A few of my lads were chatting recently and I was trying to get to the bottom of what type of hookbait is used the most. What do you look for in a hookbait? Who out there likes the cork ball food bait type ones, who likes a bright and buoyant 12 miller and who still uses cured bottom baits?
Last year I was still catching on pop ups but i had some big bits on small dull matching ones when the bright ones were being avoided. This winter I have had some really good results on little bright ones again. Did everyone else notice the same?
Last year I was still catching on pop ups but i had some big bits on small dull matching ones when the bright ones were being avoided. This winter I have had some really good results on little bright ones again. Did everyone else notice the same?
In reply to Post #1
must admit, if im using pop ups i only use two colours
white and yellow.
i always use barrels, 16mm
bottom baits, i just use straight out the bag of my chosen freebies
must admit, if im using pop ups i only use two colours
white and yellow.
i always use barrels, 16mm
bottom baits, i just use straight out the bag of my chosen freebies
In reply to Post #2
Bottom baits straight out of the bag every time if the situation permits. Every other bait in the swim is hard on the bottom, why stick something alien out there amongst it? If I'm fishing singles then its a different matter and bright pop-ups or zigs come in to their own.
Bottom baits straight out of the bag every time if the situation permits. Every other bait in the swim is hard on the bottom, why stick something alien out there amongst it? If I'm fishing singles then its a different matter and bright pop-ups or zigs come in to their own.
In reply to Post #3
my aliens appear to work ok
my aliens appear to work ok
In reply to Post #4
No denying they work in some/ most situations mate, its just I found myself going down the rabbit hole regarding hookbaits. Always been a big fan of bog standard bottom baits, great that hardly anyone uses them any more
No denying they work in some/ most situations mate, its just I found myself going down the rabbit hole regarding hookbaits. Always been a big fan of bog standard bottom baits, great that hardly anyone uses them any more
In reply to Post #5
What about plastic hookbaits? Straight from the packet or modified with liquids?
What about plastic hookbaits? Straight from the packet or modified with liquids?
In reply to Post #1
Depends on the way you fish and situations you face.
For about the last 5 years or so I have been using a lot of particle and they feed different over the mass seeds than they would over whole boilies, so for me a bottom bait was best, sometimes I added a small amount of buoyancy and also tipped with colour.
Last season bright yellows worked well as I had corn in the mix, but I also had fish on whites, reds, orange, pink the lot!
Start of Autumn I switched to black and had a nice run of fish before returning to yellow towards the end of Autumn.
Definitely something in it but I cant seem to make head nor tails of it!
Depends on the way you fish and situations you face.
For about the last 5 years or so I have been using a lot of particle and they feed different over the mass seeds than they would over whole boilies, so for me a bottom bait was best, sometimes I added a small amount of buoyancy and also tipped with colour.
Last season bright yellows worked well as I had corn in the mix, but I also had fish on whites, reds, orange, pink the lot!
Start of Autumn I switched to black and had a nice run of fish before returning to yellow towards the end of Autumn.
Definitely something in it but I cant seem to make head nor tails of it!
In reply to Post #6
When I was allowed to fish them it was straight from the packet for me.
When I was allowed to fish them it was straight from the packet for me.
In reply to Post #7
I think that the pressure cycle is the biggest factor. I have watched so many carp avoid bright baits but on lightly fished venues I have witnessed them swim over freebies to take them first! It Is why I always have 4/5 different hookbaits with me on each new venue I go to. I fish bottom baits the least as I can hardly ever guarantee the lakebed is appropriate to fish them. A 20mm bottom bait is a very effective hooker though.
Last week I caught a lovely mid 30 that I watched focus on my bright hookbait from about 3 metres away. It bypassed all the crumb and pellets and went straight for my rig. Visibility is clearly the factor that makes a difference at times. The linch hill fish avoided them like the plague in the edge at times!
I think that the pressure cycle is the biggest factor. I have watched so many carp avoid bright baits but on lightly fished venues I have witnessed them swim over freebies to take them first! It Is why I always have 4/5 different hookbaits with me on each new venue I go to. I fish bottom baits the least as I can hardly ever guarantee the lakebed is appropriate to fish them. A 20mm bottom bait is a very effective hooker though.
Last week I caught a lovely mid 30 that I watched focus on my bright hookbait from about 3 metres away. It bypassed all the crumb and pellets and went straight for my rig. Visibility is clearly the factor that makes a difference at times. The linch hill fish avoided them like the plague in the edge at times!
In reply to Post #5
Straight out of the bag for me as well.
Straight out of the bag for me as well.
