groundbaits

Still feels a long time before the start of the season and so thought would ask a number of questions really, what groundbait do you think barbel prefer or do they just want pellets ? Thinking have you noticed any preference for type of groundbait or colour or both either in the summer or winter ? does depth of river being fished affect the answer ?

Interesting question, I shall impart my views though they may differ from others. Pellets are a great attractor for barbel, as with most fish species. Personally I think ground baiting for barbel is an important part in the modern approach to specimen angling. Ground baits send out food signals without giving them actual food, so that they will eat your food offerings, be it boilies, paste maggots etc. Personally I have been looking into ground baits for barbel for quite a long time now, and my conclusion is that no matter what flavour bait you are using as a hook bait, barbel are really interested in ground baits with a milky, creamy toffee type flavour. Needless to say I have already designed a groundbait and matching flavour activator which combines these flavours but with the addition of chocolate as well .

never mind the barbel I was salavating reading the reply ! Hope your going to be bringing some to the barbel society show in June for the undercounter customers , ha ha Presume you do a boilie to match that groundbait as well ?
interestingly in ireland with the increase in water clarity you now seem to fair better with a dark groundbait on the darker lake bottoms with the fish settling better than on the more traditional light coloured sensas bream 3000 type mixes ?
with barbel mainly being on a gravel/ sand type bottom therefore would a lighter groundbait still be more appropriate in the often clear summer water conditions ?
Barbel sometimes seem to have a preference for a red bait, so would a red groundbait be more attractive ?

Yes I have made a few test batches of matching boilies that have been used to good effect by fellow testers Mark and Jerry. I will bring some along to the show for you but it will not be available commercially until we are all happy with the field test results. The groundbait is brown and also includes boilie particles as well so it has a bit of weight to it.

appreciate the offer, kindly accepted !
Sticking with the groundbaits, any view on if colour has an impact as opposed to flavour ?

Boilie crumb along with chopped boilie and mini pellets seems to do a good job introduced in mesh bags,or maybe the heavy type mix that Darren mentions on a method feeder would be worth a try..I must admit though that sweet/ creamy/ chocolate type flavours were not what i associated with barbel but after speaking to Darren and using his products it has opened my eyes

thats really interesting, are you suggesting the bags / method feeders because you are looking at shallow water or you feel they are more appropriate to deep water/ any water than a swimfeeder ? Thinking here on the Trent a 4-6oz feeder isn't uncommon dependant upon water conditions, i suspect a bag would be half way out to sea rather than leaving a trail in the area ? This is only based upon watching dvd's such as Bob Roberts or the up close and personal ones rather than me trying them ?
rgds

Hiya Nottsbarbel.

Yes i suppose that i am looking at smaller rivers with the method that i describe though a heavy stiff groundbait on a method feeder surely would work? Maybe a heavy groundbait mix or some vitalin laced with hemp or pellets or crushed boilies would do the trick?

Be Lucky
John

Hi John, not seen vitalin suggested for barbel before, bream yes but not barbel ? Is this something you find works better than a groundbait plugged feeder with a pellet sandwich filling in the middle ?

rgds
graham

I have used the vitalin balled in before, i have made it a bit finer with the korda krusha added some hemp and small pellets to it then mixed it up with some river water and hemp oil, introduced a couple of balls into the areas i intended fishing and fished a straight lead with a boilie over the top...Not a great fan of the feeder as i dont like to cast to often when after barbel..

John

great tip re the korda crusha, have you ever tried the ball it in approach with a straight lead over the top on the Trent or a similar river ?
RE feeder From my own experiences I have found that it actually varies in terms of casting frequency, some days they seem to want a regular cast to stimulate them into feeding yet on other days they don't want the 6oz feeder regularly on their heads but prefer that the bait has been in the water for 30-40 mins before they will touch it ? Tend to start with the regular casting and if bites don't appear promptly after casting increase the gap between casts until i find the time they prefer packing the feeder tighter as i increase the time its in ?
Have fancied balling it in and then treat it as a bait and wait approach but never got round to it. The urge to cast in has always proved too tempting once on the bank, ha ha Maybe i'm missing a trick as the let them get comfy over a bed of casters and hemp for an hour before making your first cast seems a popular choice with a number of well known anglers ?
rgds graham

I used to use groundbait on every trip to the Trent before i started experimenting a couple of years ago. Last season i rarely used it and noticed the ratio of bream to barbel & chub that i caught decreased dramatically after i stopped using it which is a positive for me.
Last season my best results came from plain old skrettings i had flavoured with various flavours and oils and then scalded on the bank with boiling water crammed into a feeder with crushed up boilies and hemp fishing glugged pellets and boilies on the hook.
I'm really excited about fishing this same bait method this season incorporating some flavours and baits Darren has made up for me to test as i think the results will be very good based on the flavours i was using last season with great success.
It's all about experimentation and finding something that works for you but more importantly that you have confidence in because being on the bank knowing the bait your using will put fish on the bank is half the battle won in my opinion.

really good answer ! One of my friends who regularly fishes the Trent and catches more than his fair share also believes in the scalded pellets soaked in oil rather than plugged with groundbait approach. His logic is its like a giant pellet with a reasonably fast break down time beacuase of the small pellets pushed together scenario.
Like your good self i'm coming round to half the battle is having confidence in what you are using, don't know why, unless it means you don't keep faffing around making unnecessary changes but concentrate more on how often you cast or the rate the feed comes out of the feeder ? Maybe they have more of an impact in stimulating fish to feed than the actual bait itself ?
Have found hooklength can also sometimes have an impact especially under clear water conditions ?
Glugs bit of a new area for me, do you find the matching pellets, boilies and dip a logical approach or a specific glug regardles of the other components is more effective ?
rgds
graham