Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

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Santiago
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Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Santiago »

I plan to go barbel fishing over the course of the summer and would like some advice on choice of traditional bait to use in hot weather.

I will be quiver tipping for them in deep water so will not be sight fishing or trotting for them!

Alternatives I know about are corn, lob worm, meat, and cheese paste; but I'm not sure if cheese paste (stilton etc) makes a good summer bait!
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

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Bumble
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Bumble »

Get yourself a loaf of hovis doorstep pinch one corner of the crust off and flatten it I push it down with my thumb against me knee. Use a simple link ledger about 4inches from the hook, size 4, push the hook through once a turn 180 decrees and push back in the crust.
This will now pop up nicely just off the bottom, as an alternative wrap your cheese paste around the crust and move the weight up the line so it's about 14 inches from the hook you now have a balanced bait.
Give it try it might be surprised.
Bumble

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Hovis
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Hovis »

BF where are you fishing and what else will be in the river? As this will have a big effect on bait choice
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Santiago
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Santiago »

BW it's on the Thames and in a place where I'm currently catching big bream on corn, not that I mind catching bream but my friend caught double figure barbel here last year. The water is about 12' deep with a slow/medium flow, and the bottom is all gravel.

I do'nt know if the barbel are back yet, but want the best bait to tempt them if they are!
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

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Hovis
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Hovis »

BF,

If bream are in there you will struggle to get through them, on some sections of the Trent I had to “resort” to fishing 2X20mm bait but I was still catching bream down to 4-5lb on these! :shocked:

I would recommend fishing a paste wrap over something like spam, I used to fry my in chilli and turmeric before and found this upped the results. When I say I was fishing big bait I mean BIG! Anything up to 40mmx40mm! I have also used Shaun paste wraps with some success.
http://www.questbaits.com/results.php?category=2

Hope this helps. I think that if you are catching the bream the barbel will follow at some point although like on any river some areas will hold more than others.

Hope this helps
I have laid aside business, and gone a'fishing.

Izaak Walton

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Santiago
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Santiago »

Thanks BW, I've known the barbel bully the bream out so I'm kind of hoping this will happen again, and I'm relying on a big carpet of hemp to bring the barbel in. That said, I'm quite happy catching big bream so long as skimmers keep away, not because I see them as a pest but because they are so delicate when young.
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

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Hovis
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Hovis »

I agree but when they move in in numbers the can sure eat some bait!

I buy 15KG sacks of hemp and cook then freeze it to keep the cost down but on the river my standard mix always includes vitalin and groats as well as standard brown crumb to bind it together they are all really and can be prepped relatively rapidly. Maybe this is something you might consider?
I have laid aside business, and gone a'fishing.

Izaak Walton

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Santiago
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Santiago »

I bought a 20kg sack last year very cheap and will buy more when it runs out. I use an old army mess tin that I've fashioned into a massive bait dropper and row out in my punt to drop the bait in so I can guarantee the bait is where I want it to be. When the mess tin hits the bottom all the feed falls out and I can deliver about a pint of feed (hemp and cheap corn) per drop. A friend copied this technique and started catching many more barbel. On Monday night my son was casting to the heavily baited spot and caught 7 big bream in 90 minutes, whereas his friend was casting just downstream of this spot with a similar rig and didn't have a bite. They baited up a bit tight for me, perhaps that's why one caught and the other blanked. I prefer to bait up a line about 30' long and to cast over it so the feeder settles on the line or near it! My friend uses meat for the barbel in this spot so perhaps I'll try that!
"....he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy"

Hemingway

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Shaun Harrison
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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Shaun Harrison »

Remember to include some larger bits of bait the same as you will be using on the hook or else they may pre-occupy themselves on the seed. On big bait amongst it screams out danger at times.

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Re: Best traditional summer bait for Barbel

Post by Dave Burr »

Good call Shaun, I'd suggest some large baits like meat, paste or dare I say, boilie. These will stop skimmers from having your bait should they move in, the harder the bait the better so that it can't be whittled down. I've watched bream on the Bristol Avon and the only way to get them out of the swim was to catch them, the barbel didn't bully those but they did see off the chub.

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