Best bait colour for Roach
- Thread starter Philip
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Keith M
Well-known member
I don’t think that colour makes a lot of difference unless they have become particularly wary of a certain colour because of being regularly caught on baits of that colour.
Over the years I’ve caught most of my decent sized roach on breadflake, Caster, cheesepaste and dark brown pellets and tons of smaller Roach on red and bronze and flouro coloured maggots which indicates to me that colour is less important than a good presentation.
Keith
Over the years I’ve caught most of my decent sized roach on breadflake, Caster, cheesepaste and dark brown pellets and tons of smaller Roach on red and bronze and flouro coloured maggots which indicates to me that colour is less important than a good presentation.
Keith
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Alan Whitty
Well-known member
I take it you mean boilies Philip,if so red or orange seem to do well,for me red maggot is an attractive bait,but small fish numbers decide whether maggots and casters are worth the trouble,I've had a few 2lb roach on red maggot mind...
flightliner
Well-known member
If I fish a still water with big roach present my go to bait is invariably two big white maggots on a 16 or 14 wide gape hook.
Inclined to think that's something that might only apply to where you're fishing and the given conditions.
Would you think any one colour is likely to be best everywhere?
I often buy red maggot because bronze dyes these days can be weak and pallid and the maggots seem to shrink a bit when treated.
I like whites with turmeric on the rivers but I don't want yellow fingers for the next few days.
Would you think any one colour is likely to be best everywhere?
I often buy red maggot because bronze dyes these days can be weak and pallid and the maggots seem to shrink a bit when treated.
I like whites with turmeric on the rivers but I don't want yellow fingers for the next few days.
flightliner
Well-known member
No particular reason kev 'cept habit brought upon by successes in using them.
Many years ago I had numerous 2lb roach and many just below the magic weight, and in more recant years even one on the magic 3lb mark and a 2lb—14oz specimen plus a few more over 2lb from a variety of stillwaters that instills me with confidence in their use.
Rivers on the other hand are a totally differant ballgame.
Hi Mick, I was actually replying to Peter, saying the "best colour" might be different in different places and so on.
My post ended up under yours and looked like my question was to you.
Your roach are way bigger than ones I tend to catch.
You've reminded me of that reservoir where you tracked down the hotspot and the angry bloke set up at your elbow.
My post ended up under yours and looked like my question was to you.
Your roach are way bigger than ones I tend to catch.
You've reminded me of that reservoir where you tracked down the hotspot and the angry bloke set up at your elbow.
Thanks, for the replies guys. Not surprisingly red or white seem to be popular without any real consenus so perhaps its more of a confidence thing for the angler than a specific preference by the fish?
My own feeling was to perhaps try a very bright colour, the logic being that a fish with good eyesight like a Roach might find it before a feeder who relies more on smell....so trying to be a little selective. ...although it would probably make little difference in practice.
My own feeling was to perhaps try a very bright colour, the logic being that a fish with good eyesight like a Roach might find it before a feeder who relies more on smell....so trying to be a little selective. ...although it would probably make little difference in practice.
Wakou
Well-known member
Apropos of nothing. Richard Walker was of the opinion that if a roach had 'sampled' a bait, and rejected it, other roach would not touch it. So, he advovated changing a bait after a bite, and in the case of maggots, after every cast... I will post the article later, after this cup of tea!
That takes us to which colour if any shows up better under water and at depth. I once read some stuff claiming to know which colours are more visible in clear or coloured water ..... but I can't remember what it said.
@Clive
Well-known member
I too read and absorbed Walker's comments on the fresh bait. Later I realised that it is ballcox. A fish wouldn't eat something that another fish had touched? That isn't reflected in the animal kingdom where one animal's vomit is another animal's dinner. I have had several captures on the same maggot or worm many times. Once catching three chub on the same piece of luncheon meat.
Back to the thread. I am no expert on roach, but one experience stands out. Cold, windless high pressure February day on Worsbrough Reservoir. Absolutely nothing doing for any of the five or six anglers. After a couple of hours I changed the white maggot to one of the three red ones in the pint. Instant bite. Two more fish followed, all over 1lb. Then nothing on the remaining white maggots. I wish I had disputed RW earlier in my fishing life.
Back to the thread. I am no expert on roach, but one experience stands out. Cold, windless high pressure February day on Worsbrough Reservoir. Absolutely nothing doing for any of the five or six anglers. After a couple of hours I changed the white maggot to one of the three red ones in the pint. Instant bite. Two more fish followed, all over 1lb. Then nothing on the remaining white maggots. I wish I had disputed RW earlier in my fishing life.
Wakou
Well-known member
YW!
I think we often have similar experiences, Clive (but not always so dramatic and successful), but maybe not always with the same colour change. After all, it's fairly standard advice, if things aren't going well, to ring the changes with whatever colour maggots you have, and with the number on the hook, too.
They're not roach, I know, but I always prefer red maggots and red baits for tench, and I've found two fluoro pinkies go down well with small ones.
They're not roach, I know, but I always prefer red maggots and red baits for tench, and I've found two fluoro pinkies go down well with small ones.
mikench
Well-known member
I think it was red. Gordon and I catch a few roach but only a few set the pulse racing. We frequently alternate between one maggot, then two and finally three with similar results. I refer to the number I might have caught on by reference to football strips ie one or two red is Liverpool, one or two white is Leeds and one of each is United. I think it’s different each day and I can’t say which combo works so consistently on the day that you stick with it. Whilst not roach related, I spoke to a lad trotting for Grayling on my local river and a member of my club. He hadn’t had a touch in 2 hours trotting a single white maggot so switched to a red whilst we chatted. He worked for a tackle shop in Leigh and had grabbed a pint of white and just a small handful of red and had to root for them in his bait box. He caught immediately and had 3 whilst I was there.
when I fished the river I tried red to no avail but caught on white with both grayling and trout. It was just like football.
when I fished the river I tried red to no avail but caught on white with both grayling and trout. It was just like football.
When buying maggots, I always ask for the bulk in the colour I want plus a sprinkling of others for hookers. Eg two pints of whites with a few reds and bronze. Most shop blokes know exactly what I mean, but I have to keep an eye as the odd time they've come back with a 50/50 mix which is not quite the idea.
@Clive
Well-known member
Obviously I could not rule out a passing shoal coinciding with the change of colour. Given the other anglers lack of luck I had started with bread flake and gone down the obvious double maggot, single maggot route before trying the rogue red ones. Having a few alternative colours is a good idea.