Lots of different ways of presenting meat, however I can't help getting the impression that it's one of those baits that when they want it, they REALLY want it and would probably hoover up any bit they could get their whiskers on!
(Though of course, this doesn't stop me tinkering about as I persuade MYSELF that my clever variations in presentation are going to make all the difference...)
I tend to use sainsbury's own brand luncheon meat (in a light blue tin), or plain spam if it's on knockout in the supermarket. I'll take it out of the tin, cut it in to strips as long as the tin with approx three quarters of an inch square cross section, and then just break bits off the strip as and when needed. So i guess the average bait is going to be about a three quarters inch cube, with two rough sides and four smooth. If i'm feeling particularly with it, I might rough up some of the smooth... though as mentioned above, I doubt this has ever actually made a barbel think to himself.... "oh yes, actually this bit looks much less dangerous than those other regularly cut cubes...." I will also hair rig for barbel, mainly because the other baits i'm using hair rig and i will generally try three or four different baits in the course of a session. If I was going for chub, i'd be more inclined to put the meat straight on the hook, as I would if i was using it for carp on the float in the margins.