In reply to Post #9
How do you get to see what's happening around the area you're fishing in such detail?
How do you get to see what's happening around the area you're fishing in such detail?
I've never had much success with pop ups - although I have never used them to a great extent and subsequently lack concidence in them.
I use straight from the bag or occasionally a wafter jf there is a lot of crap on the bottom. As previously mentioned, all of the other food is on the bottom so to me it makes sense to put my hookbait there too.
I use straight from the bag or occasionally a wafter jf there is a lot of crap on the bottom. As previously mentioned, all of the other food is on the bottom so to me it makes sense to put my hookbait there too.
straight out of the bag or a wafter that matches the freebies, but also coloured wafters.
Can be good to have different colour on each rod sometimes as i have seen them prefer a particular colour one day and different the next
Can be good to have different colour on each rod sometimes as i have seen them prefer a particular colour one day and different the next
Because I use soft freebaits every hookbait I use is made separately. This is the case for plain hook baits with added egg albumin and Whey gel, wafters with egg albumin, Whey gel and pop up mix or full on pop ups. I know I'm binding the surface so add extra liquid attractors to overcome this.
Pop ups are usually pop up mix, Cork granules and some powdered additives to match the main basemix plus coloured to match as close as I can. I will also make some pop ups in a bright colour but if I have got my basemix right I don't expect them to outfish the plain ones.
Pop ups are usually pop up mix, Cork granules and some powdered additives to match the main basemix plus coloured to match as close as I can. I will also make some pop ups in a bright colour but if I have got my basemix right I don't expect them to outfish the plain ones.
Dumbbell wafters most of the time or straight out the bag bottom bait
In reply to Post #1
Pop ups for 99% of my fishing. Cork ball food baits summer and autumn. Bright buoyant proper jobs for winter and spring.
Pop ups for 99% of my fishing. Cork ball food baits summer and autumn. Bright buoyant proper jobs for winter and spring.
In reply to Post #1
All-sorts. Popups are my cork balls, specialised crunched forms or cork balls or shillhams bright ones, bottom baits are hardened versions of my own baits, always either dumbbells or double round ones (round single bottom baits are too easy for fish to deal with imo) ,never fake baits (should be banned imo)
All-sorts. Popups are my cork balls, specialised crunched forms or cork balls or shillhams bright ones, bottom baits are hardened versions of my own baits, always either dumbbells or double round ones (round single bottom baits are too easy for fish to deal with imo) ,never fake baits (should be banned imo)
In reply to Post #5
totally agree mate, re bottom baits the same as free offerings.
most of the time, i fish very silty water and the pop up hookbait is more of a presentation confidence for me.
The times i do fish rock hard bottoms i prefer straight out the bag mate
totally agree mate, re bottom baits the same as free offerings.
most of the time, i fish very silty water and the pop up hookbait is more of a presentation confidence for me.
The times i do fish rock hard bottoms i prefer straight out the bag mate
In reply to Post #11
The lake recently is 4 foot deep, crystal clear and has perfect viewpoints in most swims. The fish are easily spooked due to this. Very exciting to watch
The lake recently is 4 foot deep, crystal clear and has perfect viewpoints in most swims. The fish are easily spooked due to this. Very exciting to watch
In reply to Post #19
I remember when you needed a pop up you would make it as near identical as your freebies, using a polyball inside was the favourite. Then people started dipping their hookbaits and then came the trend of fishing your hookbait completely different to your freebies.
Wherever possible I still prefer straight out of the packet though.
I remember when you needed a pop up you would make it as near identical as your freebies, using a polyball inside was the favourite. Then people started dipping their hookbaits and then came the trend of fishing your hookbait completely different to your freebies.
Wherever possible I still prefer straight out of the packet though.
In reply to Post #21
yeah, i used to be so paranoid about the hook bait being exactly the same as poss when using it popped up, so drilling the centres out etc was my preferred method...
These days, i've soon realised i was over complicating it and it was pointless
yeah, i used to be so paranoid about the hook bait being exactly the same as poss when using it popped up, so drilling the centres out etc was my preferred method...
These days, i've soon realised i was over complicating it and it was pointless
In reply to Post #7
I honestly had this written at 6am this morning but didnt press submit, when I just read this thread I could hardly believe my eyes.........
Lockdown question........It seems nowadays that a smaller hookbait size is prefered, or is it, whats your prefered/goto hookbait size, and do you use the same size loose feedbait?
I always used to use 18mm up until 4 years ago, since then I've prefered a 14 & 16mm mix for feed, then alternate for the hair, 14mm bottom bait wrapped in matching paste or a 16mm matching homemade wafter/pop up.
