Halibut Pellets -

[Kevin Perkins]

For once, from me, a posting that is, I hope, worthy of a least some debateWill continued use of a fish based bait turn barbel from omnivores to piscivores? Maybe hair rigged mackerel chunks be the next ‘big thing’ in much the same way that tuna and shrimps are making an impact on the carp scene, but let’s take this a stage further. Come the 14th March every year, the barbel’s fish-based bait supply abruptly dries up due to the Closed Season.

Having got over the annual nuptials, what do the probably ravenous barbel do when looking for a fish-based snack? IfI was a crayfish I think I'd be worried at this point and is there a chance the barbelwill turn cannibal and mop up eggs and/or fry to the extent that they might actually endanger the continuation of their ownspecies?

Plenty of historical evidence of barbel taking artificial baits, will this become more prevelant in the not-to-distant future?Will we soon be seeing ‘BarbelSpin’ rods next to the ‘Floodwater’ rods along with pellet imitating lures…………? And is this somewhat bleak scenario a possible justification for scrapping the Closed Season on riversin order to keep bait supplies topped up and prevent the barbel from looking for alternative food sourcesFailing that, does it always have to be halibut pellets to catch barbel ??????

 

[Lord Paul]

Trout pellets? Guess this would still result in the same being another fish based pellet/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

 

[Paul H]

I do keep a ready supply of halibut pellets but I've caught several on maggots and worm, Source boilies and home-madetandoori-paste paste.

I don't think the majority of rivers see enough angling pressure with the continued introduction of masses of pellets that would be needed to switch a fish entirely off it's natural diet.

 

[Kevin Perkins]

Paul

I'm not suggesting it would neccesarily happen country-wide, but the areas that barbel are known to inhabit (and are therefore targetted) are quite often physically constrained to the areas they inhabit by barriers such as weirs and locks

I suspect that those'targetted' fishare exposed to quite a high concentration of angler's baits, perhaps to an extent where said baits become regarded as a natural food source

 

[Lord Paul]

What about still water barbel?/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

 

[Paul H]

It would depend on the water in question then I suppose, stillwater or river.

If the area of water to which the fish are confined has a plentiful supply of natural foods then I would think fish will continue to feed on these too but if the water is a muddy puddle fishery anglers baits are the only food they'll ever see.

I think the number of carp caught on pineapple or tutti frutti boilies/pellets despite the number of fishmeal based baits used would suggest that persuading omnivorous fish to become almost exclusively piscivorious (?) is pretty tough.

 

[Steve Spiller]

Kevin why the "not too distant future"?

Are you saying it's going to happen all of a sudden?

Pellets and boilies have been on the menu for years and the closed season season has been around for a few years too.............

But if I was a crayfish I would start to get worried around March 14th, but then I've been led to believe fish don't eat during spawning time anyway? Well, that's what the "abolish the closed season brigade" preach?

 

[jonathan w smith]

barbel , as most good barbel anglers know,are not adverse to eating other fish/fry/ eggs the same as most,if not all other species of fish. if the opportunity arises for a high protein snackof gudgeonas opposed to grubbing about in the gravel for a few caddis larva and freshwater shrimps, i think i know which one the barbel may choose./forum/smilies/i_dont_know_smiley.gif

 

[Paul (Brummie) Williams]

ALL fish eat other fish to some degree........it's called survival.

That includes bream, roach etc.................

breeders stop feeding fish in certain situations and they are OK and they are more conditioned to pellet than any wild fish will be.

Fish are wild creatures and will switch on to whatever food source is available depending upon their reqiurments.

Some overstocked commercials may be the exeption to the rule.

 

[Fred Bonney]

Kevin, have carp turned into piscivores?

They've been eating fish based baits for donkey's years.

I have to say that I have had more success in recent outings with GPLM and lobworms, perhaps they will turn into carnivores/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Asfor special barbel rods for spinning......probably!

 

[Lord Paul]

An idea for Tickle Tackle?

 

[Lord Paul]

Tickle tackle must be due a new range out soon Kevin

 

[Wolfman Woody]

"but then I've been led to believe fish don't eat during spawning time anyway? Well, that's what the "abolish the closed season brigade" preach?"

What a load of cobblers!

Barbel have always eaten small fish, minnows, millers thumbs, and insects too. The spanish barbel are real cannibals.

OOPS should have said carnivores. and they are caught on spinners.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

Any evidance that still water barbel eat small carp?

 

[Peter Bishop]

"Barbel have always eaten small fish, minnows, millers thumbs, and insects too. The spanish barbel are real cannibals."

Cannibals eh? Barbel eating Barbel? It must be the Sangria.

Theprevious point is exactly why Salmon anglers dont like Barbel in the same stretch of water ie on the Severn or Teme.

 

[slime monster]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Matt Corker wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>Any evidance that still water barbel eat small carp?</blockquote>
god i hope so

 

[Titus]

Removing all the fish from the bottom of the marine food chain and grinding them up for fishmeal to feed to farmed fish is unsustainable and already having an impact on the higher species.

Because of this situation fish farmers and feed manufactures are already looking at alternatives to the fishmeal pellet.

It won't be long before we get a whole new generation of baits which will be based on soya or something similar which will be just as effective and allot more eco friendly.

 

[Paul (Brummie) Williams]

Titus.......i agree 100% with your statement about the marine food chain, only a fool wouldn't.

But i'm not convinced that soya or anything similar will ever give off the same signals as forms of fishmeal........the early signs with my pond fish certainly back my views.

Perhaps we should look at more natural sources of fish apettite stimulators, worms, maggots,slugs, signal crays etc etc??

 

[Titus]

Paul,

I have been given some prototype cereal based pellets from a bait supplier and the koi in my pond go mad for them, I can hide one under a brick on the plant shelf and they will physically move the brick to get at it.

The attractors and appetite stimulator's are all chemical but thy do the trick alright, early results on the internet are also promising in regard to the growth rate achieved in trials against fish fed on conventional fishmeal pellets. Try a Google search and see what you come up with.

To paraphrase Phoenix Nights, "I've seen the future", it's non-fishmeal pellets.

 

[GrahamM]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Steve Spiller (ACA) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

But if I was a crayfish I would start to get worried around March 14th, but then I've been led to believe fish don't eat during spawning time anyway? Well, that's what the "abolish the closed season brigade" preach?</blockquote>
Fish don't eat during the act of spawning Steve, but I've never seen it suggested that the act of spawning, for any species, lasts forthree months.