This winter I want to try for some big chub on the Ouse,my normal approach of cheese paste and bread work,but not so well for the big chub,a guy I know uses a paste which is based on fishmeal,obviously ingredients are a closely guarded secret,but,i'm looking for possible powdered ingredients to add to a fishmeal paste,i've thought of coriander,curry powder and the like,just to give it a boost,any suggestions of anything that might fit the bill fellas?
Paste baits for chub.
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no-one in particular
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Try a dead bait for big chub, a whole or half sardine is good, let it drift down to where a big chub is and you might get it, I cannot see any paste being selective for a big chub but a dead sardine will. However, if I was going to choose a powder for chub, it would be chilly powder. I have had and watched chub seriously investigate bait with chilly powder on it but not selective enough if you only want big chub in my opinion.
rayner
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Mixing cheese with sausage meat and liquidised bread, was what I used to use on the Yorkshire rivers. The more cheese you use the stiffer the paste.
Other change baits were bread flake or lobworm like you use already.
In the eighties, we won a lot of team matches with a paste made from bread with worm juice added. Making the worm juice is simple, chop worms and put the chop in a coke bottle. Leave it to ferment.
I would use the cheese and sausage when the paste is on the hook cover it with the worm juice, beware though the juice really stinks.
Now you've reminded me of the juice I'm going to chop some worm for my next trip.
Other change baits were bread flake or lobworm like you use already.
In the eighties, we won a lot of team matches with a paste made from bread with worm juice added. Making the worm juice is simple, chop worms and put the chop in a coke bottle. Leave it to ferment.
I would use the cheese and sausage when the paste is on the hook cover it with the worm juice, beware though the juice really stinks.
Now you've reminded me of the juice I'm going to chop some worm for my next trip.
Chub being the greedy buggers they are, sometimes, I find it hard to identify any flavour or indeed size of bait that is selective in picking out the biggest ones.
I fish small rivers mostly and would rely on where, and often when, I put a baited hook in. Typically a little away from the main feed.
I fish small rivers mostly and would rely on where, and often when, I put a baited hook in. Typically a little away from the main feed.
Keith M
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When I used to travel down from Northwood to the river Kennet during the winter months it was my job to knead our cheese/bread paste around a large scored raw onion while my mate did the driving and the more raw onion juice I managed to get into the paste the better it was.
I think the smallest Chub we caught was around 1.5lb and we had them up to 5lb plus on size 6 hooks.
If we had any paste left it was placed in the freezer to be added to for the next week and kneaded around another scored raw onion.
Another bait that I’ve caught plenty of sizeable Chub on was peeled prawn on size 6 hooks but that was back in the 70s and 80s when peeled prawn wasn’t generally used by other anglers (other than salmon anglers who used them whole with their shells still on)
Back in those days the Chub took them so forcibly the rod was sometimes almost yanked from our hands.
Back in those days there were also plenty of our native crayfish around so maybe it’s possible that they could have been mistaken for dead crayfish back in those days?
Keith
I think the smallest Chub we caught was around 1.5lb and we had them up to 5lb plus on size 6 hooks.
If we had any paste left it was placed in the freezer to be added to for the next week and kneaded around another scored raw onion.
Another bait that I’ve caught plenty of sizeable Chub on was peeled prawn on size 6 hooks but that was back in the 70s and 80s when peeled prawn wasn’t generally used by other anglers (other than salmon anglers who used them whole with their shells still on)
Back in those days the Chub took them so forcibly the rod was sometimes almost yanked from our hands.
Back in those days there were also plenty of our native crayfish around so maybe it’s possible that they could have been mistaken for dead crayfish back in those days?
Keith
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Personally I wouldn't waste my time with pasts, there are lots of easier and better baits to use for any sized chub.
If I was to use paste, i'd just put boiling water onto some halibut pellets and soak them for a little while and squish them about to make a paste.
I have done that quite a few years ago beofre I realised I was wasteing my time. I would often use a halibut pellet on the hair and wrap the whole lot, including the hook in the paste. I caught fish but probably less than if i'd use the pellet on it's own, meat, maggots etc.
If I was to use paste, i'd just put boiling water onto some halibut pellets and soak them for a little while and squish them about to make a paste.
I have done that quite a few years ago beofre I realised I was wasteing my time. I would often use a halibut pellet on the hair and wrap the whole lot, including the hook in the paste. I caught fish but probably less than if i'd use the pellet on it's own, meat, maggots etc.
Rarely catch a decent chub down here on pellet,especially in the winter when their lairs open up from the weed,bread,cheese and maggot seem to catch smaller fish,guys I know have caught a few fish over seven pounds,several sixes on paste,I think it is just using a bait they haven't tasted often,so maybe boilie paste,maybe with chilli powder added would interest them,these fellas are using the same mix to feed in small cage feeders,but mixed with water,not eggs like the paste itself,i've always done well on bread,or maggot myself,but I haven't had big fish like those on the venue...
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Phil Adams
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My local Ouse section in Bedford fishes well with cheese paste baits. More so than meat or boilies. Believe it or not though, I find it's the size and shape of the baits that makes a bigger difference than its composition. In line with what Markg said, dead fish can work well. Sprats and whitebait will be taken with real gusto at times.
If I was trying to target the bigger chub I would concentrate on size, shape and presentation of the bait rather than flavour. Agree with the above and deadbaits or bits of deadbait also. Chub have big gobs - fill them!
ian g
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I remember chatting to a guy on the Severn who told me about catching a decent chub on a dead bait while piking . I had to laugh as I caught a decent pike next session chub fishing on a big piece of bread flake . My suggestion would be a big lump of spam 3 inch squared when the weather cools down , should do the trick
Phil Adams
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You could always try some knot2kinky. It doesn't seem to put perch off so I'd imagine the chub wouldn't notice it. You can use most of your usual hand tied knots with it too.
Do you know some of the best of being on FM is to here how others fare on their local rivers for the species you fish for on yours,I have never had many chub on the Ouse on meat,loads on other rivers,but I talk to guys who do have confidence and catch on it,bread,cheese is normally my go to for chub,preferably the former,as I say though 6lb+ dont seem to pick my bread or cheese up,5's yes,on occasion,on the small river i'm fishing at the moment you rarely pick a 2lb plus chub up on pellet,yes they come in and have a look,maybe pici an odd pellet up,put a bit of meat on however and sure as eggs are eggs you will catch several,my mate in Dorset has been telling me of four chub over six pounds,up to 6.15 from a four peg area of the Stour,where normally hardly a chub comes from,all on boilie...
no-one in particular
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I was using sprats to catch chub on a small river but I knew where the chub lay so I could offer it to them, it did sort out the bigger chub, I did have a small pike once though and it tailed out of the water because it was very shallow but it did not buggery the line. I guess on a bigger river like the Ouse it might not work as well as your probably fishing blind for the chub so a Pike is more likely. On this small river I liked to fish using fly rod and line and use the fly line like a float, I could use the current to work the sprat into tight places like under logs etc., worked quite well but might not suit a big river however if I needed to change the hook length on the fly line it could be done easily. A humongous bit of luncheon meat sprinkled with chili powder might be your best bet on a big river like the Ouse but I know nothing about the river however if it was me I would still try a dead sprat or half a one just because it had worked for me before.
Phil Adams
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Has anyone tried big chunks of steak? Personally I'd rather eat it myself but I've been tempted to try it one day.
no-one in particular
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Liver maybe, what was bullock pith? popular once in the old books.
seth49
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Bullock pith was the spinal cord of the said animal, don’t think you’d get it nowadays since BSE started.