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bait
- Thread starter Ian Booth
- Start date
Steve Lewis
Senior Member
Woooo, this is one of those ten-different-people-will-give-you-ten-different-answers questions!
There are seasoned barbelers that have always stuck to one hookbait (usually luncheon meat or sweetcorn) and one or two particle attractants (usually sweetcorn and/or, of course, hemp). Several of the old boys (most of whom are probably dead now) I used to see on the Bristol Avon in the 90s fished with nothing but those two or three baits, and had done so for all of their fishing life, and they always seemed to catch fine. And there's a semi-famous Kennet barbel angler (whose name escapes me) who does nothing other than roll a single piece of spam - no groundbaits or loose feed whatsoever - and has been doing that for 40+ years, and still catches regularly. And he was doing the meat rolling thing LONG before Ray Walton popularised it (no disrespect to Ray, mind).
On the other hand, boilies were making the transition from carp to barbel, and pellets were just starting to get really popular just as I was reaching the end of my first fishing career (early 00s), and I was seeing people (some of whom may well be members of this forum!) turn up with pellets (of various sizes), boilies (of various sizes), maggots, casters, meat, hemp, groundbait and lobworms, all for a single session!
I think about the only thing that most experts agree on is to find a bait (or baits) that you have confidence in, and stick with it/them, rather than keep ringing the changes.
In my case, I always used luncheon meat, sweetcorn, hemp and boilies. But my last line wetting was nearly 20 years ago, and things have no doubt moved on A LOT since then!
I'm getting back into it this June after a long lay-off, but haven't yet decided what I'm going to be using, so I'll be interested to read the responses too.
There are seasoned barbelers that have always stuck to one hookbait (usually luncheon meat or sweetcorn) and one or two particle attractants (usually sweetcorn and/or, of course, hemp). Several of the old boys (most of whom are probably dead now) I used to see on the Bristol Avon in the 90s fished with nothing but those two or three baits, and had done so for all of their fishing life, and they always seemed to catch fine. And there's a semi-famous Kennet barbel angler (whose name escapes me) who does nothing other than roll a single piece of spam - no groundbaits or loose feed whatsoever - and has been doing that for 40+ years, and still catches regularly. And he was doing the meat rolling thing LONG before Ray Walton popularised it (no disrespect to Ray, mind).
On the other hand, boilies were making the transition from carp to barbel, and pellets were just starting to get really popular just as I was reaching the end of my first fishing career (early 00s), and I was seeing people (some of whom may well be members of this forum!) turn up with pellets (of various sizes), boilies (of various sizes), maggots, casters, meat, hemp, groundbait and lobworms, all for a single session!
I think about the only thing that most experts agree on is to find a bait (or baits) that you have confidence in, and stick with it/them, rather than keep ringing the changes.
In my case, I always used luncheon meat, sweetcorn, hemp and boilies. But my last line wetting was nearly 20 years ago, and things have no doubt moved on A LOT since then!
I'm getting back into it this June after a long lay-off, but haven't yet decided what I'm going to be using, so I'll be interested to read the responses too.
Gavin Hoe-Richardson
Senior Member
Not much has changed Steve, the baits you list are still my standard. Conditions/method dictates the final choice.
Graham Elliott
Senior Member & Supporter
I think the Kennet angler you refer to is our own very famous Micky Holton.
Paul Hamer
Senior Member
Choose a couple of baits that your confident in Ian then concentrate on location, thats the one thing that will catch you more. If the fish are there in front of you they will take anything within reason
Karl Heptonstall
Senior Member
Caster and hemp for float fishing, a decent boilie will cover every other situation!
I used to mess around using hemp and pellets or meat if the river was up but I find boilies work in all conditions. Having confidence in your bait is important, once you know it works it's one less thing to think about.
I used to mess around using hemp and pellets or meat if the river was up but I find boilies work in all conditions. Having confidence in your bait is important, once you know it works it's one less thing to think about.
Derek Funcks
Senior Member & Supporter
And your favourite boilie is ???
Ive tried many, but always found the good old halibut pellet gets better results.
Karl Heptonstall
Senior Member
Pm for you Derek
Mike Thompson
Senior Member & Supporter
Ian,
If you have been following recent posts on this forum, you will have seen the addiction we barbel anglers have to visiting B & M bargains stores in search of garlic spam. It is purchased by the tray or trolley load, and not for human consumption.
I can only conclude that it must be a good bait !
I hope so as I have bought more tins that I dare let my misses know about !!!!!
Mike
If you have been following recent posts on this forum, you will have seen the addiction we barbel anglers have to visiting B & M bargains stores in search of garlic spam. It is purchased by the tray or trolley load, and not for human consumption.
I can only conclude that it must be a good bait !
I hope so as I have bought more tins that I dare let my misses know about !!!!!
Mike
Graham Shaw
Senior Member
Of course stalking this rare species in a B&M is a sport for the early and middle stages of the closed season, when the thumbs are being well and truly twiddled.
In April it may seem more fun than fishing a carp pond, but it is more challenging and there will be more blanks.
At busier times, or when guaranteed results are required, you can just add your own garlic flavouring to the cheaper brands.
Graham Shaw
Senior Member
Done quite a lot of reading and thinking about this in the few weeks since I posted my thread about pre-baiting. At the moment my plan for this season is to use more bait, but fish with less bait.
Fishing small rivers where there are neither big shoals nor a lot of anglers, and possibly only me on long stretches of my very favourite river, I´m going to pile it in during the immediate pre-season, and at the end of some sessions when I know I won´t be back for a few days, and when passing other swims miles up or down from where I´m fishing that day, which I want to come back to another day.
But during the actual sessions themselves I´m going to use less than I did last season.
I´ll use a good variety of baits and keep records of exactly what was put in where and when, especially when I reckon nobody else is fishing a particular stretch, and I´ll try to work out what seems to work.
Hopefully there´ll also be the odd weekend away on a´pile it in´river like the Wye, but my local favourites aren´t like that.
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
It's actually a cr*p bait Mike. It's popularity stems from the fact that you can eat it while waiting for the non existent bites
No, it is a decent bait Mike, I've lost count of the number of fish I have had on it. If you send me half of your giant hoard, I won't tell your missus about how much you've spent
Cheers, Dave.
And your favourite boilie is ???
Ive tried many, but always found the good old halibut pellet gets better results.
I have fished with garlic baits before but with little success. There is a B&M just down the
road I think I will call in and see what they have. I get my luncheon meat and corn from there.
I maybe adding yet another bait to my list.
Mike Hodgkiss
Senior Member
To be honest , I can't really see the point of piling bait in , keep em lean and keep em keen . Garlic spam is very good , don't ignore the humble lobworm as well .
David Gauntlett
Senior Member
Let's hope you have more luck when you actually go fishing then Ian
Cheers, Dave.
Cheers, Dave.
Richard Parsons
Senior Member
I (almost) hate to suggest this, Ian, but you'll probably find your favourite bait online? Despite living close to central Manchester I have to buy mostly online - my local angling shop has long since closed down. Sadly.
Alternatively, suggest to your local (tackle) dealer that they stock what you want....
Alternatively, suggest to your local (tackle) dealer that they stock what you want....