Sometimes bait company's only do 15mm or 18mm in shelflife, Baitworks for example, in which case I'll use 15mm all round.
I honestly had this written at 6am this morning but didnt press submit, when I just read this thread I could hardly believe my eyes.........
Lockdown question........It seems nowadays that a smaller hookbait size is prefered, or is it, whats your prefered/goto hookbait size, and do you use the same size loose feedbait?
I always used to use 18mm up until 4 years ago, since then I've prefered a 14 & 16mm mix for feed, then alternate for the hair, 14mm bottom bait wrapped in matching paste or a 16mm matching homemade wafter/pop up.
Sometimes bait company's only do 15mm or 18mm in shelflife, Baitworks for example, in which case I'll use 15mm all round.
In reply to Post #22
Never got on with drilling, it was unreliable, the polyball method I used was when I was making my own.
Around that time I was into crucially balanced baits but I gave up, decided there was no point having baits wafting around dragging the hook and picking up crap.
Prefer on the bottom but if it needs to be popped up then it needs to be proper popped up.
Never got on with drilling, it was unreliable, the polyball method I used was when I was making my own.
Around that time I was into crucially balanced baits but I gave up, decided there was no point having baits wafting around dragging the hook and picking up crap.
Prefer on the bottom but if it needs to be popped up then it needs to be proper popped up.
In reply to Post #24
Someone told me pop ups had blown last year, they hadn't of course but this guy was adamant they wouldn't work! He netted a few of my fish and saw the little 12mm round brown pop up and the next time I saw him he had pop ups on all 3 rods (and caught). Paste wrapped bottom baits was a favourite of mine on certain venues and like the added attraction of a non boiled paste
Someone told me pop ups had blown last year, they hadn't of course but this guy was adamant they wouldn't work! He netted a few of my fish and saw the little 12mm round brown pop up and the next time I saw him he had pop ups on all 3 rods (and caught). Paste wrapped bottom baits was a favourite of mine on certain venues and like the added attraction of a non boiled paste
In reply to Post #22
I'd been out of it for a whilst - when did “match the hatch” become a thing? It used to be alternative hookbait, rather than a “matching” one being something different.
I only use pop ups when I really have to, prefer paste wrapped std bottom baits/snowmen most of the time. Top bait of the snowman might be something bright/different as we cant use plastic baits any more. But only have 2 “alternative” pop ups otherwise you can end up chasing your tail with all the different makes/flavours out there. Find something that works for you, and use it lots!
Speaking of match the hatch, anyone know where I can find a hatch of Hi-Nu-Val with the addits, would make me a fortune!
I'd been out of it for a whilst - when did “match the hatch” become a thing? It used to be alternative hookbait, rather than a “matching” one being something different.
I only use pop ups when I really have to, prefer paste wrapped std bottom baits/snowmen most of the time. Top bait of the snowman might be something bright/different as we cant use plastic baits any more. But only have 2 “alternative” pop ups otherwise you can end up chasing your tail with all the different makes/flavours out there. Find something that works for you, and use it lots!
Speaking of match the hatch, anyone know where I can find a hatch of Hi-Nu-Val with the addits, would make me a fortune!
In reply to Post #1
Bottom bait - 24mm or 2 x 24mm donkey chokers ( round,barrel or sausage snapped)
- Snowman either 2 bottom baits drilled with cork or a pop up.
- Single or double tiger drilled with cork (favourite presentation)
- wild waters I use stringers with plastic corn in between the tigers
- Kryston bogey hemp ball roughly 20mm big
Pop up - Hinged rig with a 12,15 or bigger if the **** boxes are active. (Color is lake dependant) don't like
bright colors don't get alot of takes on them.
Hookbaits for me is of natural or dull colors.
Don't get me wrong I do use brighter colors from time to time. It all depends on what the fish want on that session. Found that the brighter ones works best for me before and after the spawn. Summer time it's dull colors as fish lake/angling pressure are at it's highest.
Glad to see you notice the change 👍 well done bud. Some would never notice and blame it on something
Cheers pal have a blessed weekend 🎣🎣🎣
Bottom bait - 24mm or 2 x 24mm donkey chokers ( round,barrel or sausage snapped)
- Snowman either 2 bottom baits drilled with cork or a pop up.
- Single or double tiger drilled with cork (favourite presentation)
- wild waters I use stringers with plastic corn in between the tigers
- Kryston bogey hemp ball roughly 20mm big
Pop up - Hinged rig with a 12,15 or bigger if the **** boxes are active. (Color is lake dependant) don't like
bright colors don't get alot of takes on them.
