odd natural baits

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

hi all

 

i was out this afternoon,walking about,anyway on the way home i past the local exotic pet shop well sort of more reptiles n frogs,big spiders n that,well they sell live food,like grasshoppers locust(all sizes!) mealworms etc.now if i remeber rightly in last years Agling Times there was a chap called dave ivey?he was fishing on the throop,and dorset stour for chub, BIG chub,he was using these shall we say "natural" baits like locust n grasshoppers n such,now im in the position to stalk some good chub this year and imn very intrested in using these baits.has anyone used this baits??if you have id like to hear how you fished them and how well they worked-or not!?i was thinking simple in looking to freeline them or link leger them.any thoughts??

[Dick Dastardly]

Not had a lot of experience using "odd natural baits" other than as bait when on military survival courses.As long as it moved any creepy crawley seemed to attract fish if you could target them.

 

Would the eel livebaits and medicinal leechs we use for catfish count? Or the day old dead chicken chicks I have seen used?

[coxie]

I've caught Chub on grasshoppers before, from the Kennet. It was a hot day and they were everywhere, so I tried one. Stubby waggler, all the shot round the float, three feet of greased line to the hook and cast it to far bank bushes. Not big fish, but good fun!

[Newt]

Crickets and grasshoppers are my baits of choice in summer for any species that I expect to be shallow and that doesn't have a strong preference for other fish as a steady diet.

 

No chub where I am (too warm) but other fish seem to love them.

 

Mealworms seem to do well too. Easier to put on the size hooks I use than a maggot would be assuming I could find a maggot to use as bait.

 

Since the fish will be feeding on the occasional stupid insect that falls or jumps into the water, 'naturals' seem to be a natural for this time of year.

 

The local supply of locust lures is very low right now with all the lure anglers getting ready for the huge locust hatch we expect in a couple or three weeks.

 

[ 07. June 2004, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[GlennB]

Newt:

The local supply of locust lures is very low right now with all the lure anglers getting ready for the huge locust hatch we expect in a couple or three weeks.

Is that related to the 7-year(?) Washington(?) cicada hatch that's due?? I read of 10 million cicadas per acre or something horrific. If you had chub there they would get well fat on floating insects!

Just noticed you have duplicate bridge down as a hobby. Me too. Is there a connection between fishing and bridge? Hmmm

[Tog]

I have an aussie chum who swears by small frogs for perch! certainly chub seem to like 'creepy crawlies' and of course slugs - oop's we're into the livebait issue now!

[Russell Fitzpatrick]

survival courses?was you in the forces budgie?

live chicks are odd,dunno about natural tho,maybe if you count water birds chicks,leeches yes also an odd bait IMO

live ells could well count too i suppose.i get the genral sense that they do work never thought about float fishing them tho nice one coxie..clear loafers or wagglers me thinks : )

[kleinboet]

grasshoppers etc. have been used as bait all over the world. The best example of this is Rex Hunt, he uses bugs, worms, crickets etc. with very good results!

[Newt]

GlennB:

Is that related to the 7-year(?) Washington(?) cicada hatch that's due?? I read of 10 million cicadas per acre or something horrific. If you had chub there they would get well fat on floating insects!

Just noticed you have duplicate bridge down as a hobby. Me too. Is there a connection between fishing and bridge? Hmmm

GlennB - it is but this year is the 17 year hatching which is the biggie. The bugs are basically harmless but the daytime noise level where they are hatching will be bad enough you probably won't want to stay outside. Night fishing for me I expect until they do their thing and head underground once again.

 

With the schedule I work now and the fact that my wife doesn't play, it's mostly me against Bridge Baron these days.

[Nugg]

I have heard of mice being used, some time ago though.