Has anyone on FM used them for barbel and if hopefully so,how did they manage their use,i.e. how did you dose enough out for a session as I would imagine that after a session in warm weather you wouldn't re-freeze them,this concerns me a little as they are quite expensive and I don't like going without enough bait for a session...
Frozen boilies.
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Around 15years ago I was using a frozen boilie which I believe were exclusive to Leslie's of Luton. I cant remember the name but they were light brown in colour and were fishmeal based. Most of the fishing was carried out in cool or mild summer /autumn conditions I only took out of the freezer what I thought I would need for the session anything left over was returned to the freezer and would be crushed and used in the bait dropper or mesh bag during the next session.
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I know a fell'a used to make them himself to sell, I forget the name of his brand. He used them himself and did really well with them!
He actually gave me some and told me I could re freeze them a time or two. Anyhow I couldn't be botherd faffing about with frozen stuff and just used meat or halibut pellets. My results were just as good with the pellets and meat.
He actually gave me some and told me I could re freeze them a time or two. Anyhow I couldn't be botherd faffing about with frozen stuff and just used meat or halibut pellets. My results were just as good with the pellets and meat.
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Most likely the reason the venues that do well with boilies is because the majority are using boilies. If you threw in a bucket of boilies and fished a lump of meat or a halibut pellet over the top you'd catch just the same. Infact I have done just that. I always preferd dynamite pellets and boilies if I used those types of baites.
I think the majority of anglers use pellets, boilies etc on the river now. When people ask me what i'm using for bait and I tell them maggots and corn, the look of shock and horror on their faces always makes me chuckle.
If it is possible to use maggot or caster for barbel I would,most venues I fish have fair heads of small fish,roach,dace,chublets,gudgeon etc,they muller such baits in summer,not so in winter however,where i'm going on holiday even 10mm pellets and boilies are given the treatment,in fact at times I have been forced to use two 15mm boilies to stop em,still rattle em about though...
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The trouble is on the Stour,there are lots of moderate(some big)sized roach,which without trottable runs are not worthy of interest(lots of weed),barbel and chub are less prolific,as you'd expect,if you want those you have to specialise,if you fished maggot the minnows would suck the hell out of a bunch with gusto,just to say,last year you just had odd knocks off of them,I feed via PVA bag with 6 & 8mm pellets,plus four boilies,two halved,if you drop a bag in shallower water you can see the hoards of minnows,chublets,little roach sucking around the pellets,ten minutes there is nothing left but the boilies,little fish activity attracts big fish however....
Haz
Veteran Angler
Fish grow accustomed to whatever foods are predominantly available to them. So, if boilies (for example) are the main bait used in a water the carp will seek them as a reliable food. However, that doesn't mean that they can't be tempted by other tasty morsels, but they will be a little cautious toward them.
Agreed,but certain venues get pressured on certain baits,pellets being a very popular these days,certain rivers,ie the Trent,W.Avon etc was going through this years ago,whilst someone using hemp and caster/maggot could catch during daylight hours,I believe the Ribble did similar(cant say from experience),however pellet worked ok at night,when bertie knew most of us are asleep...
Keith M
Well-known member
Keith Speers would use red & white maggot most of the time when trotting a stick after the Barbel on my local streams/rivers, and as anyone else who knew him will tell you he caught more Barbel than anyone else in the club.
I catch quite a few Barbel and Chub from my local streams/rivers on the bottom using Dynamite Crab, Halibut or Spicey Sausage flavoured drilled pellets, occasionally wrapped in halibut or crab paste, and ‘hot & spicy’ pork & ham luncheon meat that I bought at Morrison’s when they sold it (I bought a job lot when they last sold it) or a self flavoured spicey Luncheonmeat.
and if I’m trotting a stick or Avon I often just use a small bunch of red & white maggots or small redworms.
I should imagine that certain frozen and thawed flavoured boilies would also catch Barbel quite well, but until I need to I’m fairly reluctant to change; as the saying goes: ‘if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it’
When I use boilies for Carp I have no qualms about using boilies that have been in and out of my freezer three or four times and even more if the weather hasn’t been that hot; in fact some of them have actually improved with age (within reason) but once they start to feel a bit sticky I ditch them
Keith
I catch quite a few Barbel and Chub from my local streams/rivers on the bottom using Dynamite Crab, Halibut or Spicey Sausage flavoured drilled pellets, occasionally wrapped in halibut or crab paste, and ‘hot & spicy’ pork & ham luncheon meat that I bought at Morrison’s when they sold it (I bought a job lot when they last sold it) or a self flavoured spicey Luncheonmeat.
and if I’m trotting a stick or Avon I often just use a small bunch of red & white maggots or small redworms.
I should imagine that certain frozen and thawed flavoured boilies would also catch Barbel quite well, but until I need to I’m fairly reluctant to change; as the saying goes: ‘if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it’
When I use boilies for Carp I have no qualms about using boilies that have been in and out of my freezer three or four times and even more if the weather hasn’t been that hot; in fact some of them have actually improved with age (within reason) but once they start to feel a bit sticky I ditch them
Keith
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Would you fish maggot on our club stretch at this time of year Keith,I never saw Speersy go near the Ivel until December,I would say at least 80% of barbel caught on the bottom end of the D.Stour are caught on boilie,I remember when pellet worked well where I fish down there,must be 8/10 years ago,still try them,every session,can't think of a barbel I caught on one in recent years down there mind...
Keith M
Well-known member
I haven’t fished the Ivel yet but I’ve seen it around Sandy during the closed season and the levels were very low and I wasn’t enthralled; however there must be a few favoured areas that I haven’t seen yet as I know theres some decent fish in there if you know the right places to try for them.
I fish various places along the Gt Ouse and along the upper stretches of the river Lea and the river Kennet and very occasionally the Lodden plus the D.Stour around Throop Mill where my parents lived when they were alive but I usually plumped for boiled sausage or Luncheonmeat on the bottom when I’ve fished there.
Tight lines
Keith
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I’ve been using hard meat based dog biscuits that are difficult for little fish to whittle down and the Barbel go nuts for them. A 50p sized bait should keep you fishing for a reasonable time.
It wont stop a bigger Chub or Bream hanging itself but then not much else will either.
It wont stop a bigger Chub or Bream hanging itself but then not much else will either.
dorsetsteve
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Last year one swim in particular on the Stour the Dace were so keen on my Lunchoen meat, I caught more than one on a size 6.
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