Hookbaits for me is of natural or dull colors.
Don't get me wrong I do use brighter colors from time to time. It all depends on what the fish want on that session. Found that the brighter ones works best for me before and after the spawn. Summer time it's dull colors as fish lake/angling pressure are at it's highest.
Glad to see you notice the change 👍 well done bud. Some would never notice and blame it on something
Cheers pal have a blessed weekend 🎣🎣🎣
In reply to Post #25
18mm pop ups.......rare as unicorn poo
18mm pop ups.......rare as unicorn poo
In reply to Post #28
Don't you know you can only catch on small baits now?
Don't you know you can only catch on small baits now?
On my current syndicate I have noticed a lot use small baits, often very bright. I have only fished a couple of times but 18 or 20mm bottom baits have caught me fish when others have failed. I try to be different
In reply to Post #29
😂😂
😂😂
In reply to Post #30
Welly saw lots of 20mm boilies going yet all my fish came on 12mm baits. On the flip side a 20mm bottom can be productive on other venues. A single grain of plastic has caught me plenty in bags too
Welly saw lots of 20mm boilies going yet all my fish came on 12mm baits. On the flip side a 20mm bottom can be productive on other venues. A single grain of plastic has caught me plenty in bags too
In reply to Post #32
How many times did you use a 20mm bottom bait though?
I reckon most of the time when fishing bags/method/sticks the hookbait is irrelevant so long as its small. It all gets sucked in.
How many times did you use a 20mm bottom bait though?
I reckon most of the time when fishing bags/method/sticks the hookbait is irrelevant so long as its small. It all gets sucked in.
In reply to Post #33
I fished them in the summer when the small fish and the tench became a problem for some of the anglers. I don't remember catching anything on them although my mate nick had a few on 20mm hard hookers.
I fished them in the summer when the small fish and the tench became a problem for some of the anglers. I don't remember catching anything on them although my mate nick had a few on 20mm hard hookers.
In reply to Post #1
The simple answer is the hookbait that catches fish.
Over the years I have fished various waters, and while fishing experimented with what catches, or catches most.
At some times it might be a hi-attract pop-up, or a food source pop-up over freebies.
At Taverham Mills, Earith and Barham most of my fish came on a single or double 15mm boilie, although I did catch some fish on sausage chop discs in 12 or 15mm.
At Nazeing and Ardleigh I caught a lot of fish on snowman baits, an 18mm topped with a 15mm pop-up, (or an 18mm wooden ball with a 15mm pop-up), fished over my food source bait, although one winter session I only caught on a single 18mm boilie straight out of the bag.
Alton water I caught on a variety of baits, but only ever on one at any time, most fish came on double 20mm boilies, although single hi-attract pop-ups and snowman baits caught some sessions.
At Alton I tended to fish two or three rods close together, with various different bait set-ups, yet there was always a preference for one presentation over another. I could fish a double bottom bait on one rod, and I would get a number of fish on that rod, nothing on the others. Change from a snowman on another to the double bottom bait, cast back to the same spot, then the two rods would produce. Another session, the snowman bait would catch, the bottom bait would not, change that to a snowman, back out and that would start to catch as well.
The simple answer is the hookbait that catches fish.
Over the years I have fished various waters, and while fishing experimented with what catches, or catches most.
At some times it might be a hi-attract pop-up, or a food source pop-up over freebies.
At Taverham Mills, Earith and Barham most of my fish came on a single or double 15mm boilie, although I did catch some fish on sausage chop discs in 12 or 15mm.
At Nazeing and Ardleigh I caught a lot of fish on snowman baits, an 18mm topped with a 15mm pop-up, (or an 18mm wooden ball with a 15mm pop-up), fished over my food source bait, although one winter session I only caught on a single 18mm boilie straight out of the bag.
Alton water I caught on a variety of baits, but only ever on one at any time, most fish came on double 20mm boilies, although single hi-attract pop-ups and snowman baits caught some sessions.
At Alton I tended to fish two or three rods close together, with various different bait set-ups, yet there was always a preference for one presentation over another. I could fish a double bottom bait on one rod, and I would get a number of fish on that rod, nothing on the others. Change from a snowman on another to the double bottom bait, cast back to the same spot, then the two rods would produce. Another session, the snowman bait would catch, the bottom bait would not, change that to a snowman, back out and that would start to catch as well.
In reply to Post #33
20mm
more effort to suck in, more effort to blow out, better hook holds
20mm
more effort to suck in, more effort to blow out, better hook holds
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