Bait Choice

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

I don't know about you guys but I've been struggling on the barbel recently...

Loads of chub last weekend to groundbait and worm but not a whiskers in sight.

What's going to be your bait/ approach of choice over the next week with temperatures rising gradually?

 

[flightliner]

****y, if I were to fish for barbs with heavy gear it would be one single piece of luncheon meat (plain or flavoured) nothing else, on its own- no freebies with a long (six to eight foot hooklink). If I were to floatfish (my preferred choice) it would be maggots-- about half a pint will do it for me.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Lunchen meat seems to be the "forgotten" bait for barbel these days

 

[Sean Meeghan]

It's been hard hasn't it ****y? I was just preparing the excuses for a trip on Monday when I saw the forecast! 10cm of snow across the Pennines tonight so the water temperature in the Wharfe and Swale will plummet yet again.

I'm still convinced that the best bait in cool conditions is maggots. I've proved to myself time and time again that if baits such as pellets, meat and boilies are resulting in quick pulls and quivers a switch to maggot (or worm for that matter) will nearly always result in a positve take and a barbel on the bank. If the water is clear I'll fish the maggot feeder with double maggot on a size 16 or three on a size 14. 'Nuisance' fish are welcome in these conditions and I don't think that catching a few chub puts the barbel off.

When the water is coloured, but you can still see up to about a foot down then I think that flavoured dead maggots coupled with crushed pellets and a dryish pellet groundbait is the way to go. I'm trying to lay down a good scent trail in these conditions, but I'm hedging my bets on the hook bait by using maggot.

When the water's like cocoa then I'm happy to use pellets or a big lump of flavoured luncheon meat.

 

[fred hall]

It's been hard hasn't it ****y? I was just preparing the excuses for a trip on Monday when I saw the forecast! 10cm of snow across the Pennines tonight so the water temperature in the Wharfe and Swale will plummet yet again.

I'm still convinced that the best bait in cool conditions is maggots. I've proved to myself time and time again that if baits such as pellets, meat and boilies are resulting in quick pulls and quivers a switch to maggot (or worm for that matter) will nearly always result in a positve take and a barbel on the bank. If the water is clear I'll fish the maggot feeder with double maggot on a size 16 or three on a size 14. 'Nuisance' fish are welcome in these conditions and I don't think that catching a few chub puts the barbel off.

When the water is coloured, but you can still see up to about a foot down then I think that flavoured dead maggots coupled with crushed pellets and a dryish pellet groundbait is the way to go. I'm trying to lay down a good scent trail in these conditions, but I'm hedging my bets on the hook bait by using maggot.



When the water's like cocoa then I'm happy to use pellets or a big lump of flavoured luncheon meat.

IMHO maggots are the best bet for Ribble barbel at the moment.

 

[quickcedo]

Never fished the Ribble but, my number one bait summer and winter is cat meat in one form or another.

 

[cg74]

****y, which river are you struggling on?

---------- Post added at 14:21 ---------- Previous post was at 14:20 ----------

Never fished the Ribble but, my number one bait summer and winter is cat meat in one form or another.

You found a way to firm it up then?

 

[quickcedo]

You found a way to firm it up then?

Yes i did thanks. Had my best year ever last year on it. Happy days.
Even managed to make a boilie out of it.

 

[cg74]

Yes i did thanks. Had my best year ever last year on it. Happy days.
Even managed to make a boilie out of it.

Is that the aroma wafting around Enslow, I thought there had been a sewage spill.

Fish might love them but I suspect they're rather stomach churning?

 

[quickcedo]

Fish might love them but I suspect they're rather stomach churning?

Absolutely rank. You can't eat your sandwiches if it's on your hands. Still I'm there to catch fish not have a picnic.
I've watched Barbel on the Teme travel quite some distance for it so confidence is at defcon 1. with it.

 

[cg74]

Mark, dependant on price, I'll buy a kilo to field test further but you'll have to include a pair of latex gloves, I like a good picnic and certainly can't fish effectively without a smoke or two.

 

[bigchub]

Absolutely rank. You can't eat your sandwiches if it's on your hands.

Not nice with monster crab or secret agent either!

 

[alan whittington]

Not nice with monster crab or secret agent either!

Or blo*dy belechan,yuk.

 

[quickcedo]

Mark, dependant on price, I'll buy a kilo to field test further

Mate I've posted the recipe on here before for all to try (can't remember where). I'll gladly let you have base mix at cost but I no longer make baits for anyone else (coz it's bl00dy boring).

 

[Paul H]

If he's fishing the Severn, he'll not like luncheon meat or maggots due to the eels.

I bet he says that, I bet he does...

I found maggots to be a great bait on the Derbyshire Derwent in the colder months in the past. Not been out really this year due to family commitments.

 

[quickcedo]

Nothing wrong with catching Eels. I love em:wh

 

[Paul H]

I don't mind big ones, but you can get lots of smaller ones where ****y fishes, particularly on meat and maggots. They fair ****** up your hooklengths and you rarely see a barbel on those baits before the eels turn up.

 

[quickcedo]

I fish the Hampton Loade area a bit, and I've only ever had 1 Eel there. Where I normally fish there are none, which is a shame. I know they can be a pest but I'd sooner have them than not.

 

[frippe]

I have some crab pellets that i'm currently using, 14mm I think, usually go for one on the hair with a small mesh bag of broken bits.

 

[quickcedo]

I've said it before, but it's worth re saying, I genuinely believe that 99% of the time the bait makes very little difference with Barbel. If you're in the right place with the right approach you're gonna catch em. But, confidence in fishing is everything so find a good bait that not too many/nobody is using and stick with it. There will be times of course when smaller or bigger baits/hooks need to be used so make sure the chosen bait is adaptable. Most of the time I'll fish paste because it has great leak off, it can be made any size/shape, is quick and easy to knock up and best of all the fish love it.