Strange Hookbaits....

[John Care]

I believe Roger Carswell, the Angling God of Shrewsbury, caught a double on a piece of banana a couple of seasons ago.

 

[Paul Wilkinson]

Many years ago with a couple of friends, we would go and fish the river wharfe and stop in tadcaster for our day tickets, then stand on the bridge and feed chub and the odd barbel with pieces of mars bar, I’ve also caught skimmers on my local river don on dolly mixtures.

 

[Alex Gowney]

A friend of mine once caught a big Cherwell barbel on a gooseberry

 

[Keith Humphreys]

German Cooking | German Food Guide

There is no one way to define German cooking. Each region in Germany has its own specialties and variations.

germanfoodguide.com

Have been eating these from Lidl for a while. Very tasty and I'm pretty sure they'd make a good Barbel bait. The mini ones are about 1" in diameter or the others are about the same size as a small thick hamburger.
Cheap too.

I've eaten thousands over the years whilst based in Germany and they are delicious but really nothing more than a hand made burger, but ask yourself this, why have I never used a Hamburger as bait (cooked) they have to work don't they?

 

[Richard Brown]

I am trying tinned spuds for Carp .
I remember years ago , the big Medway Barbel Bertie ? was caught on a dead minnow , I was it a gudgeon?

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Yes , dead minnow works , caught a couple of Yorkshire Ouse barbel using this bait many years a go .

 

[Mike Thompson]

Not tried it on rivers, but maltloaf works really well for tench on still waters, and imitation blood worm has hooked me tench, crucians and chub.

 

[Richard Booty]

Oddest thing I've seen was someone pouring hot water into a flask and 'warming' their luncheon meat in a baitbox before putting it on the hair. Not sure whether they were trying to encourage the oil seepage, to get an edge by having a bait that was a warmer than the surrounding water (presumably for a matter of seconds), or whether they had simply escaped their care-nurse for the day.

 

[Terry Simner]

I believe Roger Carswell, the Angling God of Shrewsbury, caught a double on a piece of banana a couple of seasons ago.

That man could catch on a dog turd

 

[Trevor Brown]

He’s been having barbel on bread recently whilst chub fishing (also some monster chub).....brilliant angler

 

[Trevor Brown]

A few years ago my Son had a barbel on a sardine dead bait intended for pike on the Severn,not foul hooked but fair and square in the mouth,also a friend did ok using small chunks of lamprey

 

[John Care]

That man could catch on a dog turd

Don't give him ideas Terry. They sold out of bananas on that weekend in Shrewsbury.....

 

[Nick Coulthurst]

Had a few barbel on Nutrabaits Trigga, which contained god knows what. Goose sh*t and minced intestines would be my best guess.

 

[Ian Lovett]

In the early 90s I caught a few barbel on float fished tares when roach fishing. One day I decided to try tare with the feeder. I cut slots in a block end feeder, filed it with hemp seed and put a tare on the hook and caught lots of barbel to 6lb plus. This was on the Trent. I was a keen match angler at the time and always carried hemp and tares with me. One day I drew a rubbish peg on the upper Trent at Willington. It was very shallow and fast and all I could catch were minnows. Eventually, I had a few small (12oz) barbel on a maggot feeder. It went dead so I filled the feeder with hemp seed and put a tare on the hook. The response was instant catching barbel to 4lb plus and winning with over 41lb. I didn't dare tell anyone I used tare on the feeder. People were amazed enough by me winning from that peg! Made me nearly £300 if I remember correctly.
Well last year I tried tare on the feeder again on the Trent. Blanked. I will try it again one day. Maybe not! I am having my best season ever for big fish. On pellets or boilies.

 

[Mark Swaby]

I was trying to avoid Barbel whilst targeting some very big Roach on a very prolific shallow stretch of the Lea. I wondered if Elderberry could be the answer. The float never stopped going under, they even took on the drop in 3ft of water. Eighteen Barbel and no Roach later that idea was scrapped.

 

[Rob Weldon]

The old Yorkshire Derwent river record,which stood for many years,was reputedly caught on a Yorkshire pudding

 

[Mike Thompson]

Presumably in a swim directly behind a pub, just after lunch ?, by a Lancastrian.

 

[Paul Collins]

He’s been having barbel on bread recently whilst chub fishing (also some monster chub).....brilliant angler

When I first started fishing the Kennet late 60s one of the most successful anglers used nothing but bread for the Barbel. Usually huge lumps of crust, say 3-4" square .
Not unusual to get the odd Barbel trotting bread for Roach on the Lea.

 

[Rob Weldon]

You got the swim right Mike

 

[Ian Grant]

I the days when i used meat, any left over sausages always went in my bait bucket, I forgot my bait bucket once , which had my hook baits in too, but i had 4 sausauge rolls in my sandwich box, so stripped the pastry off and used the sausage, it didn't take long to get a take !