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Barbel baits

Lee White

Lee White

Senior Member
Hi i am a complete novice when it comes to barbel fishing and was thinking is there different times of the year when barbel prefer diffrent baits
I am a fed up carp angler but i know summer fish meal winter hi viz fruit baits ect so does the same apply with barbel hi protein summer low protein winter and so on or just the same baits all year
 
If you’re fishing in water temps which lock up the oils in fish meal baits, my experience is you’re robably not going to catch much, whatever your bait. Any quality boile, pellets and spam all catch plenty of barbel summer and winter (when conditions are favourable).
 
Nick Coulthurst said:
If you’re fishing in water temps which lock up the oils in fish meal baits, my experience is you’re robably not going to catch much, whatever your bait. Any quality boile, pellets and spam all catch plenty of barbel summer and winter (when conditions are favourable).
Click to expand...
 
Been using hinders barbel bombs but was thinking what they would be like in colder waters again if the oils would congeial or am i just over thinking things
 
The last couple of seasons, I've drifted away from boillies and pellets, I'm just finding that I catch more and better fish on Spam or Bacon Grill. Don't fish square cubes like most do (rough chunks are better), do flavour and colour it and don't be afraid to fish half a tin on the hook (especially after dark). In fact after dark or in flood conditions, there is no better bait for Barbel IMHO.

No need to hair rig it either, pull a long shank hook through the meat, turn 90 degrees and pull the hook back into the meat.
 
There isn’t much barbel won’t take all year round laying on the river bed. If they are in your swim with their heads down then 90% of the battle is won. That is the ultimate key. Been where they are!!
My fishing is simple I have 2 baits with a 3rd exception when things get hard.
I use boilies all year round and I always make my own. my spring,summer,autumn bait is based on a spiced meaty mix. It’s not a strong flavour at all I keep it quite subtle but in flooded conditions I do enhance it with a bit more flavour and colour.
From the first frost onwards I swap to milks I’ve always done well on milks in winter and I find chub tend to be a little less interested in them too.
My 3rd bait hasn’t come out in a while but if I’m going through a long string of blanks I use caster. I fit 3 of the rubber enterprise casters to a hair over a bed of real casters/hemp and this has picked up a couple of barbel for me on bait and wait tactics. nuisance fish will be mopping up your bait all day so keep the bed going down and it can pull the barbel in.

The trick is to settle on a bait and stick with it because confidence is absolute key. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your bait is wrong that’s why you didn’t catch.
The reason you didn’t catch is almost certainly because the fish wasn’t there.
Primarily the objective of barbel fishing is finding them and not spooking them. Your bait choice is far less important because if you do the first 2 bits right the 3rd tends to just work.
 
Good old Halibut pellet , even last mild winter , still prefer plumrose ham and pork over spam, and lobworms will be in good supply at the moment from most lawns, find out what works for you, without becoming a product placement merchant .
 
This extra 14ft of Severn has renewed my faith in meat. I'm fully confident in it again after some doubt crept in earlier this year.
Bait?? Pellets and Boilies, and ring the changes with different wraps. Lobs, if you don't mind catching snotties and eels (esp in summer), and meat ...flavoured or not.
It's a confidence thing. If they're in front of you and they're on the munch, all and any bait will work.
Good article Lol.
 
Mainly boilies wrapped in paste for me,but in flood conditions I use lob worms but be aware eels like them as well🤪
 
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