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Maples

Gwyn Jeffs

No Longer a Member
Wanting a cheap bulk bait, I opted for maples. 25 kilos dry for 15 quid can't be faulted ( out of curiousity, who buys dry particles aside from anglers and pigeon fanciers? ).

I digress.

My stretch doesn't allow prebaiting during the close season, and because I can't drive I can only fish once a week.
I've been introducing them via hand/catty in my swim down the edge, and cattying out several pouchfuls to my main line and incorporating them into my feeder mix.

At the end of every session, myself and my old man catty at least a kilo of leftovers into whatever swim we're in and we spread them about to maximise exposure. Against the rules technically, but if I have a rod out I'm baiting my swim...

However, aside from chub rattles we have yet to catch on them, or even get a proper barbel bite.
Just wondering if anyone has gone in with them before and had results?
I see no reason why they wouldn't work, Google is full of stories and attestments.
I did read the prebaiting article someone posted on here, it was interesting.

I can only see 2 options if I continue to use them.
Mix them with corn for the visual aspect, or get them on the hair and peel the skins off for the same reason.

From my carp fishing experience I thought they'd be instant, but 4 weeks in and nothing starts to dent the confidence.
I know all about fermenting and sprouting them, I have bags of them in various states in the freezer.

For some reason, they just do not work where I fish. Not yet anyway. It's entirely possible the chub and dace are polishing them off before the barbel get a look in, they decimate everything.

Maybe once a week isn't enough perhaps? Not that I can do anything about that as of now. But approx 15 - 20 kilos have gone in during the last 4 weeks and we haven't had a barb on them between us.
Hemp and tares mixed in perhaps?
Or corn for the visual aspect?

My plan next week ( and I get 2 consecutive days ) is to mix corn with the maples and fish maple, rubber corn, maple to see if the visual thing works.
I can bait the swim before leaving on the first day ready for the second.

Maples just seem to be my bogey bait, so let's hear it if you've used them. Anything and everything appreciated.
 
Gwynn, maples do catch barbel but needs a proper baiting program mate, try decent pellets or boilies they work much quicker and more effective:)
 
You have put in 4/5 kilos a week...I would think that might be a bit of a problem for the stretch if they are not being eaten. I would say quality not quantity is required. I really don't know if anyone on here as actually caught a barbel on fake corn, I certainly have no confidence in the stuff, I would perhaps consider it when trotting and was fishing over a large shoal of Barbel that were competing for feed, that will be the day . Ha!
 
Are other anglers catching barbel on your chosen stretch ? I was just thinking that there might not be any barbel in residence to respond to your pre baiting hence the lack of interest .
 
Are other anglers catching barbel on your chosen stretch ? I was just thinking that there might not be any barbel in residence to respond to your pre baiting hence the lack of interest .

To answer yourself and John in one hit...I'm catching barbel, along with my old man. On boilies and pellets ( had 2 over 9lb on Weds evening ).
The maples don't produce anything other than rattles.
I can watch the chub and dace hoovering them up when introduced in close, so they find them acceptable at least.

I was hoping to reduce costs and not be one of the crowd by going down the maple route.
I accept I should be baiting every day, but as I state, it isn't allowed unless actually fishing and I can't drive.
I know I could go to any local carp lake and they'd be an instant bait, so I really am puzzled as to why they seem to be an absolute dud.

I'll have to see how next week goes with corn mixed in for the visual aspect. I can at least bait the swim seeing as I have two consecutive days.
Thanks for the replies guys, any little nugget that gets me thinking is always welcome.

I'd love to be able to find some barbel and feed them to gauge their reaction, but it isn't possible on the stretch I fish, neither is tree climbing allowed.
When I was fishing the Windrush I was able to feed barbel and they were pretty catholic in their tastes, I don't recall anything I introduced not being eaten.
So for two of us to draw a total blank on maples seems very strange.

I'll persevere with them for the time being on one rod, but I'm rapidly getting disillusioned.
 
You have put in 4/5 kilos a week...I would think that might be a bit of a problem for the stretch if they are not being eaten. I would say quality not quantity is required. I really don't know if anyone on here as actually caught a barbel on fake corn, I certainly have no confidence in the stuff, I would perhaps consider it when trotting and was fishing over a large shoal of Barbel that were competing for feed, that will be the day . Ha!

Hi Neil, I've had plenty on fake corn and fake maize over the years.
The Wye is crawling with chublets and dace and real corn gets mullered far too quickly, great bait that it is.

As you can see in my post above, the maples are getting eaten. Just not by barbel it seems.

Dropped a kilo off the bridge into 4 foot of water, and 10 minutes later it was absolutely black with chublets and dace.
Maybe that's my problem - the barbel aren't getting a look in before the bits mop them all up?
 
Gwyn, i did say barbel will take maples but in my opinion pellets or boilies work better and give better results mate and also agree with you on artificial baits they will take barbel remembering that they are a bit bouyant, with artificial pellets i usually wrap paste around them.:)
 
Might be the same problem with fishing hemp? That any Barbel can get a bit pre occupied with particles and leave the hook bait. Still you seem to have a nice problem Gwyn... with a river packed full of all species.:)
 
Frustrating for you Gwyn I know, but it's an interesting one innit! Could it be presentation? Are you actually catching any of those smaller species using maple hookbait? Is your maple hookbait being removed from your hook/hair? Have you tried flavouring? How about trying maple paste over pellet (or over a maple pea)? I would be amazed if some of the barbel weren't eating, and enjoying, the maples you're supplying them with!
ATVB
 
To answer yourself and John in one hit...I'm catching barbel, along with my old man. On boilies and pellets ( had 2 over 9lb on Weds evening ).
The maples don't produce anything other than rattles.
I can watch the chub and dace hoovering them up when introduced in close, so they find them acceptable at least.

I was hoping to reduce costs and not be one of the crowd by going down the maple route.
I accept I should be baiting every day, but as I state, it isn't allowed unless actually fishing and I can't drive.
I know I could go to any local carp lake and they'd be an instant bait, so I really am puzzled as to why they seem to be an absolute dud.

I'll have to see how next week goes with corn mixed in for the visual aspect. I can at least bait the swim seeing as I have two consecutive days.
Thanks for the replies guys, any little nugget that gets me thinking is always welcome.

I'd love to be able to find some barbel and feed them to gauge their reaction, but it isn't possible on the stretch I fish, neither is tree climbing allowed.
When I was fishing the Windrush I was able to feed barbel and they were pretty catholic in their tastes, I don't recall anything I introduced not being eaten.
So for two of us to draw a total blank on maples seems very strange.

I'll persevere with them for the time being on one rod, but I'm rapidly getting disillusioned.

Gwyn I don't know what river you are fishing ? If as you say Chub and Dace are eating up your maple peas ? Then there lies the problem ? The Barbel are not getting a look in . You could try baiting one swim with maples and try fishing another swim with out baiting it ? Draw all the Chub and Dace in to the baited swim and fish the other non baited swim
 
Hi men ,


Just an observation , any bait that has to be pre-baited in a fair amount to get them feeding on it does not seem to be much in the way of bait , or being used in the wrong situation . Some baits are cheap and under used , normally for a good reason , but as Terry said , interesting stuff .


Hatter
 
Finally had my first, albeit on 2 maples tipped with fake corn.
Was it the visual aspect, or the fact maples have gone into that swim for 4 weeks?
Only 5.5lb but a start. The feeder and pellet produced 7-07, 7-15, 9-08 and 9-10..
 
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