Particles for Barbel.

I want to try and break away from reliance on fishmeal based baits, trying something a little different on more prolific waters like the Severn and Wye.

So I've been trying to establish which seeds, pulses and nuts actually work for barbel, as I can't see the point of inclusions that have no benefit.

My list so far:
Hemp
Chickpeas (though I've only ever caught on them when heavily flavoured with curry)
Sweetcorn (so I guess maize will also work?)
Fennel
Maples
Tares (I'm told they work well?)

If you know of any others that do work, info gratefully received.

Sounds like a thoughtful approach cg. Just keep a packet of 12mm halibut pellets in the bag in case!

I saw some tins of a very tempting looking, hemp-based particle mix in my local tackle shop that might do the business in a PVA bag or a feeder.

the classic bait for summer on the severn casters and hemp like bacon and eggs to a barbel

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the classic bait for summer on the severn casters and hemp like bacon and eggs to a barbel wheat cooked in tumeric is one i use pigeon conditioner mix mung beans the list is endless even rice is good

Not sure about fennel (according to the Mrs), but some garlic in the cooking / storing process will be very helpful, and I'd whizz at least part of the hemp. You going to use a tare on the hook / hair? Sounds like good thinking, tho Ribble regulars reckon fishmeal has become 'natural' as it's used so much!!

Fennel is good for flavouring hemp seed during the cooking. I've always added a few seeds to my hemp boil.

Stewed wheat is worth adding and also I'd suggest buying chopped maize or blitzing it through a blender if you can't buy chopped maize. Whole maize is too filling and I only add about 20% whole maize to 80% chopped maize.

If you are going the particles route I'd buy a small pack of layers pellets sold to chicken farmers. They act as a binder and are really attractive to fish. The pellets are about 2 or 3mm.

Paul Morley said:

Not sure about fennel (according to the Mrs), but some garlic in the cooking / storing process will be very helpful, and I'd whizz at least part of the hemp. You going to use a tare on the hook / hair? Sounds like good thinking, tho Ribble regulars reckon fishmeal has become 'natural' as it's used so much!!

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Fennel is an appetite stimulator, so even if they don't actually eat the seeds, I'm happy that their scent is doing the biz.
I'm undecided as to what will be the hookbait, though it'll probably be tares, maize and chickpeas. That said I'm thinking about nuts; specifically peanuts and tiger nuts (I know they're not 'true' nuts), anyone used them for barbel?

Also I'm considering knocking up some boilies as hookbaits, incorporating a high percentage of the parti' mix.

I also think fishmeal baits are accepted as a 'natural' food by barbel on heavily fished rivers but in the same way as carp on waters heavily baited with fishmeal based baits, the carp almost seem to crave something different, I'm hoping barbel will be the same??

Nicepix, have you caught or seen barbel actively feeding on stewed wheat?

Last year I got fed up with eels on the Ribble on my usual bacon grill so gave sweetcorn a trial.
It works

The particles I will be trying on the Severn are particles of halibut pellets (4mm and 6mm) and a bloody big pre-drilled particle of 12mm, anchored down by a 3oz particle of lead!

Maize is a great hookbait and firm enough for the hair when prepared properly (preferring to steep for 3-4 days rather than boil) but can be a bit bland compared to sweetcorn so you might need some flavour (crushed halibut pellets) adding. Sweetcorn is a different variety altogether, I reckon its the sugars that are the main attractor.

Sprouted maples are a good hookbait too, flavoured with Fenugreek smells a bit like maple syrup (frequently used in the production of flavouring for artificial maple syrups.)

cg74 said:

Fennel is an appetite stimulator, so even if they don't actually eat the seeds, I'm happy that their scent is doing the biz.
I'm undecided as to what will be the hookbait, though it'll probably be tares, maize and chickpeas. That said I'm thinking about nuts; specifically peanuts and tiger nuts (I know they're not 'true' nuts), anyone used them for barbel?

Also I'm considering knocking up some boilies as hookbaits, incorporating a high percentage of the parti' mix.

I also think fishmeal baits are accepted as a 'natural' food by barbel on heavily fished rivers but in the same way as carp on waters heavily baited with fishmeal based baits, the carp almost seem to crave something different, I'm hoping barbel will be the same??

Nicepix, have you caught or seen barbel actively feeding on stewed wheat?

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Yes. I have used it in the UK and over here as part of a mixed grain groundbait usually fennel flavoured hemp, wheat and maize or sweetcorn. I've caught river and lake carp to around 10lb on stewed wheat grains and also a few smaller barbel. You can mount a few of them on a fine line using a sewing needle, but a single grain on a 16 will do the biz.

The farmer has just cleared out his silos ready for this year's harvest. All the mouldy grain was put into buckets in the barn and after about two weeks he finally decided to get rid of them. I discovered that he had tipped all the wheat grains at the side of the farm pond "for the ducks". This is no lie but there were three of four carp up to around 2lb that had wriggled partly out of the water and were feeding from the pile of dry grain. They dispersed when I got too close.

Yesterday I went back for another look and there were the three resident mallard in that corner, no carp. The mallard scarpered off so I used a small board that had been covering a mole trap to scoop some grains into the shallow water near to the pile of wheat. Despite the fact that I was still standing in full view there were three carp feeding in less than 4" of water within 10 seconds of my putting the wheat in. If I get chance tomorrow I'll take the video camera and film it.

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laguna said:

Maize is a great hookbait and firm enough for the hair when prepared properly (preferring to steep for 3-4 days rather than boil) but can be a bit bland compared to sweetcorn so you might need some flavour (crushed halibut pellets) adding. Sweetcorn is a different variety altogether, I reckon its the sugars that are the main attractor.

Sprouted maples are a good hookbait too, flavoured with Fenugreek smells a bit like maple syrup (frequently used in the production of flavouring for artificial maple syrups.)

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I use vanilla sugar or vanilla syrup in my maize mix. Works a treat.

Thanks for the inputs.

Has anyone used tiger nuts, peanuts or any other nuts for barbel?