Barbel Bait, What works the best?

So I take it there is no such thing as the best catfish bait, only what's best for that time of year, in that specific dam or river, during a specific moon cycle, depending on the weather, depth, nearby structure, etc etc.....fishing's not static, it's dynamic, things can change at any time, if it were any more predictable, it would just not be as challenging....
 

nobbles

New member
Exactly. That's the reason I try have atleast 4 baits with me when I go to the water. There will always be a tine when a certain bait goes untouched, have the confidence to admit its not working and have a bck up you know is good to use.
 

TotalNoob

New member
nobbles wrote:
I get my blood raised often by discusions like this. As humans we have been doing things like this for 1000 upon 1000 of years. Its part of nature, i hunt and i fish. I kill animals, as long as there is a purpose behind it and you are not wasting the animal i dont have an issue. Again my opinion, just because i say it doesnt mean you have to agree and do the same and just as you have stated your opinion doesnt mean Marthin has to obey or visa versa. Is it an endagered species he is using? will there be a negative impact on the population? My answer to that is no. If no perminant damage is being done where in lies the issue, Parks board in durban drives around shooting indian myna's, ask the SPCA if they condone this.

I agree with your post.Fishing is a blood sport, I would use any animal/insect other than a mammal as bait.Illegal yes - but everyone isnt perfect.I really dont care if the species is NOT protected.Thats my opinion :)

If you are fishing and not getting any bites while the guy next to you is pulling out fish after fish ,are you really going to ignore what he is doing different to you?

Yellow should has used a myna bird - you are LEGALLY allowed to kill any myna bird as its an invasive species

Yellow said that the weavers decimate the wheat crops - I could picture myself doing the same thing if i was in his shoes - although i seriously doubt i could bring myself to hooking a live bird as bait!:wfish
 

Cheetha FS

Sealiner
All very true but will still stick to my statement about live bait being the best. My reason is simple. Barble are predatorial fish and hunts for pray, but will also settle for a easy meal like a well presented smelly dead bait. I firmly believe if u can intise a cat with live vibrations it will rather go for the live bait then the dead bait. All is speculation and i will go out to prove it. Ive booked a looooong weekend at bloemhof before the bonanza and i will give a report on my return.
 

dorsalfin

Sealiner
For me, the only bait I used for years was the carp head, steped on for extra flavour in the water, but I sat with the problem of missing to much barbel this way until I one day went and watched a barbel actually feeding, and what I observed was this, the fish swims around and eventually finds the food (your bait), what the barbel does is sucking the bait in and then almost immediately spits it out again. He repeats this process about five or six times before he actually decides if he wants to swollow this bait or not. In my oppinion, because it was a bigger fish (about 12kg), it was more cautious and used it`s extremely well developed taste to ``evaluate`` the bait and decide if it is safe to eat (the reason why it is so immencely important not to have any funny smells on your hands when you prepare the bait). After observing this, I saw how impotrant hook choice and placement really is. What I saw was that if your hook is to big and hindering the fish, he will drop it and move on and on hhe other hand, if your hook`s shank is to thick (I only usa katanas and linx hooks for barbel) the hook will not penetrate as wished. The best place to hoot a barbel is in the side of the mouth because of the crushing plates in front. The problem with fish heads is the fish sometimes takes a wile to actually take it in but this is not a problem if your hooks are proud and you practice the needed patience before setting the hook. Another observation I made was that a correctly presented fillet drasticly increase your hookup rate. I take a carp fillet, fold if double (skin inside) and work its case with the cotton (I use latex), place my one hook at the boyyom of the bait and one hook at the very top. I then take the intestines of the fish and put it onthe bait and fasten it with the latex for the bloody taste that Mr. Whiskas love
I have fished for barbel for many years now and this is whwt works for me.
 

pescado

New member
today i went to my bio proff and asked about fish feeling no pain. from my understanding the nerves of a fish has are less convergent and in far less proximity than that of a mammal and so the nervous system detects changes in pressure on the fishes body. the reason fish freak out when you handle or hook them is that there is a greater pressure on one spot then the rest of the body. this tells the fish that it has been caught by something and it needs to get free. so in short fish don't feel pain they freak out because of dramatic pressure changes on their body's
my favorite barby bait is a head of a 2kg grass carp.
great fourm guys thanks for the info
 

iggy

Sealiner
Het die naweek by Roodeplaat met n karp koppie probeer, niks byt gekry. Het Saterdag van daai wit miswurms wat jy in komposhope kry opgesit en binne 5 ure 3 snorre gekry 2kg, 4.5kg en 5kg. Wys net dat sekere damme op sekere dae veskillende ass verkies.
 

200ts

Senior Member
I normally do not get involved in heated discussions but using live birds as bait! I mean really now. No problem with guys using a dead bird as bait but a live one? Is that really humane? For me it does not matter if it is legal or not. Its just wrong in my opinion. If they guy next to you is doing something illegal or not moral and its working why stoop to that level? It is easier to rob a bank than earn an honest living is it not?
 

nobbles

New member
Each to there own. Use the full rats as a big flesh bait. Mice are to small for anything over 8kg. But I'd de head it and skin it. Get a good scent trail going
 

ripplefisher

Senior Member
Hi Guys,

Interesting to see the list of best baits; I am not an expert in targetting barbel - most of mine come as bycatch whilst I target vundu, which I have fished for a great deal, taking a couple of hundred..

My 'go to' bait is either ox heart, or, often better - liver - good scent trail, and often easy to get hold of. The 'skin' on the lobes of the liver help in keeping it on the hook - but true to say its not as good as heart where plenty of bait robbers - butter barbel (Makriel), small barbel etc, are around.. outfishes deadbaits any day of the week..

I am a little surprised to see heart/liver onlly get mentioned once thus far - perhaps whilst its good for vundu, it does not work as well for barbel..?

Just my '2 cents..'...!::S

Cheers, RF.
 

ripplefisher

Senior Member
Hi Guys,

Interesting to see the list of best baits; I am not an expert in targetting barbel - most of mine come as bycatch whilst I target vundu, which I have fished for a great deal, taking a couple of hundred..

My 'go to' bait is either ox heart, or, often better - liver - good scent trail, and often easy to get hold of. The 'skin' on the lobes of the liver help in keeping it on the hook - but true to say its not as good as heart where plenty of bait robbers - butter barbel (Makriel), small barbel etc, are around.. outfishes deadbaits any day of the week..

I am a little surprised to see heart/liver onlly get mentioned once thus far - perhaps whilst its good for vundu, it does not work as well for barbel..?

Just my '2 cents..'...!::S

Cheers, RF.
 

Ulquiorra

New member
opinions are great, they change the world but don't go off the subject. we talking about best barbel bait and not to have an arguement over whats right or wrong regarding the use of live or animal cruelty ~ favourite bait: might sound strange but actually fish guts especially the egg sacks and a decent sized muddy head :D
 
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