maggots, casters etc), but I'm always prepared to step down sizes to an 8,10 or 12 or lower. Probably teaching granny to suck eggs here but it's also worth remembering to match the size of the bait being used.
I can't say I've had any problems using the larger sizes of boiles yet.
John - The picture of the rig is just a generalization but I agree with you that hair rigging as tightly as possible to be the most effective. It's interesting to find out that I'm not the only person that is targeting chub with boilies and I cannot wait to do more experimenting. The hardest thing was actually making the change to this style of fishing for chub. I was actually thing of joining the CSG next year (if they would have me!)
****y -
As stated above and in my article I always mount the boilie as tightly as possible to the hook no matter what size I'm using. A size 6 is my standard size for chub no matter what bait I'm using (with the exception of maggots, casters etc), but I'm always prepared to step down sizes to an 8,10 or 12 or lower. Probably teaching granny to suck eggs here but it's also worth remembering to match the size of the bait being used.
I can't say I've had any problems using the larger sizes of boiles yet.
noknot
Well-known member
Great article Peter, thank you! Nice rig too (good Ol carp anglers)
David Rogers 3
Well-known member
I'm probably being thick here, but does the Korda Shok Bead fit snugly into the Solar Run Ring to make it a semi-fixed bolt rig?
bigchub
Well-known member
No David the lead is completely free running on the line. The swivel on the end of the hooklink fits snugly into one end of the Shok bead.
David Rogers 3
Well-known member
Isn't a bolt rig with a completely free running lead not really a bolt rig, then?
Mark Wintle
Well-known member
I did a lot of fishing for big (and heavily fished for) Throop chub with boilies 5 years ago. Never got close to hitting 5 out of 6 bites but you'd hit them any way in the end.
I used as light a link leger as possible with longer tails. Some top anglers found them very hard work on boilies, others have persevered and done well.
Wintle's World of Angling - Quest for a 5-16 Chub
I used as light a link leger as possible with longer tails. Some top anglers found them very hard work on boilies, others have persevered and done well.
Wintle's World of Angling - Quest for a 5-16 Chub
Sean Meeghan
Well-known member
Nice one Peter! That first 6lber is an unforgettable experience isn't it - although I must declare that my first 6 was a proper un, caught on quiver tipped flake
It will be interesting to see what happens when the chub start to wise up to boilies. I must admit that I no longer use a hair when chub fishing and prefer instead to band a bait on to the hook. In fact I got a 4lb 15.5oz chub on Saturday (thanks for the photo Matt!) by switching to a banded SBS hooker. I tend to fish very short hairs anyway, but even with these I was getting inconclusive pulls. Matt White and Mick Chapman who were also there got lots of pulls on the hair without hooking any whilst I got 2 fish on the banded baits.
Food for thought!
It will be interesting to see what happens when the chub start to wise up to boilies. I must admit that I no longer use a hair when chub fishing and prefer instead to band a bait on to the hook. In fact I got a 4lb 15.5oz
chub on Saturday (thanks for the photo Matt!) by switching to a banded SBS hooker. I tend to fish very short hairs anyway, but even with these I was getting inconclusive pulls. Matt White and Mick Chapman who were also there got lots of pulls on the hair without hooking any whilst I got 2 fish on the banded baits.Food for thought!
quickcedo
Well-known member
On a river, if the lead is heavy enough not to move when the fish picks up the bait it is a bolt rig. The flow of water against the main line ensures enough pressure to prick the fish.
A good read, thanks Peter. I make my own boilies which are kept soft enough to side hook prefering not to hair rig for chub.
Sean Meeghan
Well-known member
This does raise a question though. When is a hair rig not a hair rig?