chub

[Gary Downie]

Been really enjoying roving.
15 -20 mins in each area (unless there are signs)
Paste and meat seem to be favourite.
Fishing during daylight and catching a few but nothing big.
Think I'm going to have to brave a few evening sessions.

 

[Jim Wise]

Since the middle of November I have fished 15 times caught 75 chub 5 of which have been over 5lb and another 15 between 4lb and 5lb. I have been using a bolt rigged feeder and a long hair, the reason I have been using a long hair is because when using a short hair with a boilie I was not hooking the fish after increasing the length of the hair I now find I am hooking more fish. When unhooking the fish I am finding that the boilie is down in the throat whilst the hook is just into the top lip I am using a braid hair and am now convinced that the hair is mouthed and then taken to the back of the throat there is therefore no resistance until the hook follows some time later and it is too late to spit out

 

[Colin Gordon]

Hi Jim, just wondering what length hair you call "long"?
As the ideal length I found was 50mm (from the hook bend) pretty much regardless of bait size, though for big hard baits (16mm+ pellets and not boilies) I found shortening it by 4-5mm improved matters.

Also were you fishing fixed (or semi) lead or tight lined to a stiff rod.
I'm assuming that my knotless knot needs revising because 70% of hook ups were in the corner of the mouth and 15% in both top and bottom lips but because I rarely use this technique, I've never got around to experimenting with different variants of the knotless knot.

 

[Jim Wise]

Hi Colin Yes I am using it at 50mm-60mm I very rarely use Pellets for Chub. I am using semi fixed feeder and I am getting better hook ups with a stiff rod (no quiver tip) It maybe that you do not need a revised knotless knot it could just be a different hook pattern, I am using the Korum Barbless S3 which seems o.k to me

 

[Ash Gould]

This is interesting. Are you saying you have found 2inch to nearly 2 and 1/2 inch long hairs are good for chub? When bolt-rigging?

Very interesting, as I have never really used hairs when specifically targeting chub, and if I did I would use the shorter is better premise (when chubbing).

 

[Jim Wise]

I don't think they are aware of any resistance to taking in a boilie on a braid hair, it would feel like a free offering and my theory is that by the time the hook goes in it is too late to get the bait back up from the throat. Thats how I think it works I can only go on what I have found esp when we had that really cold water wnen I was finding it difficult to hook up on some of the bites I was getting without a hair/banded hook

 

[Colin Gordon]

After watching chub in crystal clear water and right under my rod tip, I observed them mouth the bait, drop it (no doubt after feeling resistance) return a couple of seconds later, if solitary fish or in low numbers they'd repeat several times and if higher numbers in swim they may only drop the bait once or twice, then BANG fish on!!

Interestingly it doesn't always have to be the same fish mouthing the bait, I guess they're building confidence off of each other and if present in numbers, they have to feed quicker or miss out.

 

[Simon King]

This is interesting. Are you saying you have found 2inch to nearly 2 and 1/2 inch long hairs are good for chub? When bolt-rigging?

Very much so. I've used both with success, but i use different hooks with long and short hairs.

 

[Matthew Collier]

I don't think they are aware of any resistance to taking in a boilie on a braid hair, it would feel like a free offering and my theory is that by the time the hook goes in it is too late to get the bait back up from the throat. Thats how I think it works I can only go on what I have found esp when we had that really cold water wnen I was finding it difficult to hook up on some of the bites I was getting without a hair/banded hook

Very interesting reading. I wonder if it would work with paste baits or whether they would simply pull the paste off before taking the hook in. Anyone bolt rig with softer baits with any success?

Matt

 

[Mic Foot]

I would suggest that if fishing with softer baits why not try side hooking as per carp fishing in the pre hair days.

Mic

 

[Tom Marshall]

I have found side hooking boilies and chops to be a good way of presenting them when targeting Chub, that said I have also had some good results using 15mm baits mounted on a Dacron hair pulled tight up against the shank of the hook. This method is preferable as the hook is not masked but it doesn’t lend itself to softer baits so well. (This is when I will side hook them)
To be honest I normally favor paste baits for targeting Chub and mount them directly on the hook, you get all the benefits of a paste bait and the hook up ratio is as good as its going to get in my opinion.


Tom.

 

[Nick Franklin]

After watching chub in crystal clear water and right under my rod tip, I observed them mouth the bait, drop it (no doubt after feeling resistance) return a couple of seconds later, if solitary fish or in low numbers they'd repeat several times and if higher numbers in swim they may only drop the bait once or twice, then BANG fish on!!

Interestingly it doesn't always have to be the same fish mouthing the bait, I guess they're building confidence off of each other and if present in numbers, they have to feed quicker or miss out.

Colin did you find when the Chub were mouthing the bait you were getting any indication on the rod top? Fishing hair rigged baits on the Stour last season I found that by sitting on my hands through all the plucks and knocks, the rod would always eventually keel over and fish on, and I reckon what was happening was what you describe above.

If I was getting indications I knew it would go eventually, but I also found that trying to strike at smaller knocks would result in emptying the swim of fish....

