''How times have changed''.

[Derek Gibson]

Back when I was doing a lot of Barbel and Chub fishing our go to baits were very specific. For example if meat was the bait of choice then it had to be ''Bacon Grill'', sausage was ''Walls pork'', cheese would be ''Red Leicester''.

Nowadays it would seem, at least to me that everything is ''Boilie or pellet'' orientated. My question is this, is there a specific reason for the current trend with these baits?

Are they indeed superior, or simply just more convenient. I am aware that some of you guys still use meat, but by far the greater majority seem to favour Boilies for example.

Am I missing something?

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

I use both pellet and meat - pellets are a convenient bait - easy to store and don't spoil

 

[binka]

Personally I don't think you're missing much Derek.

I'm a firm advocate of meat, referred to by many as "the pink barbel scarer" but I doubt as much meat has ever gone into our rivers as the volume of pellets that find their way in these days.

I do use pellet but find meat catches me more and better fish and I think we are all too ready, given the scientific/nutritional marketing blurb which come with todays HNV baits, to ignore some of the time honoured basic favourites such as a big lump of stinking cheese in a high and heavily coloured river, as I recently rediscovered much to my benefit.

I've never used a boilie simply due to the fact that I've always done ok without 'em.

In answer to your question though, I think there is something of a convenience to pellets as there is with having a couple of tins of meat in reserve but pellets work out far more economical and that would be my reasoning for their use as an alternative to meat.

I think the variation in results over the two baits (or indeed any baits specifically related to barbel) has far more to do with the quantity fed and in what manner and areas of river that they are fished, rather than the bait itself.

I'm happy to concede that high tec baits just might have more bearing for other species which I don't particularly target such as carp but it still might be a case of offering something different where the fish are so used to being targeted with certain baits, both in the flavour and the format eg. hard boilies, soft paste etc.

 

[tigger]

I didn't think so highly of pellets at one time and still only really use them for legering, although after saying that I tried them for trotting for the first time ever only the other day and caught with them.
I think (as binker has already said) pellets are cheap'ish in comparison to meat etc and are convenient, no mess etc and can be re used over pretty much as many sessions as you like until they've been used up.
Most of my bait consists of maggots and corn, with a smidging of pellets lol.

 

[steve2]

Being old school I would suggest convenience, just buy a bag of the latest must have and off you go. The more people that use boilies and pellets the more they appear to be superior.
Other baits still work but it just appears that on my lakes very few still use them. Which may be the reason why I still catch plenty, because my baits are different.

 

[flightliner]

With the exception of pellets I would choose old school baits over the boilly approach in ninety nine percent of my Barbel fishing. Sme of my biggest Barbel and multiple catches of Barbel have come on meat and maggots arguably because they see little of them on the streches of rrvers I fish for them.
I did fish for Barbel with boilly for a short time on the Trent back in the nineties but mid decade I began buying 25kilo bags of pellets from Trow aquaculture near preston and opened up a whole new dimension for myself, so much so that the boillys were kicked into touch.
Maybe the only time I would use them today would be if I knew some boilly baron had laced the swim with some humongously obscene amount the previous few days, given me the nod along with a kilo or two of his bait and I had a few nights to kill using them.

 

[chub_on_the_block]

I am possibly unique - i have never, ever, used a boilie. I have used pellets but prefer to use meat because i cant stand the smell of halibut pellets on everything. In several places i have found luncheon meat very effective for Chub, and my nephew in particular has taken several places apart with it (when he is not free-lining bread, his go-to approach) but cant say we get to target Barbel very often.

 

[Keith M]

I am possibly unique - i have never, ever, used a boilie.

I have never used boilies for Barbel either (yet).

I usually start off the season using maggots or meat; like I have since the 1970's, (only now I flavour my meat with spices), but once the Barbel have started getting used to finding pellets on the bottom as the season progresses I often switch to Spicey or Crab flavoured pellets often coated with a soft similar flavoured paste to create a flavour trail wafting downstream, although I still often continue trotting with maggots.

As well as being a good Barbel bait; pellets are a very convenient and inexpensive bait that will keep for a long time straight off the shelf; making them an ideal bait for short opportunistic trips.

Keith

 

[Simon Vicos]

I wouldn't ever go near a river without a loaf of bread. I've got ultimate confidence in it and it usually delivers

Pellets are handy because they are easy to transport and last for ages, plus a lot of people use them (although that could be their downfall for wary fish). A lot of places that see mass pellet baiting often respond instantly to a single cube of juicy meat with no other feed put in

Ever seen a fish back off from breadflake ?, me neither

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Derek,

Around the area I live the Crayfish are a complete nightmare and hard baits like Pellets and Boilies are a distinct advantage.

Meat still works well but replacing baits every few minutes can be a pain, of course you could trot baits up in the water.

But of course that takes effort !!

Bob

 

[rayner]

I have never found the need to use boilies apart from the odd ones I use popped up.
Years ago it was all maggot, after being forced toward commercials nowadays I am definitely in the meat/pellet brigade. I really wouldn't know how to use boilies, it wouldn't be difficult to find out if I had the inclination. I don't.
Most of my fishing is geared around Crucians on one particular pond or up in the water in another.
Take yesterday I fished all day 2 foot six in ten feet of water with meat, it was a very good day for me. Wednesday will be pellet then back to meat Friday.
I suppose the main choice is the cost, meat a quid a tin and pellet 2 quid a kilo. Yesterday I ran out of meat I used six tins, pellet will be probably about a quids worth for Wednesday.
If I targeted fish with boilies it would be considerably more, I have no idea about the cost of boilies but they are for anglers so will carry a good price tag.
Essentially I am careful with my dosh, even though if more bait is needed I will buy more.
When I go to buy meat I have on occasion emptied the shelf.

 

[dan305]

Boilies are my go-to bait for barbel. Simply because I've caught far more fish on them than meat, or any other bait, and I have total confidence in them. I get them at a discounted cost which, when worked out per kilo, is cheaper than meat or pellets so I've no need to look at anything else.

 

[john10]

I too have not used boilies for barbel, however I've no problems with using them for carp and I keep intending to use them for barbel. My preference is for meat with a few chilli flakes added. I had to reduce the amount I put in the bait when I found out how hot they actually were. I don't know about the barbel but they were certainly too hot for me!
I find the wire coils are ideal for attaching meat to a hair. The meat never comes off even in very strong flows. You can screw them on in the dark easily which is handy on dark winter mornings. Much better than trying to feed a boilie stop through the loop in the semi dark!

 

[trotter2]

I think confidence has a lot to do with it. I have more confidence in traditional baits like bread, cheese paste ,luncheon meat and wasp grub for chub fishing.

 

[qtaran111]

I think convenience is a big part of it. Pellets can be relatively cheap, last forever, are easy to hook (well, hair rig) with confidence and not worry about them falling off.

Confidence then becomes a big part of it. If you feel confident with the bait on the hook and you catch, you'll use it again.

As for effectiveness, I honestly don't think pellets are more effective than anything else (apart from the convenience and confidence factor mentioned above).