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Sitting it out on a single bait

Stephen Crowhurst

Stephen Crowhurst

Senior Member
Copied from a.n.other thread by paul4 (admin)


Paul. Do you just sit on that one meat hook bait or do you check it periodically? I don’t think I’d have the confidence that the bait was still attatched to sit on it for a full session.
 
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Stephen. I sit on it for a whole session unless I think it moves. Ok, sounds dodgy but it's a question of where you cast, normally upstream and fairly close in, and how you mount your bait. Also that there are no crayfish :mad:

I think that casting often might put off a big fish as I'm sure they visit a bait more than once before they go for it.

I have wound in at end of session to find no bait, and yes it could have been missing for eight hours :eek:, but generally being aware of indications it's ok (he says :D)

This Is, of course, on small quiet rivers I normally fish. When I go to the Trent I might check it every hour or so, unless I get fish :D
 
When I moved from mainly fishing the Kennet to mainly fishing the Loddon I soon realised I needed a different approach, albeit the Kennet had long since "died a death" barbel wise IMO, and to me at least.

I discussed and fished with Ian Grant, and learned a hell of a lot from him - me with forty plus years of barbel fishing but still not too old to listen and learn :). We do fish different baits and have totally different baiting methods for various reasons, but the basics of not disturbing a bait in the water was fundamental - thanks Ian.

It's not for the faint hearted though :)
 
Thanks for separating this Paul, it’s a useful topic. I think I’d be more comfortable with this methodology with a boilie rather than meat. I suppose it wouldn’t work with pellet as they do seem to break down, esp in smaller sizes quite quickly.
 
This is something I need to take notice of Paul, I agonise over stuff all the time, is the bait still on, am I using the right bait, is the rig snagged? But I can see the benefit of your approach especially smaller rivers. Truth is I don't have the right mentality to be a proper Barbel angler, but I am like a demon on the Wye lobbing out feeders every minutes.
 
If you can't actually see the fish (dark or otherwise) it's very difficult to find the fish. With there being fewer fish (as there seem to be) nowadays this has never been more true. I caught a pb during my last session of last season, in the dark, and I know the fish found me - rather then vice versa. I happened to be the only angler on the stretch at the time, and I'm convinced that if there had been another angler in one of a couple of swims downstream, then he/she would have snaffled the fish.
 
If the fish are there and hungry it usually doesn't take long to get a bite. You could be sat in a peg all day with no fish, then again you could move and the fish come in.
I'd usually only stick to one peg if I was building up a swim with bait, or if I'm feeling lazy!
 
My pal is a master at the ambush technique.Minimal baiting and small single boilies.
He'll be happy with no activity for 2-3 hours, in fact this is part of the game plan. And he does catch some great fish. It is a skill and discipline that I would like to work into my fishing, as I am the polar opposite.
All came off when he set his plan last season on a flooded Wye and had 3 doubles in 24 hours on only his second trip there- a masterclass in watercraft and application and one of those times when it was a pleasure just to be there and be part of it.
 
I single bait meat a helluva lot... You don't need much else tbh. No reason why not with just a single bolie and paste wrap. It's how I winter fish anyway. Stands to reason. All my big barbel bar one have come to a single bait only.
 
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