How many do you use?

[108831]

Just wondered how many boilies you guys would put into a swim before fishing?

 

[sam vimes]

It would depend entirely on the river in question, the time of year and the prevailing conditions.

 

[108831]

Winter time,on small to medium sized rivers,with chub present,though not necessarily in large numbers.

 

[nottskev]

I'd tend to favour fewer rather than more, which seems likely to feed the fish off and reduce the odds of a pick-up. Funnily enough, just read Trefor West's - he's been a barbel guide,as you probably know - book on barbel.

He's adamant that a dozen baits in the water will be detected and investigated by any barbel within 40 yards. Pellets in the summer; meaty or pellet paste wrapped around pellets for more leakage in winter, with the freebies baitdroppered in or in PVA bags. He says 90% of his barbel are caught after unstruck bites from chub, and come from swims with the same pace in winter as the barbel live in in summer, often a few swims downstream. Twenty minutes in a swim, he claims, is enough to get a bite if there are barbel present.

There's some interesting stuff, too, about fishing upstream, to keep the bait in the line "fed"by the leakage that the barbel hopefully home in on when you tweak the bait back downstream.

I'd gone off barbel fishing, and the barbel fishing near me has gone off too, but the book whets your appetite.

 

[mikench]

Is that the book entitled "Barbel : a lifetimes addiction " Kev? A very interesting read by a very interesting character ! He was nearly a professional football player!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

In my carp fishing days I nearly always opt to crush boilies instead of using them whole.

I would add these to my other ground baits and feed in Jaffa sized balls.
Typically I'd crush between 10 and 30 depending on the venue and the swim.

I have rarely used boilies on a river preferring more natural baits . . . .

.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Whitty.

As said. Very much depends on the river and conditions.

A lot of the rivers Trefor fished and did his guiding were smaller rivers like the Teme, Bristol Avon and Kennet.

The Larger rivers like the Severn, Thames, Wye and Trent tend to need a different approach.

For example on the Severn or the Trent with some water on it might be a considered view to use a half kilo of boilies as well as the same ground and broken put through a large feeder along with half kilo of pellets.

This amount is NOT recommended for smaller rivers where it can affect others sport.

 

[nottskev]

Whitty.

As said. Very much depends on the river and conditions.

A lot of the rivers Trefor fished and did his guiding were smaller rivers like the Teme, Bristol Avon and Kennet.

The Larger rivers like the Severn, Thames, Wye and Trent tend to need a different approach.

For example on the Severn or the Trent with some water on it might be a considered view to use a half kilo of boilies as well as the same ground and broken put through a large feeder along with half kilo of pellets.

This amount is NOT recommended for smaller rivers where it can affect others sport.

He specified small to medium rivers, Graham - that's why I brought up the West approach.

 

[nottskev]

Is that the book entitled "Barbel : a lifetimes addiction " Kev? A very interesting read by a very interesting character ! He was nearly a professional football player!

Indeed, Mike - I bought it for £5 when he wound up his business and sold things off. Nice to read a fishing book with a real individual voice.

 

[mikench]

So did I along with some caviar pellets!

 

[108831]

The purpose of this thread was to see others opinions,I've always fed 6 or 7 boilies into a peg in winter,then leaving for a couple of hours,never been that successful,so wonder if its the right route...

 

[benny samways]

5-10 baits into swims Im fishing that day.

However what I have found to work well in the winter is to fish 2 evenings on the trot if you can, on the first evening bait the swims with 30 baits (paste) as you leave. Then fish single baits in those swims on the second night. I did this just before christmas, first night nothing then the second eve the fish were in the 3rd swim id baited and i picked off 3 chub from one swim in successive casts (6:10, 5:13, 5).

 

[Philip]

Funnily enough, just read Trefor West's - he's been a barbel guide,as you probably know - book on barbel.

It is a good read but I actually preferred his first book Quest for Barbel which he wrote with Tony Miles.

If you have not read it its well worth trying to get hold of.

As for amount of bait, like a few others I would probably start fairly light and then judge from there.

 

[Philip]

I've always fed 6 or 7 boilies into a peg in winter,then leaving for a couple of hours,never been that successful,so wonder if its the right route...

I am wondering if there are Chub about whether 2 hours before you fish it means your being cleared out before you even cast in.

Have you tried leaving it for say 15-30mins ? ....might be worth a try..

 

[flightliner]

Nothing from me Alan, I have'nt used a boillie for Barbel since the early to mid nineties on rivers big or small.
Just found for me personally I did'nt need them as there are plenty of alternatives that throw up enough to keep me happy.

 

[108831]

I am wondering if there are Chub about whether 2 hours before you fish it means your being cleared out before you even cast in.

Have you tried leaving it for say 15-30mins ? ....might be worth a try..

Yes, I'm hoping to be cleared out,then thinking on return the smell of another bait or two will get sought out,these chub are not easily caught on boilie and static baits,that's not because of rigs etc, its down to wariness of big baits in general,that said,they munch them,the longer you leave it the obviously more confident the chub become,I've tried less time on very short sessions,results are poor at best,due to relatively low barbel numbers,even in the good times,maggot used to be the way,I wonder if single hookbaits(or virtually so)may be the way forward,even flavoured meat baits,you know,back to the beginning bait wise...

 

[108831]

Nothing from me Alan, I have'nt used a boillie for Barbel since the early to mid nineties on rivers big or small.
Just found for me personally I did'nt need them as there are plenty of alternatives that throw up enough to keep me happy.

My list of alternatives seems limited Mick,meat,cheese,worm,pastes,or the usual maggots and casters.

 

[jasonbean1]

I very rarely feed boilies on small to medium rivers preferring paste and pellet. something that breaks down and attracts rather than feed is better to get you started.

 

[108831]

Jason,is this a pellet based paste,or a boilie base mix type mix,I've found on my local rivers,pellet isn't so readily approached in winter,even low oil ones,that is why I've fished just boilie,these fish are funny creatures.

 

[jasonbean1]

The last 18 months I’ve changed the way I fish for bigger fish. I mainly relied on halibut pellets and caught all through the year on them but after a bad run in colder weather I made a switch to using krill and since autumn it’s worked really well.

My paste is made up from a base of sonubaits krill micro pellets to this I had powdered sticky baits krill boilies then some pure krill powder from a specialist supplier then some sticky baits krill liquid, bait tec krill and tuna and finally some chilli powder. I I add boiling water then stick it in a carrier bag in the fridge for 24 hrs. After that it’s easy to mix into a paste.

When it’s cold I use it on its own just dropping a few bits in each swim. If it’s warm I’ll wrap it around a small krill Boilet that’s been glugged.

On the hook I use a little boils on a spike wrapped in paste with al little grip mesh feeder with some bigger krill pellets in plunged or with past mix before I mould it into the paste.

I’m barbel fishing tonight and two already......BREAMmg: