Barbel Fishing

[Jeffwill]

I suppose this question is aimed at anyone who has fished the rivers using pellet for a couple of seasons and has had the time to try Halibut one season (or the best part of) and Trout the next or vice versa.

 

Was one of the pellets definitely better than the other? Not just on the hook but for baiting swims too.... to get them on the feed.

 

Trout pellets are cheaper and easier to get hold of a sack while for the hook can always pick up a kilo bag of halibut pellets which will last all autumn season.

Edited November 16, 2009 by Jeffwill

[Jeffwill]

It seems obvious to fish using halibut pellets but....barbel are members of the mud pig family so will probably scoff any pellet, unless they have a choice.

[lutra]

Halibut pellets have a fantastic track record for catching barbel, but so do lots of baits. If i listed my most important barbel catching tips, things like seasonal water craft and fishing in the right water conditions would be much higher up the list than which flavoured sweet i had on the hook. Get the peg and conditions right and you can catch on any bait, well almost.

[weirwulf]

I think perhaps success can depend on familiarity. My local river just 2 seasons ago you would have struggled to catch barbel with anything other than meat and using 2 rods with different baits the meat rod accounted for more than 90 percent. Lately with the increase in popularity many anglers have joined the barbel ranks and having read the books have introduced mainly elips. The barbel have obviously learned that these are rather nice despite sometimes getting a hook and in one area I now struggle to catch with the meat whereas the elips do the trick. Pellets other than the elips are still not as effective though.

[arbocop]

Get the peg and conditions right and you can catch on any bait, well almost.

 

 

I would agree with that but add getting the right presentation. I reckon that most barbel are caught on pellet because most people use it. I'm not saying it is an overrated bait, far from it - but it might be used on days and on waters where other baits and/or methods would work better.

[weirwulf]

Of course arbocop, presentation counts for loads in every form of our sport though in my local river it is often not what the fish can see but what they can feel and smell so the important thing is keeping it all pinned down and having a good scent. I often fill a solid pva bag with hali oil and gravel so there is scent but no feed