Readers’ Query : What bait for barbel ?
Nick wrote :
Hi Pat,
Hope you don’t mind me mailing you, have picked up your mail address from the Quest baits website. I have posted a blog along the same lines as this but I was wondering if you could recommend one of Shaun’s baits for barbel along with a pellet. I am fishing the Ouse around Bedford this year for the big girls and wanted something they have not seen before and could start putting in to get them used to it.
Any recommendations?
Many thanks,
Nick
Hi Nick
Living in Wolverhampton I am central to a number of rivers and the ones that I have fished for the last two winters (whilst using Quest) were the Lower Severn, the Upper Trent, the Warwickshire Avon and the River Dove. None of the stretches are particularly prolific but in general the average size of the fish is pretty good, although nowhere near as good as yours will be on the Ouse at Bedford.
Due to work commitments I generally get out once or twice a week in the winter (don’t usually start until October), for a session on the river, which is usually from about 1pm to 8pm.
Because of the relatively short sessions I fish, it is important to have utmost confidence in the baits you are using.
I’ve used numerous different baits over the years to try and tempt the larger barbel from the rivers, and the most successful that I have found is a combination of the special crab boilies together with the paste.
On all the rivers I fished, I have found the special crab plus boilies were equally successful whether they were in flood or at normal level.
I found the best to be a ‘whittled down’15 mil boilie wrapped in the paste with a p.v.a stringer of three half baits fished in conjunction with a pellet feeder. If roaming around with the lead I would do the same with a 6 half bait p.v.a. stringer.
I have had double figure fish (and on a couple of occasions using 2 rods, I have had 2 doubles on at the same time) on the special crab from the four rivers mentioned above and although Shaun won’t thank me for saying this (lol), all without any pre-baiting.
On a number of occasions the fish I caught were the only ones to be caught on the stretch being fished which goes to show the effectiveness of the bait. My mate used another ‘higher profiled’ companies bait and my results on the crab on average have produced 3 doubles to each of his.
The crab would be my starting point, but if it is a ‘pressurised’ stretch of river you are going to fish then I would also think about looking at something totally different such as Shaun’s Liver Bait. I have always done well for barbel in the past using liver flavourings and being as this bait is a meat based bait containing no fish meal it will be totally different to anybody else’s.
One thing that I have noticed with the use of boilies for barbel (during the winter anyway) is that personally I have found that the frozen baits far outscore the shelf life baits. I reckon this is down to the fact that frozen baits give off a better flavour leakage which helps to create a flavour trail in the current. They also take a flavour better if you want to ‘glug’ them for use in really coloured water.
Cheers,
Pat
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Tags: Lower Severn, Ouse, River Dove, Shaun’s Liver Bait, special crab boilies, Upper Trent, Warwickshire Avon
Hi Pat,
Thanks for the reply. The information you have given me is exactly what I am looking for, positive advice !
The crab sounds interesting, however this is a very pressured stretch with some huge fish in and I think the Liver would be the one to go with. Crab is a popular flavour and I suspect the likes of Monster Crab from another stable will have been used. I also note that the pellets are made from the the same mix ingredients as the boilies and would be ideal for inclusion in bags and feeders.
I have to say Pat that I am very, very impressed with the quick and concise response you have given me. Shaun has obviously put together a team that will take him to the forefront of the modern bait scene. I for one am now converted and will be giving at least one of the baits a go for the coming season, just hope no one else who fishes the stretch is reading this……….. I may well lose a vital edge !!
many thanks,
Nick
Hi Nick
I can also vouch for the special crab boilies for barbel - coupled with the same Maximum Action Pellets. I have caught double figure barbel from the Trent using single or double 15mm freezer baits with a small PVA mesh bag of the pellets attached to the rig. Barbel take to this bait instantly - I have never pre-baited with them and have still caught. If there are carp in the areas you fish, as there are in the Trent, then they like the Crab boilies just as much!
If I’ve wanted extra attraction around the hook bait I’ve always used trout pellet paste before. Pat has got me thinking about using the Special Crab paste more though and I’ll definitely give that a try this year.
Cheers
Elie G
Hi Elie,
Thanks for the reply. Pat has also got me thinking big time about the baits, its interesting to note how instant these baits can be. I cannot wait for the new season to arrive to start trying something out. The combination of boilies, pellet and matching paste gives me all the ammo I need.
Thanks again,
Nick
I have had a few correspondence with Nick on this subject and here are a couple of his comments:
Pat,
I am really impressed with your responses. It is refreshing to have a bait manufacturer that actually has people on board that take the time to even respond, unlike many !
Hi Pat,
I have stuck two comments on the bait blog, one for yours and one Elie’s.
Lots of praise, the more I look at the site the more I like it !
Thanks for your time,
Nick
Pat/Elie,
The responses I had from both yourself and Elie were no ”holds barred” type replies. So refreshing not to have to decifer the response to get through the ”whats being hidden, not telling all” syndrome you get from some.
Your advice was not only informative but included tactics as well. Definately provoking food for thought.
The website I think is absolutely brilliant, both from the presentation side and the information side of things. If anyone out there is reading this and you want to ask something then fire away, don’t be afraid with these guys !
Wish you all the best of luck,
Nick