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Meat fishing a nearside slack

I'll be trying it one one rod tomorrow night for sure, just need some big hooks now, I never usually fish bigger than an ESP Cryogen curve shank size 10 😆
 
Neil Blood said:
Pull a size 2 hook through the meat with a stringer needle, then turn 45 degrees. I use a soft supple hook link material, like Drennan Carp Dacron, which doesn’t act like cheese wire. Long shank hooks also help, fortunately I have a stock of the now discontinued Partridge Barbel hooks in size 2. You also don’t need to wedge anything under the hook, such as a bit of grass, as IMHO this will hinder hookups. Remember you are swinging the bait out into position, rather than a long cast. Both Spam and bacon grill work well, as they are reasonably tough baits.
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The best thing to stop the hook pulling through it a small piece a pva nugget on the bend of the hook before you pull it back into the meat, within 20 seconds of being in the water it dissolves and the bait is still on the hook and the hook is in the same position...
 
Lawrence Breakspear said:
The best thing to stop the hook pulling through it a small piece a pva nugget on the bend of the hook before you pull it back into the meat, within 20 seconds of being in the water it dissolves and the bait is still on the hook and the hook is in the same position...
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Ive never found the need Lawrence and I generally always wind an untouched piece back in, with the hook still where I placed it. As said I tend to use spam, which is quite tough and a 200 gram size tin, gives me 2 perfect sized hookbaits 👍🏻

Have you ever landed a Barbel, where it’s hooked in the mouth and it’s spat the big meat halfway up the hooklength? It’s happen on a few occasions for me (fish and meat still attached in the net) and I just can get my head around the physics, of how that actually happens 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Neil Blood said:
Ive never found the need Lawrence and I generally always wind an untouched piece back in, with the hook still where I placed it. As said I tend to use spam, which is quite tough and a 200 gram size tin, gives me 2 perfect sized hookbaits 👍🏻

Have you ever landed a Barbel, where it’s hooked in the mouth and it’s spat the big meat halfway up the hooklength? It’s happen on a few occasions for me (fish and meat still attached in the net) and I just can get my head around the physics, of how that actually happens 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Meat reacts to water temperature in both ways, a water temp of 20c can make the meat soft ( I use SPAM) whereas a water temp of below 15c hardens the meat off I don't use big meat when water temp falls below 10c, I use smaller pieces i.e. oxo cube size on a hair, the Barbel can suck the meat straight towards its back teeth...
 
Ben Marr said:
I'm always interested about this half tin of meat thing, in the sense of the Barbel must nibble bits off initially as their Gobs aren't that big?
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Big barbel will fit it in easy but you’re right in a way as sometimes they will bite the meat where the hook is and get hooked and occasionally when you land the fish you still have half your meat that has slid up the hooklink.
 
Well meat definitely sorts out the big fish.

Fished here last night:

20220917_185712.jpg



Right hand rod has the big meat in the very slow water down the edge next to some reeds.

Half of a 250g tin of Plumrose bacon grill with the sides shaved a bit so it wasn't so angular looking.

5ft coated braid hooklength with 3 swan shot on a link ledger to pin it all down. Size 4 Drennan continental boilie hook as per @Lawrence Breakspear
20220917_184008.jpg



Think we started fishing about 6pm, this rod was first one in by about 620 I think. Nothing really happened on it, no knocks or rattles until about 915.

Few rattles on the tip for about 20 seconds perked me up a bit, knew something was playing with the bait. Eventually the tip slowly went round as whatever had picked up the bait made its way off.

Picked up the rod and put my finger on the spool and gave it a firm tug to pull the hook through the meat and set it into the big fat rubbery lips of whatever took it.

Chaos ensued.

The rod absolutely tore off at some speed, I'd definitely woken this fish up. It went on about 4 or 5 runs, powering off again with a lot of splashing everytime I got it in front of me.

Eventually sensing it was netting time I put my headtorch on and picked up the net. But this was no Barbel...


Poor picture but I'd actually caught a double figure Pike on half a can of Bacon Grill 😆 rested it and weighed it and it went 10lb 9oz. A PB for me.

20220917_212803.jpg


I thought I'd ruined my swim for the evening with this beast rampaging about, and Otters cruising up and down as well I thought this would be a Barbel blank.


But ended up with a little 'un of about 7lb 5oz I think? This time on the humble boilie.

20220917_232759.jpg
 
Well done Rich.
Yes pike are certainly a big possibility on a huge lump of meat. It’s probably not far off as appealing to them as a dead roach laying there.
You were lucky to land her. I’ve been cut off on braided hook lengths a number of times they go through it like butter with them razor sharp pegs of theirs.
 
David Clewer said:
Glad someone else is catching pike on ledgered meat. I’m getting fed up with catching the things from the Hampshire Avon! Perhaps the pike boys should try it as an alternative to deadbaits in rivers?😉


Dave
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Funnily enough Pike season is right around the corner.


I will for sure try this tactic on proper Pike gear on a water near me to see if i can tempt one of the big girls.
 
Richard Dawson said:
Funnily enough Pike season is right around the corner.


I will for sure try this tactic on proper Pike gear on a water near me to see if i can tempt one of the big girls.
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I caught more pike than barbel on the meat last winter, I was surprised when I first caught one, but I figured they just live it after a few.
 
Huanzhou Zhu said:
I caught more pike than barbel on the meat last winter, I was surprised when I first caught one, but I figured they just live it after a few.
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It also happened to me in the last couple of seasons,more pike fairly hooked on meat and pellets than barbel.However not had one so far this season.
 
Mike Lane knows this method inside out-and he has caught a lot of very big barbel from the Teme over the years. Its suprising how quickly a Barbel or Chub can get a 1/4 piece down. All of the above makes a lot of sense-main thing for me is BE CONFIDENT THIS WORKS-the facts speak for themselves. Just some tips from my experience-use a stalk of grass to stop the cube being pulled off by chub/if caught in weed, rod low, bobbins to help with resistance, fish on the inside line where possible. Have caught largest Severn and Thames Barbel using this-thanks to Mike for sharing his knowledge
BW DT
 
I've been a big advocate of the big lump of spam down the edge with minimal or no loosefeed for a few years. It's having the balls and the confidence to do it, but remember that you're fishing for the big girls, not the more prolific smaller fish, quality over quantity. On most rivers I'm fishing for one bite and as I no longer play the numbers game I'm happy to wait for that one bite and put up with the blanks knowing that I'm tipping the balance of a big fish in my favour. If I occasionally want quantity I go to the Trent!
 
The two biggest Barbel I have caught at 15 plus fell to inch cubes, I believe meat is the best bait for Barbel whatever size we use, my honest feelings that using 100 gram lumps is not really for me, it just feels very clumpy. But those that do catch on this approach ...respect.
 
One of the reasons I prefer a big chunk to small piece is that if an eel finds it it can’t wolf it down in one bite. Usually takes a while unless they bite right where the hook is. The first time I ever used half a big tin of spam on the hook I ended up catching the smallest eel Iv ever caught. Probably not even 10 inch long. Only been cast out about 15 minutes and was my first bite so it must of just nibbled straight where the hook was
 
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