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Boilies for tench

Christian Tyroll

Christian Tyroll

Senior Member
Afternoon all

I'm planning on mainly fishing more traditional baits but might put a little boilie on overnight.

I haven't had many tench on boilies but remember catching a decent one on a now discontinued Dynamite GLM, lost a good one whilst carp fishing with CC Moore Live System and think I've had a couple of nice ones out of the Thames on Source, but can't remember the bait on those for sure. As far as I can remember they're the only tench I've taken on boilies.

I'd like to hear if anyones had particularly good results on one anyway.

Perhaps I'd be better off on a piece of flavoured fake corn. Interestingly I think 3/4 above had a piece of fake yellow corn on the end and the other one, fake pink corn.
 
Alan, the tench on a lake I fish love Munch Baits Bio Marine boilies but if targeting tench specifically I don't use them, I tend to use smaller baits.
 
All the fish I caught last year (not many) came to popped up Maggots with some red foam on the hook to hold them up, fished helicopter style. I did slip on a Source 8mm bottom bait during the night rather than baiting up with Maggots, but never had so much as a single bleep whilst doing so.

If I was to do the same this coming year, I think I'd use plastic Maggots overnight, and see how they worked rather than a boilie.
 
A water i fished for a few years was maggot mad the Tench loved them, sometimes they couldn't get enough. Last year struggled for a bite, then watched a mate empty it with 2mm pellets on a hybrid feeder and a Ringers water... never looked back since..
 
You really can't go wrong with fruit flavours for tench certainly from April-June.

Richworth Esterberry was 'the' best boilie ever for tench imo, and that of my tench fishing mates. Sadly you can't get them anymore. Richworth Tutti Fruiti's the next best thing but you can only get them freezer baits now. I've done well with Mainline Tutti Fruiti and Strawberry zest shelf-lifes and will be using both this coming season. Usually 2 x 10mm on a size 10 with a method feeder or 1 on a size 12 if they are being tricky. Sometimes off the bottom, but more usually helicopter style especially on silty venues.

More often than not I start a tench session with a maggot feeder rig on one rod, and method feede/boilie on the other. Best tip I was given with tench is to always take at least 3 different baits...they are such enigmatic fish and can chop amd change their preferences from day-to-day.

Can't comment on night fishing for them though as I always bring by rods in before dark and get some kip so I'm fresh and raring to go at 4am.
 
I've found that tench aren't so funny when it comes to boilies. I've had plenty of tench whilst carp fishing using fishmeal boilies/pop ups. Had quite a few alright tench on sticky Krill and on the source too but these have all been by-catches of carp fishing. If it was me targeting a tench on boilies I'd go for a high quality fishmeal.
 
8lb 0oz on pineapple flavoured pop up cut to sweetcorn shape, 3 on a hair, so remember they don't have to be little round things, buy a tub of pop ups, and cut them into sweetcorn shapes, for hook baits, then take a tin of Sweetcorn, pour the juice out, and pour pineapple flavouring in, leave overnight in the fridge, add the contents to whatever groundbait you like to use, I use Porridge oats and Wheetabix mixed, add a little lake water if it needs binding a little, exactly how that one in the picture was caught. If you want to use boilies instead of tinned sweetcorn I'd chop them up and add to the ground bait.





8lb 0oz.jpg
 
Jon Frisby said:
A water i fished for a few years was maggot mad the Tench loved them, sometimes they couldn't get enough. Last year struggled for a bite, then watched a mate empty it with 2mm pellets on a hybrid feeder and a Ringers water... never looked back since..
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I tried a variety of rigs, tactics and baits this season. The most success has come with a relatively simple approach; 2mm krill on a flat method feeder, teamed with 2x8mm drilled halibut pellets hair rigged on a short hook length. Firing some 8mm scalded halibut pellets over the top of this accounted for 8 tincas in a memorable evening session and continued to produce through to January.
 
Thank you all for the tips. Lots to think about.

I haven't fished the lake before but spoke to a member who said he was plagued by tench when fishing a boilie or pop up in a pva bag full of micro pellets. The lake is only fished by carp anglers so they're possibly well switched on to boilies and pellet.

The swims are about 70 yards apart so I'll be able to fish 3 rods and give a few different things a go anyway.

I'll try some fruity 8mm wafters or a fishmeal 10miller with 2mm betaine pellets in a bag. Then another rod on naturals with some artificial casters/ maggots I've got soaking in a maplecream/ caramel type flavour and if I can find some then another rod on lobworm.

