Predatory Chub

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Neil Wayte

Guest
As most of you know I've got my newly accquired Chub head on and have had the brilliant idear of fishing Sardines or parts of Sardine at night for some of the huge Chub in the river Lea.I intend to use as free as possible running rig with the sardines but has anyone any thoughts or experience on this.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
I've caught four or five chub over the years when piking with small lives and deads. They certainly do eat sea baits and I often wonder whether some of the dropped runs you get come from chub and other species which pick up pike baits.

What did Peter Stone say..? Something like the bloke who uses dead baits all season would be astonished what he'd catch. I think he was referring to big stillwater chub, I certianly caught a couple (not big, but chub...!) from some pits in Glos years ago on sprats.

Since then I've had them pick up lamprey sections, dead and live roach and smelts.
 
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Philip Inzani

Guest
Neil, not extensively but I have fished fish baits for chub....Mackeral not Sardine but much the same I guess. Biggest headache I had was with Pike and whether or not to use a trace. I read a long time ago about a guy fishing still waters for chub with fish baits who used to wrap his traces in foam to make them feel softer. Nowadays one of the new braids or Kevlar might be a better option.
I also read that prebaiting could make a big difference but I did not try it as it was not practical for me to do this where I was fishing. Also whitebait has accounted for some big fish in the past.
I think you are on the right lines using a low resistance rig but then again short bolt feeder rigs seem to be catching allot of big Chub nowadays so it might be worth experimenting. Not sure which part of the Lea you are going to fish but I heard the Relief Channel had potential. I am really interested to hear how you get on. Good Luck.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Phil,

Have you tried Caliber Wonderwire..? We use the lightest one for zander, it's 15lbs bs and literally more like cotton than wire.

It's a bit light for piking but would give you an insurance policy if you hit a jack pike chubbing.
 
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Philip Inzani

Guest
Chris, no I have not used it but it does seem to be winning quite a few fans from what I hear. Sounds good for those Chub or perhaps Perch.
 
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Dave Johnson

Guest
FREELINED MINNOWS ON THE BLYTHE-BLOODY BRILLIANT FUN AND SUCH SAVAGE TAKES!
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Never been in the right place to do it,but would love too!To be fair to Pike you surely must use a trace.As mentioned the Wonderwire would be a good choice.I remember reading quite a lot about people fishing for Chub on the Trent with Sardine section for bait.I have taken Chub on lures though, due to this I have no doubts that they are active predators.Sorry its second hand information.Would be most interested in how you get on.
 
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Chris Bishop

Guest
Just seen your pic in the Mail with a six pound chub mate - and you're asking us for advice..?(!)

Philip, e-mail me an address and I'll send you some of the wire
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

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Neil, a pal of mine caught one barbel and lost another on legered sardine that were meant for pike.

The sardines were fished on a conventional wire trace and two trebles rig, and the fish he caught was fairly hooked in the mouth. It weighed about 6lb and was caught at Atcham on the Severn.

Obviously I'm not suggesting that this is how you should fish for chub, but perhaps warning you that you may latch into one or two of those barbel in the river, so it could be wise to fish heavier than normal chub gear.

I've used similar wire to what Chris is suggesting from American Fine Wire and it's probably your best bet. Good stuff for the smaller predators but a bit delicate for pike.
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
Chub certainly eat other fish. Members of The Lure Society are catching good chub regularly on plugs, spinnerbaits and other lures. I have taken many chub on live minnows and gudgeon. I would not classify chub as predators however, more omnivorous opportunist feeders. Pike, zander and perch are predators whilst catfish are omnivorous scavengers.
 
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Neil Wayte

Guest
Thanks guys going tomorrow night however cold so I'll let you know and thanks again.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Have to disagree with your Catfish comment there Ron.Allthough the cats in the artificialy stocked lakes in both this country and abroad have become pretty catholic in their tastes .The Cats that you find in all of the European Rivers are true predators and very active ones at that.Come to any of these venues with me Ron and try to catch one on anything but a live bait! A common misconception brought about by our own rather unnatural Cat scene!

Also does any one think that maybe some of these fish eating Chub have gone this way like Ferox Trout for example? or are they still truely omnivorous?
 
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Carp Angler

Guest
I think it happens more on lakes, where a few chub seem to become totally predatory.
They're never caught on anything except pike baits.
I think they will all feed opportunistically (is that a real word?)
if a fish bait is available, but fully predatory is rare.
 
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Ron Clay

Guest
With regard to the Danubian Wels Budgie, you are probably right. I have only ever caught one Wels in my life and that came to a dead gudgeon on the Shoulder of Mutton Lake at Woburn in 1966.

However I have caught thousands of sharp tooth catfish in South Africa and a few Vundu in Zimbabwe. The range of baits I have caught these fish on? Here goes if I can remember them all.
Live and dead carp and several other species of fish, frogs both dead and alive, sausages, luncheoon meat, bread, worms, sweetcorn, maize meal paste, soap (that's right - soap), hard boiled eggs, locusts, crickets and scorpions, pieces of snake, various spinners and artificial lures as well as artificial flies. The best bait if I wanted to catch a African catfish to save my life would be a live frog or the head end of a small carp with all the guts hanging out.
 
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Bar Barbus

Guest
If minnows not available - try whitebait.
Deep holes - either throw 20 by PV bag weighted with stone, and trot through.


Cheap enough in supermarkets, and great bait trotted through.(although minnows best)

Chub and barbel caught
 
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Philip Inzani

Guest
I tend to agree with Rik that I would think fully predatory is rare but I am certainly no expert on it. I have always seem them as the ultimate non fussed fish in terms of what they will take. Actually having said that I know some Chub that give the impression that they dont actually feed...they can be that difficult to tempt!
Also I have to say that when I used fish baits for some reason I had this idea that if I got a bite it was going to be a monster. I was actually quite surprised at how much small Chub liked it..not sure why I thought that....bit silly really when I think back.
 
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BUDGIE BURGESS

Guest
Fair comment Ray.It has always puzzled me why stillwater Wels Cats can be caught on anything but only lives in the rivers? You hear of both river and stillwater Chub taking fish baits.Anyone any ideas?
 
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