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Boilie Size

P

Paul Pittman

Senior Member
Currently fishing the Thames and using 18mm boilies on a hair rig carp style. Had a few out recently but was wondering if i should drop down a size to maybe 16 or 14mm?
 
Hello Paul,
If you are getting a few out I'd stay as you are!

That said, I caught a few baby barbel this year on the Thames and I found they were probably having trouble getting a cube of meat and a size 6 in their mouths!

Stephen
 
I have had barbel out on 10mm , 15mm and the other week after struggling nailed one on a 20mm , its the same as everything in our sport what works one day will get nothing another
 
Hi Stephen,

Yes, you are probably right. I have been using 18mm Caviar and Cranberry which i have caught all my barbel on but on my other rod I was using 14mm Richworth Extractor (Martin Bowler) with matching paste and never got a touch, not even a bream!

Ive also got some 18mm Spicy Lobster so I will try them as well.
 
the contrast in different methods and baits will eventually lead to the rig/bait you stick with. personally id never underwrite anything all baits will work in the correct place. I personally know a 6lb barbel can nail a 20mm boilie aswel as big donkey choker pellets. my best advice is if you can fish two rods, fish one with whats been working and use a second rod to experiment, even if it seems a waste of time, it might pay off :).
tight lines
 
The bigger the better.

You can always make a bigger one smaller, bit more difficult the other way round.
 
You can always fish two (or more) hook baits if they seem a bit small?

Reminds me of some carp rigs from the 80s with four large boilies on the hair!

Stephen
 
A six pound barbel can get a tangerine in its mouth so I use a bait which is smaller than a tangerine and to big for the bream. Having said that the last four barbel I caught were on a single maggot and a size 18 hook.
 
It pays to experiment as in the past I've extruded sausages fom my Gardner bait gun without any attachment on, and then chopped to make dumbells of around 25mm in size. Serious donkey chokers and they do work.
 
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