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Should I strike before the baitrunner goes off??

Wayne Glossop

Wayne Glossop

Senior Member
Hi all, hope I can get some advice as I'm quite confused Iv just got back from a few hours fishing a local river with not much flow, and i can't help but think about the good tugs/bites Iv had and if I should have struck at them the bites or tugs was more or less on the brink of making my baitrunner go daft but then the rod would drop back to it's set position I'm using a running ledger the weight of the ledger is ample but is there something I'm doing wrong or is it just the wise old barbel clicking on to it? My baitrunner is set very soft. But I didnt want to strike and spook the barbel and end up with nothing but at the same time I dint want to wait for the baitrunner in case the knocks was a true bite Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks
 
Could Chub not be the culprit?
Fish a tight baitrunner and wait for the rod to go round and stay round only then strike.

If that fails look at your hooklink, separation between bait and hook assuming you are using a hair, also are your hooks nice and sharp?


Tom.
 
Dare I suggest it...use a pin (with a strongish line check), then when that starts spinning, be it a barbel or a kamikaze chub at least its hooked. When the bite only pulls the rod, but doesn't set the reel spinning, its a chub. Far easier.
 
If you're fishing the hair, you shouldn't need to strike at all.

My suggestion, as others is to wait untill it goes round and keeps going. the culprit could be barbel but more likely chub and/or eels.

If you keep striking then you are very likely to spook whatever it is.

Good luck,

Regards,
Jeff
 
I have thought about my tactic and I think the hair and hook are set right Iv got about 5mm between pellet and hook. The distance between the hook and the running lead is about 2ft at a guess but I might switch to the fixed ledger I have had a few decent barbel fishing like I am from the same river so perhaps it's me just wanting it to be a colossal whip round like the typical barbel. Maybe I should go back tonight and have a bit of a trial and error session.
 
It sounds like Chub to me.

IMO, you have two choices.... If you just want to catch Barbel, then stick with your set up and sit on your hands. Wait till the rod goes rounds and keeps going.

If you want to find out what is giving you the indications, try fishing a quivver tip with something like paste or bread.
You will still catch Barbel, if that's what they are, but I suspect you may find they are 2lb Chub.....


Steve
 
Depends what Bait your fishing in my opinion. If your fishing small baits, 8mm pellets, hemp, castor, maggot etc on the hook then its most likely chub plucking at the bait. If your using large baits then its probably warey barbel picking up the bait and testing it for resistance.
 
Steve Williams said:
It sounds like Chub to me.

IMO, you have two choices.... If you just want to catch Barbel, then stick with your set up and sit on your hands. Wait till the rod goes rounds and keeps going.

If you want to find out what is giving you the indications, try fishing a quivver tip with something like paste or bread.
You will still catch Barbel, if that's what they are, but I suspect you may find they are 2lb Chub.....


Steve
Click to expand...

Sound advice that!
 
Philip Howes said:
Depends what Bait your fishing in my opinion. If your fishing small baits, 8mm pellets, hemp, castor, maggot etc on the hook then its most likely chub plucking at the bait. If your using large baits then its probably warey barbel picking up the bait and testing it for resistance.
Click to expand...

I get as many chub "knocks" using big baits, i.e. bigger than 25mm as I do using small baits, chub have huge mouths and have a real habit of "testing" baits.......

Steve's advice is spot on, unless you want to catch chub, then you could shorten the hair right up, shorten the hooklength and reduce the weight of lead used.

If you are fishing a single rod, you are better not putting the bait runner on, if fishing two, set it fairly tight so the fish is hooked by the time it starts taking line.
 
I do a fair bit of touch legering at dusk with hooks buried in luncheon meat. Something I've come to realise is that many of the little plucks and rattles are in fact barbel and I now strike at anything that feels like a proper take. I hit more than I miss long before the rod whacks around.
 
Hi all,
I agree with Gavin, not all chub plucks are chub just like not all 4ft pulls are barbel.
Most of my fish last yeah never pulled the rod over.

Rich
 
That's fantastic lads helped me out loads and put my mind at ease. I did half suspect chub but i think I was just trying to convince my self it's a big educated barbel as goes for bait I'm using 12mm halibut however i have caught chub on the same rig probably with a shorter hooklength. So I think as steve says sit on my hands and wait till the colossal barbel takes my lovely halibut pellet.
 
best advice isnot to fish a baitrunner at all. Only use it if your not directly on your rods.
 
Tend to agree , unless you are sleeping on the job, using alarms etc , I can see no need for the baitrunner reel for barbel fishing other than a safety device ,i.e.f you get a take when you are away from your rod for a call of nature . For this reason alone I think they serve a useful purpose
 
I agree, I only use the BR facility when Barbel fishing if I am rummaging in my bag or using the loo. I also keep my hand on the rod when fishing with the line over my finger. After a while you get used to knowing what to strike at and what to leave alone. I had a session last week on the W. Avon where Chub were pulling the bait but not taking the hook. I wanted a Barbel so didn't strike. Unfortunately, no Barbel turned up.
 
ive had this many times on the severn near me, rattle rattle, big pull, pull,.....wait...........................then the rods bent over & bait runner sreaming off.................................bl**dy eels.
 
Have to agree with Gavin on this. Had lots of chub bites this season that I didn't think were chub, just cagey barbel. Struck at a few when I could, as did others I was fishing with and made contact with a few barbel. On one day I waited for the rod top to wrap round with all these sharp pulls and it never did!
 
I thought the idea of the baitrunner is that the fish hooks itself and then you strike as a way of an indicator I suppose but also on the other hand IMO I need the baitrunner on because Iv got two rods set up and theres been quite a few times where both rods have gone at the same time I just think it's a more precise way of fishing and a more guarantee of fish.
 
Nathan Walter said:
Have to agree with Gavin on this. Had lots of chub bites this season that I didn't think were chub, just cagey barbel. Struck at a few when I could, as did others I was fishing with and made contact with a few barbel. On one day I waited for the rod top to wrap round with all these sharp pulls and it never did!
Click to expand...

Hi Nathan - difficult experiment to carry out and to have confidence in the results, I would say, as two days can be very different. I can't help thinking that if you left them, they'd develop into a 3ft twitch. Only conjecture, obviously, as we'll never know but barbel aren't shy.
 
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