no-one in particular
Well-known member
So the robin red have to be banded as they are hard. i have no idea how this works? What size for 8mm robin reds, how much, how do you put them on? Do they sink?
What is the best all round pellet?
- Thread starter no-one in particular
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So the robin red have to be banded as they are hard. i have no idea how this works? What size for 8mm robin reds, how much, how do you put them on? Do they sink?
The hard feed pellets(I don't use robin red,but they are hard pellets)sink,or should(another reason to shop around as some say they sink but dont,even after damping down),most of my fishing is done with 6/8 pellets,but I have plastic containers with 2/4/6/8mms carp pellets as it covers a lot of options,you can band them,you can hair rig them,you can hair rig a band and mount them like that,I use a ringers banding tool(which floats),which opens the band,which can be fiddly if you don't use one,most times I simply hook the band,I use drennan medium,but there are loads to choose from,the beauty of all this is you can take say a pint and a half of pellet in a sealed plastic container and have a change bait,feed and hookbait,they don't always work,but what does....
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Ok thanks Whit, although starting to look like I need a grade 2 nvq and I was trying to avoid that; it all used to be so simple. Still I might go later and drop in the tackle shop and see if I can get to the bottom of it all. Some red robin, some bands and something to put them on. I might get some scuba gear and a harpoon gun while I am there, might as well.
mikench
Well-known member
As far as i know Robin red pellets in 8, 10/11, 13 mm sizes are all pre drilled to accommodate a push stop or a hair to which you attach a baitstop. I sometimes use a piece of fake corn or maggot as a pull stop on larger pellets.
This brings me to the quality of some pre drilled pellets which break in two when a push stop is used or where the hole is tiny and needs a rebore. Some of the pellets off eBay are like this and and even proprietary brands tend to " heal up" over time as the pellets dry out and shrink.
I took a pack of 8mm cheesy garlic pellets back as they were all like that .
This brings me to the quality of some pre drilled pellets which break in two when a push stop is used or where the hole is tiny and needs a rebore. Some of the pellets off eBay are like this and and even proprietary brands tend to " heal up" over time as the pellets dry out and shrink.
I took a pack of 8mm cheesy garlic pellets back as they were all like that .
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flightliner
Well-known member
Years ago I used to buy my pellets direct from a firm called Trow Aquaculture near Preston. All 4mm halibut that I put directly into a feeder with hemp for Barbel.
Others were a light brown variety who's name escapes me that I prepped with boiling water, an orange food dye and a spoonful of salt.I used these for hookbait and they were about the most successful BB bait I ever used in non flooded conditions.
The firm I believe has either stopped trading or been taken over .
At the moment I'm playing around with some Screttings pellets where after scalding I'm using as a paste for roach. Nothing conclusive yet but as "pellets" they seem fine.
Others were a light brown variety who's name escapes me that I prepped with boiling water, an orange food dye and a spoonful of salt.I used these for hookbait and they were about the most successful BB bait I ever used in non flooded conditions.
The firm I believe has either stopped trading or been taken over .
At the moment I'm playing around with some Screttings pellets where after scalding I'm using as a paste for roach. Nothing conclusive yet but as "pellets" they seem fine.
David Rogers 3
Well-known member
I use mainly halibut pellets in various sizes and if they start to dry out, I just give them a squirt of Dynamite Liquid Halibut Pellet, shake them up a bit and leave them overnight before use. This "freshens them up" quite effectively.
Referring back to an earlier post about how poachers find out-of-the-way waters, Google Maps (satellite view and street view) has made this very simple - just look for watery patches and zoom in on them...
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Also posted on the HDYGO thread so ignore if already read.
I did not make the tackle shop yesterday so no robin reds. I did use the two types I already had red and black colored krill type soft baits. Fished bread but baited a bit further out with these and not a touch on them but fair enough only one roach on the bread. Later I moved swims where there were loads of small fry, looked like chub, nothing on the bottom so I fished shallow with the soft baits, the chub fry were very interested, the float bobbed away but no fish. I thought some of them were big enough to swallow a soft pellet but they would not take it fully but neither would them the bread. They were definitely more interested in the black sonubait ones though than the red ones I had, I thought it would have been the other way round as the red ones went softer in the water.
I am now thinking some natural flavoured soft pellets might go better in the river and the only ones mentioned so far are bloodworm flavor.
I did not make the tackle shop yesterday so no robin reds. I did use the two types I already had red and black colored krill type soft baits. Fished bread but baited a bit further out with these and not a touch on them but fair enough only one roach on the bread. Later I moved swims where there were loads of small fry, looked like chub, nothing on the bottom so I fished shallow with the soft baits, the chub fry were very interested, the float bobbed away but no fish. I thought some of them were big enough to swallow a soft pellet but they would not take it fully but neither would them the bread. They were definitely more interested in the black sonubait ones though than the red ones I had, I thought it would have been the other way round as the red ones went softer in the water.
I am now thinking some natural flavoured soft pellets might go better in the river and the only ones mentioned so far are bloodworm flavor.
mikench
Well-known member
You were up early Mark.