The pellet and wafter is convenient if doing a short session and not being able to get to a tackle shop, I'd still like to fill it in with maggot or caster and see what happens though.
 
Ian Grant said:
8lb 0oz on pineapple flavoured pop up cut to sweetcorn shape, 3 on a hair, so remember they don't have to be little round things, buy a tub of pop ups, and cut them into sweetcorn shapes, for hook baits, then take a tin of Sweetcorn, pour the juice out, and pour pineapple flavouring in, leave overnight in the fridge, add the contents to whatever groundbait you like to use, I use Porridge oats and Wheetabix mixed, add a little lake water if it needs binding a little, exactly how that one in the picture was caught. If you want to use boilies instead of tinned sweetcorn I'd chop them up and add to the ground bait.





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That's an absolute cracker.
 
Like many above, I have caught lots of tench on boilies - but usually by accident when carp fishing.

on the few occasions it’s been by design I’ve favoured fishmeal/savoury baits.

But they can and do eat sweet baits. I have caught plenty on maple/butterscotch and similar. Sticky Manila would work if you want a commercially available bait. Plenty of carp anglers I know have had their pb tench on pineapple pop ups!

The last time I seriously Stillwater fished I used ‘asap‘ from 3 rivers - a bait derived from John Baker ingredients (more or less) and highly recommended. It catches anything. The only reason I don’t still use it is that I can get something else nearly as good very cheap.

My overall preference for tench would be a small bait approach - if circumstances allow (nuisance fish, range etc).

Im planning to tench fish this Spring on a big carp water. If the small baits don’t work or I can’t land the carp on small(ish) hooks then I will switch to boilies….time will tell.
 
I've just had some match style 8mm dumbbell wafters turn up, some Mainline pineapple and some Spotted Fin ones. They both look perfect but can't smell them right now as have got you know what. They look like they'd be great on the method or in a pva bag full of pellets.

There's also a bag of 10mm CC Moore Odyssey XXX in my cupboard, based on all the above they might be as good as anything else so might just go with those if I use boilies.

If I want to give some of them a soak then I've got some fruity glugs, liquid GLM and liquid lobs so reckon I'm sorted for the springs experimenting.

Will let you all know how I get on.

Tim what's your 3 Rivers alternative? I was thinking of giving the 3rb a crack for the barbel this summer. Have enjoyed John Bakers Frost and Flood this winter but the rolling is a love hate relationship.
 
Christian Tyroll said:
I've just had some match style 8mm dumbbell wafters turn up, some Mainline pineapple and some Spotted Fin ones. They both look perfect but can't smell them right now as have got you know what. They look like they'd be great on the method or in a pva bag full of pellets.

There's also a bag of 10mm CC Moore Odyssey XXX in my cupboard, based on all the above they might be as good as anything else so might just go with those if I use boilies.

If I want to give some of them a soak then I've got some fruity glugs, liquid GLM and liquid lobs so reckon I'm sorted for the springs experimenting.

Will let you all know how I get on.

Tim what's your 3 Rivers alternative? I was thinking of giving the 3rb a crack for the barbel this summer. Have enjoyed John Bakers Frost and Flood this winter but the rolling is a love hate relationship.
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The only one from 3RB that I’ve used is ASAP.

If you want an alternative just talk to Glyn himself. He’s caught a few tench along the way. I’m sure he will give you good advice.
 
Cheers Tim, I'll give him a call before the new season.

Just in case anyone else is thinking of trying mini wafters at some point. The Spotted Fin 8mm ones sink pretty quickly with a size 12 Korda Mixa, then rest horizontally on the bottom. The Mainline 8mm match wafter sinks slowly then rests popped up just above the hook but with no weight added.
 
Christian Tyroll said:
Cheers Tim, I'll give him a call before the new season.

Just in case anyone else is thinking of trying mini wafters at some point. The Spotted Fin 8mm ones sink pretty quickly with a size 12 Korda Mixa, then rest horizontally on the bottom. The Mainline 8mm match wafter sinks slowly then rests popped up just above the hook but with no weight added.
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Yes. I use Mainline. Like them
 
Well I can’t lie Steve they’re actually all nine pounders.The last one I thought was going to be my first double but proved to be a
couple of ounces shy.
I’m only slightly taller than an umpa lumpa which can make some things appear larger than life . Alas not all things 😊
They were all caught on 10 mm pop ups on scaled down carp rigs fished over 10 millers.A lot of my local tench waters are full of two to four pounders so that’s my preferred method these days.
Still get the float rod out now and then just for the fun of it.
 
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