Bait for barbel

[Anderoo]

On opening day I'm going to a lovely little river, trotting with maggots and bread during the day and turning my attention to barbel (which may or may not live there) at dusk. Normal barbel set-up (3 rods in a pod, bolt rigs, leadcore, delks, etc.) but what would you recommend as bait?

 

OK, only joking! Except about the bait question.

 

IF there are barbel there they're unlikely to be very big and there certainly won't be many. There are plenty of chub. The barbel aren't fished for. I've been told by people much more knowledgeable than me about such things that elips pellets are very good. Halibut pellets are an obvious choice. Then there's good old luncheon meat (which the chub in there LOVE!). I'll be droppering hemp and bait samples in a few spots throughout the day as I move around trotting.

 

What do you reckon? I'd prefer to avoid the chub if possible to give myself a better chance of (wonder of wonders) actually hooking a barbel...

 

EDIT: Oh, and we're having some rain too so the stream will be a bit more coloured and higher than normal.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Anderoo

[Kappa]

On opening day I'm going to a lovely little river, trotting with maggots and bread during the day and turning my attention to barbel (which may or may not live there) at dusk. Normal barbel set-up (3 rods in a pod, bolt rigs, leadcore, delks, etc.) but what would you recommend as bait?

 

OK, only joking! Except about the bait question.

 

IF there are barbel there they're unlikely to be very big and there certainly won't be many. There are plenty of chub. The barbel aren't fished for. I've been told by people much more knowledgeable than me about such things that elips pellets are very good. Halibut pellets are an obvious choice. Then there's good old luncheon meat (which the chub in there LOVE!). I'll be droppering hemp and bait samples in a few spots throughout the day as I move around trotting.

 

What do you reckon? I'd prefer to avoid the chub if possible to give myself a better chance of (wonder of wonders) actually hooking a barbel...

 

EDIT: Oh, and we're having some rain too so the stream will be a bit more coloured and higher than normal.

 

When I clean up the stream in question ... I'll be using worms/corn/meat and possibly a super secret paste! With the rain I reckon worms could be a great bait!

 

P.s. I wouldn't use a bait dropper unless you find a really deep stretch which you really can't get the bait to the bottom in! I think it pays to lightly bait a wide area for barbel and then wait for them to show themsleves or search for them with a rolling ledger.

 

Rich

[Anderoo]

When I clean up the stream in question ... I'll be using worms/corn/meat and possibly a super secret paste! With the rain I reckon worms could be a great bait!

 

P.s. I wouldn't use a bait dropper unless you find a really deep stretch which you really can't get the bait to the bottom in! I think it pays to lightly bait a wide area for barbel and then wait for them to show themsleves or search for them with a rolling ledger.

 

Rich

 

Hmm, cunning! Some spots on the stream (different one to the one you're talking about, I think) are surprisingly deep (up to 6ft!) and using a bait dropper has definitely increased my chub catches. The swims do need a good rest before fishing though. Worms are a good idea but I think the trout would be a nightmare. I'm edging towards meat at the moment, unless anyone has an opinion...

[Jigotai]

I tried worms last season for the Barbel but only caught chub, nice chub they were too.

Another bait I used to use, other than pellets and meat, was liver flavoured boilies. These caught me quite a few barbel but the guy that made them sold up and I can't get them any more.

You should do ok using meat, but I can't see you avoiding those chub.

[Kappa]

I tried worms last season for the Barbel but only caught chub, nice chub they were too.

Another bait I used to use, other than pellets and meat, was liver flavoured boilies. These caught me quite a few barbel but the guy that made them sold up and I can't get them any more.

You should do ok using meat, but I can't see you avoiding those chub.

 

I got all excited last night thinking about catching some barbel! The stretch I was hoping to get the larger ones from has loads of crays I'm told. So I was trying to think of a bait the would withstand them. This lead me to using boilies... I don't think I could bring myself to use them on little rivers such as Anderoo is thinking of but as an anti cray measure they might be useful! Any top flavours additives? I've heard milk bases, fishy flavours and cinnamon (not all at once though!)

 

Rich

[chavender]

if the barbel arn't really fished for i'd forget about the pellets ,i'd go with hemp and casters/corn and corn on the hook

meat (luncheon meat/spam) would work but draw in the chub as well.

[seph]

Elips pellets are great but as Chavender say's I would leave the pellet alone and stick with things like hemp, caster, meat and corn. I would most certainly take worm along.

[Steve Walker]

Based on last season's small river barbel fishing, I'd go for worms or pellets and put up with the chub. I just don't think there is anything you can call fish bait that a chub won't snarf. Had an odd experience with luncheon meat; the barbel on my river were terrified of it. I loose fed a few cubes of it to a group of feeding barbel, and they bolted as soon as they saw it. Maybe it's just been used too much on that river.

[Anderoo]

Interesting and, as usual, very helpful - thanks everyone I think I'll avoid meat then beacuse (1) the chub go nuts for it and (2) the barbel may well have seen it before. I hadn't considered sweetcorn, that sounds worth a go. I daren't use worm because there are a lot of brownies and they'll be on it straight away (I even catch them on big lumps of meat when stalking chub, god knows where they appear from! And they go balistic when hooked, not good for the swim).

 

I don't even know if there ARE any barbel, so the odd chub wouldn't hurt to be honest. I know there used to be, but like nearly all the rivers here they've all but disappeared. I could go down to the Kennet or across to the Warks Avon, but a 2lber from this stream would be worth a double from either of those! I will let you know how it goes

[seph]

Anderoo,

 

the W. Avon has burst it's banks in many places and with more rain forecast I can't see it getting any better for a few days at least.