 

[Matthew Collier]

I have found side hooking boilies and chops to be a good way of presenting them when targeting Chub, that said I have also had some good results using 15mm baits mounted on a Dacron hair pulled tight up against the shank of the hook. This method is preferable as the hook is not masked but it doesn’t lend itself to softer baits so well. (This is when I will side hook them)
To be honest I normally favor paste baits for targeting Chub and mount them directly on the hook, you get all the benefits of a paste bait and the hook up ratio is as good as its going to get in my opinion.


Tom.

Yeah thats what I have been doing to be honest, fishing paste directly on the hook. But similar to Nick Franklin on his post, I have been getting quite a few knocks and pulls but not connecting with anything. I also fish the Stour so don't know whether there's any connection there or just coincidental. When I read Colin Gordons post it made me think but what I wasn't sure of was whether using his method with a soft bait like paste would work.

Cheers

Matt

 

[Colin Gordon]

Colin did you find when the Chub were mouthing the bait you were getting any indication on the rod top? Fishing hair rigged baits on the Stour last season I found that by sitting on my hands through all the plucks and knocks, the rod would always eventually keel over and fish on, and I reckon what was happening was what you describe above.

If I was getting indications I knew it would go eventually, but I also found that trying to strike at smaller knocks would result in emptying the swim of fish....

Yes a few knocks were registered on rod tip, most I know would've resulted in hook ups if fishing a bait on the hook.
NOT striking at the knocks is whole point of a self-hooking rig surely and as with any missed struck at bites you'll spook the fish and fishing with a long hair, your hook is so far away from the fishes mouth unless the bait has been taken fully its futile to strike and if taken fully it should hook up, self hook or nothing!
You'll also find that when a fish is hooked up it'll spook the hell out of others present in the swim. Time and place for everything, IMO the time and place for hair-rigging for chub, is where few bites are expected and the fish are fairly solitary.

Matt, I'd have no issue using a soft paste bait on a hair (unless crayfish are present), just use one of those coils or plastic Xmas tree things (paste holders).

As for using hard baits directly on the hook, this is my way:
http://www.fishingmagic.com/fishing/rigs/rigs-fixed_hair_pellet_band.html

 

[Simon King]

Yes a few knocks were registered on rod tip, most I know would've resulted in hook ups if fishing a bait on the hook.
NOT striking at the knocks is whole point of a self-hooking rig surely and as with any missed struck at bites you'll spook the fish and fishing with a long hair, your hook is so far away from the fishes mouth unless the bait has been taken fully its futile to strike and if taken fully it should hook up, self hook or nothing!
You'll also find that when a fish is hooked up it'll spook the hell out of others present in the swim. Time and place for everything, IMO the time and place for hair-rigging for chub, is where few bites are expected and the fish are fairly solitary.

QUOTE]

Can't argue with that.

I had some fairly hefty tugs on the bolt-rig last night on one rod, pulling the rig halfway across the river without a hook-up. 10 minutes after re-casting, the near-side rod went off with a hooked fish, about 4 1/2lbs.
I wouldn't mind betting it was the same one.

I feel it's the "smaller" chub that tend to do this (3 to 5lb bracket), with the bigger fish it's already hooked when you pick up the rod.

 

[Adrian Cole]

Also as I am really starting to target these fish, which bait in your opinion is likely to throw up the better quality of fish, I have tried Bread/Steak.

Maggots [flavoured] have produced my largest so far, I didn't want to go down the boilie paste route really as I wanted to catch them by design on traditional baits. What's more I wanted to also catch the largest in daylight, as all of my big ones seem only catchable during the hours of darkness, do you guys find that?

Any help in big Chub fishing info will be most welcome/appreciated!!!

Many thanks

Julian

Sweetcorn does not appear to be on your list..have you tried that? I am sure you know you can get different colours and flavours even. I believe red corn is a favourite but I used to have good results for all species using good old Green Giant soaked in a little Golden Syrup.

Cheers

Adie

 

[Simon King]

Tbh there is no such "wonder" bait for Big Chub much, as I suspect, as for bigger specimens of other species.

The only two things to consider (discounting after dark and boilies) are location and matching baits to conditions. Big chub (as big barbel) have their favourite haunts. you'll find the same individual fish coming out season after season in the same swim/stretch.

In clear conditions you can't really beat a few droppers of hemp and fishing maggot feeder on top with a very short hooklink, get the fish to compete with the larger ones bullying out the smaller. Always a good moment when you get a barbel-like wraparound and pick up the rod to strike air. Then you realise the chub has just tried to go off with the whole feeder in it's mouth.

VERY short hooklinks!

Bread best in that "green" water back end of fiining down, also over hemp.

Either way dusk is still the most likely time. (I'd say dawn too, but I can never face getting up early enough to find out?)

 

[Graham Elliott]

I'm going to just add one thing to what Simon, who is a real chub expert, said above.

Dpn't be afraid to put a VERY large piece of bread flake on the hook. I'm talking Big. I'm a great believer that sometimes big baits compensate for any trial tastings/testings.

Graham

 

[Simon King]

Absolutely Graham. Half a tin of luncheon meat.................................

And as for the number of big chub caught on both live and dead-baits (Sardine a favourite) meant for Pike...............

 

[Colin Gordon]

Do you think maggots could be successfully fished at night too, I know their effectiveness during daylight, but what about in the hours of darkness?[/FONT]

Yes, a better option in daylight though due to their lesser scent trail but will work in the dark.