What bait?

[Harry H]

While different species of fish will take the same bait if you wanted to target a specific species what bait would you use for what fish?
I think that makes sense

[Tengisgol]

I think I’d start by saying a can of worms!

[Dave Burr]

I think I’d start by saying a can of worms!

Sharp Phil, very sharp

[Old Man River]

I seem to remember reading about an exotic bait called "Bullocks Pith " many years ago, not exactly sure what it was though, or how it was prepared sounds like maybe it had something to do with bone marrow ?

Quite which fish were targetted using said bait, I do not know..

far easier to buy a tin of Spam methinks.


OMR

Just off "a googling " now, to make BP investigations.

Quick edit, just found this .

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-th ... hing-baits

OMR

[Tengisgol]

I think I’d start by saying a can of worms!

Sharp Phil, very sharp

I just got there in front of you Dave.

[Snape]

I seem to remember reading about an exotic bait called "Bullocks Pith " many years ago, not exactly sure what it was though, or how it was prepared sounds like maybe it had something to do with bone marrow ?

Quite which fish were targetted using said bait, I do not know..

From The New Encyclopaedia of coarse fishing baits by Colin Graham.
Bullock's Pith was a bait for chub.

[Tengisgol]

I know you can catch almost any fish on it, even pike if you retrieve it quickly enough, but for me...

bread and roach are just synonymous...

[Snape]

Tares for roach
Wasp grubs for chub
Live minnow for perch

[Vole]

Blue cheese is probably the only species-specific bait I can think of, chub adore it, everything else backs off, coughing (I did have one barbel on it. Poor thing probably had a bad cold. And I have watched minnows pecking at it, but I'm blowed if I'm going to try Danablu on a size 24 just to make a point).

Hemp and tares, intended for roach (with a welcome by-catch of chub likely) have accounted for my best two perch. Neither needed the disgorger, which puts them at the head of my favourite perch baits.
Mussel in Summer and bread in Winter are my starting baits to see what's around, anything soft-mouthed will go for them.
Wheat is another that's good for a mixed bag, whether you started out after roach, barbel or carp...
Smelt usually only yields pike, but I have had a perch take one.
Sweetcorn for a nice, restful blank.

[Dave Burr]

I think that if it's edible pretty much any fish will eat anything. I've had or have witness roach, bream, trout, eels and pike on cheese paste for example. Maybe not Snape's toxic blue cheese creation but I add to most of my cheese pastes, blue cheese flavour.

Short of a whole herring or mackerel for pike I cannot think of any single species bait - but I'll ponder for a while yet...