I believe that many pellets are attractive to fish,they don't have to be mega smelly,others have no attractiveness at all,sonubaits bloodworm ,which are cherry red are very good,but as I say,I'm using G&M growers carp pellets,which are cheap,with no discernable fishy smell,but are attractive to fish,happy days....
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no-one in particular
Well-known member
You were up early Mark.
I follow the sun Mike, not intentionally mind you, just don't sleep well but it's nice having a whole day to do stuff.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
If I was looking for a carp bait or a commercial/well fished lake, no problem Whit. But it's a river pellet I am looking for that fishes well for a mixture of coarse fish that have not been weened onto them. I know some well known barble and chub rivers fish well on pellets but they have been weened over many years by the many anglers that fish them but my rivers are hardly fished at all. I dont count my recent experiment with small fry chub as they will eat anything anywhere anytime almost. So I am trying to think of something that will at least smell like food to them that they are used to smelling which may just overcome thier natural waryiness of something un-natural; I will try some bloodworm type when I get round to it. It seems to me there could be a market for a ready soft pellet that is instantly attractive to wild river coarse fish if it were possible to invent one. And I wouldnt mind a mullet one as well but I am new to this type of bait so dont know much which probably shows.
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I'm going to try and expand on my reply,if allowed,I catch three ounce roach on 6mm hard pellet,four ounce on 8mm,if you want to attract small fish use pinkie,you can band 4mms pellets if you want,they are not limited to carp or commercials,I've caught 4oz dace on 14mms halibut when barbel fishing,immediately after casting,soft isn't always best,although I wouldn't have believed this ten years ago...
no-one in particular
Well-known member
No worries, I still prefer some soft pellets if possible, I just like the idea of something I can just put on the hook but I will check out the band method when I next go to the tackle shop. But I must try some different flavours in the soft pellet first I am still thinking along the lines of natural flavours and I will have a look to see what's on offer but all I could see last time was krill or halibut soft pellets but I will look closer. The shop was crowded and I couldn't ask the tackle bloke was busy.
Encouraged that you have caught in rivers, just need to find something that works on the rivers I fish, I will experiment further.
I was thinking through the other day's fishing and those small chub where attracted to the pellets but wouldn't take them, some were big enough so something was putting them off committing, either the hook or just the bait was not quite right for them, they almost certainly had never seen a pellet before. And it might be the same for the bream, roach as well but we will see. I am using bread as a guide; if I am catching on bread then I know whets feeding and then try the pellets. I don’t want to go to tiny pellets for small fish, 8mm seems about right and I can put two on a hook for bigger bait.
I am just looking for an alternative, something in the tackle bag for a quick change of bait not necessarily the main menu and simple to use and not throw away if only half used. And works in under-fished rivers! Tall order I know! If they caught mullet as well, an even taller order that would be gold plated icing.
Don't ask for much do I
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theartist
Well-known member
No worries, I still prefer some soft pellets if possible, I just like the idea of something I can just put on the hook but I will check out the band method when I next go to the tackle shop. But I must try some different flavours in the soft pellet first I am still thinking along the lines of natural flavours and I will have a look to see what's on offer but all I could see last time was krill or halibut soft pellets but I will look closer. The shop was crowded and I couldn't ask the tackle bloke was busy.
Encouraged that you have caught in rivers, just need to find something that works on the rivers I fish, I will experiment further.
I was thinking through the other day's fishing and those small chub where attracted to the pellets but wouldn't take them, some were big enough so something was putting them off committing, either the hook or just the bait was not quite right for them, they almost certainly had never seen a pellet before. And it might be the same for the bream, roach as well but we will see. I am using bread as a guide; if I am catching on bread then I know whets feeding and then try the pellets. I don’t want to go to tiny pellets for small fish, 8mm seems about right and I can put two on a hook for bigger bait.
I am just looking for an alternative, something in the tackle bag for a quick change of bait not necessarily the main menu and simple to use and not throw away if only half used. And works in under-fished rivers! Tall order I know! If they caught mullet as well, an even taller order that would be gold plated icing.
Don't ask for much do I
I've been float fishing pellet on rivers now for 20 years, some rivers work some don't. The ones that do are the ones that see pellet on a regular basis (Usually from barbel anglers) You're wasting your time looking for a wonder flavour that will just work without feeding loads of freebies
If you wan't to catch on pellet then drip feed a few each trip to that they see it as a natural food source. Hard pellets is the way to go as softs will soon be off the hook on a river when the small stuff start hammering it in the current. Massive fish get caught on 4 and 6mm pellet and using them sizes give you an edge over the larger baits especially mid season when the fish are cagey. Banding a 6mm pellet is easier than fishing soft pellet.
But that's all hypothetical if it's a unfished slow river the chances are pellet isn't the way to go
no-one in particular
Well-known member
I accept all of that Artist and I am sure it may all prove fruitless in the end. I am just one of those people that need to prove to myself it's no good. Once an idea takes hold; sometimes I just can't let it it go until I am satisfied one way or the other. And occasionally I find the accepted lore is too accepted but probably not this time. Anyway, I quite enjoy it, long time since I have done some experimenting, makes fishing a bit more interesting even if it leads to a dead end.
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theartist
Well-known member
Good luck go for it and if you ever get a mullet on pellet well that will prove anything is possible