• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Best pellets

Christian Tyroll

Christian Tyroll

Senior Member
Evening all

I was just wondering what everyone’s favourite pre drilled pellets are at the moment?

I haven’t used any for a few years but would like to get some 8mm jobbies to do a bit before autumn.

Does anyone used the three foot twitch ones?

Thank you
 
Christian Tyroll said:
Evening all

I was just wondering what everyone’s favourite pre drilled pellets are at the moment?

I haven’t used any for a few years but would like to get some 8mm jobbies to do a bit before autumn.

Does anyone used the three foot twitch ones?

Thank you
Click to expand...
I’ve used sonubaits cheese garlic and their spicy sausage pre drilled hook baits in 14 mm and I think 8 mm both caught me barbel from the Kennet and lower Severn.
 
I've always used marine halibut pellets in 14mm for normal conditions but when there's plenty of water i.e. flood conditions have found 21mm (donkey chokers!) to work well. I tried some dynamite big fish river barbel pellets in 15mm last Sunday but had nothing. I don't think the fish were feeding where I'd decided to fish because of the high water temperatures and they were probably located in the shallow fast moving water. I think I'll wait for some rain before I go again.
 
I'm not a big fan of pellets on the hook/hair. Not sure why, but I just don't like them. Normally I'd whittle down a Dynamite Halibut boilie to a smaller "pellet" shape rather than use an actual pellet. I've used Sonubaits pellets O's and they stay on well. As I'm not confident using pellets, I tend to not give then a good try out.

I've had a pot of 3FT 8mm smoked herring and lampery pellets in the past. Smelt nice and lasted long enough on the hair, but never caught on them so I gave them away - see above.
 
Last edited:
Tried all sorts of fancy things over the years but Dynamite Marine Halibut seem as good as anything to me and are ready available at a good (ish) price. I’ve been using them as feed though (6&8mm) with a 12mm halibut boilie on the hair
 
Aren't they all made by either Coppens or Skrettings for the fish farm market? If so does it really matter which reseller you choose?
I guess that some resellers add a little extra flavour for their own USP. Does that actually make much difference? Only the fish know for sure.
 
Favourite for me are Dynamite Robin Red 8mm at the minute, Sonubaits O's in any flavour
Caught more on standard 14mm halli over the years but they may have been sussed.
And those Sonubaits squishy soft pellets caught me loads a few years back, but had to be hemp and halli, nothing else.
 
My go to pellets now are Dynamite Robin Red 8mm & 14mm and Swim Stim Red Krill 8mm & 14mm. I have found them to outfish Halibut pellets 2 to 1. Smaller pellets for clearer/low water and the larger for Winter / flood water fishing.
 
I like a mix of Robin Red and Marine Halibut and often fish one of each in 8mm on the Severn. Dynamite are good as are the Severn Valley Products Ambush. They stink! ( Garlic). I fish them on a hair and tie in a 3mm bait band which I pull through both pellets then add a boilie stop. I think it is possible the band slows down the rate at which the last pellet breaks down by ' plugging' the hole. The holes tend to be quite big which I don't like. The Ambush pellets have a smaller hole than the Dynamite in my experience..
 
Kevin Earley said:
My go to pellets now are Dynamite Robin Red 8mm & 14mm and Swim Stim Red Krill 8mm & 14mm. I have found them to outfish Halibut pellets 2 to 1. Smaller pellets for clearer/low water and the larger for Winter / flood water fishing.
Click to expand...
I always find this interesting ‘i have found them to outfish Halibut 2-1’
By that evidence, they must be twice as good however, i tried them for a season & didn’t really do very well. Did slightly better on the Hinders elipse but noticeably better on Dynamite Halibut.
Everyone has a favourite that outfishes someone elses favourite so who’s right?
Is it just luck? Barbels ‘taste’ in different areas? confidence in what your using? the rig?
I personally think they will eat anything and it comes down to confidence which breeds success but could be wrong of course.
I also think ‘chasing’ the best bait or copying someone elses success doesn’t bring your own success although can generate your own ideas.
There are obviously ‘better’ baits that become classics (pellets, boilies, luncheon meat etc) but how much effort is put into another bait before we revert back to what works?
A couple of sessions without a bite is usually more than enough to put me off and write a bait off for good but would i have caught on a more favoured bait anyway??
It can be a nightmare choosing a bait to rely on and a few catches is usually enough to make you think your on to something and it soon becomes a top bait you believe in.
Listen to people, take notice of whats happening (especially locally) but do what you think is right, but make your own mistakes & find your own favourites is the way to go.
I know really good anglers that cant afford ‘decent’ bait (what is that?) but take places apart with worms, bread paste etc then there anglers that catch very little even after they have bought success by spending £100’s on top baits…..that says it’s more down to skill, location and effort than bait but what if th poorer angler could afford the expensive stuff? Would he catch even more?? God knows!!
 
I also use the Severn Valley Ambush ones, but more often than not in 10mm. Sometimes I'll use the 8mm or 14/16mm (if bream are about) either in ambush or pellet O's. I never use bands, a pellet within a band can ping off, and a band within the drilled hole always tends to split it, so always lasso my pellets - they never come off, means you can leave one out for more than an hour if need be.
 
Christian Tyroll said:
Evening all

I was just wondering what everyone’s favourite pre drilled pellets are at the moment?

I haven’t used any for a few years but would like to get some 8mm jobbies to do a bit before autumn.

Does anyone used the three foot twitch ones?

Thank you
Click to expand...

I’ve used the 8mm 3ft twitch pellets for a couple of seasons now on the Trent. Caught loads on them, both the lamprey and herring, and D-liver. This season I’ve started using their redemption boilies, so I also got some matching pellets and have caught on those both times I’ve been out so far.

I did like the Dynamite Source pellets as well, and did well on them a few years ago.

Alexander Shepherd said:
I’ve used sonubaits cheese garlic and their spicy sausage pre drilled hook baits in 14 mm and I think 8 mm both caught me barbel from the Kennet and lower Severn.
Click to expand...

I still have a partially used pot of the sonubaits spicy sausage hookbaits. They smell perfect and I was always super confident using them, but never had a single fish on them. No idea why!
 
John Care said:
I also use the Severn Valley Ambush ones, but more often than not in 10mm. Sometimes I'll use the 8mm or 14/16mm (if bream are about) either in ambush or pellet O's. I never use bands, a pellet within a band can ping off, and a band within the drilled hole always tends to split it, so always lasso my pellets - they never come off, means you can leave one out for more than an hour if need be.
Click to expand...
Interesting John. I have not found that 3mm pellet band splits an 8mm pellet at all. They are though very fine but strong. I use the Guru ones. I haven't had any trouble at all.with the pellets or the band breaking or the pellets coming off.
 
Why pre drilled?
So many people have put the Hinders elips pellets down on here.
I've used then for 25+ years.
Yes, their shape changed a few years back from flat to cylindrical.
They are superb still.
Cut a little flat on 2 pellets and glue them back to back.
I remember drilling them myself 100 years ago and sitting there fishing with no bait on.....
Its not difficult to fish effectively without pre drilled pellets!
145 barbel this season, mostly on elips.
1 trip to the Trent for a few days and the rest on the Hampshire Avon.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20250818_221115_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20250818_221115_Gallery.jpg
    190.5 KB · Views: 63
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top