Of all our fish species, chub have the most wide-ranging diet, feeding on everything from freshwater shrimps to small fish. The baits that can be used to catch them are just as varied, with any number of possibilities.
Chub are primarily sight feeders. They are very adept at sitting on the crease line where faster water meets a slower current. This is a great energy- saving strategy – sitting in the slower water, only darting out to intercept food drifting in the faster current when necessary.
WANT TO CATCH A CHUB? OUR WHERE TO FISH GUIDE HAS SOME EXCELLENT VENUES TO TRY.
Maggots
Probably the best example of how we can fit bait choice to the natural behaviour of chub is found when rivers are low and clear. Small baits, such as maggots and casters, come into their own in these scenarios. Being a close match for their natural prey, chub will often feed confidently on these little offerings.
I prefer to run a float down a swim in search of chub, but a maggot feeder can be more effective, as it anchors the bait on the crease line. What is essential is to keep feeding regularly. Chub can become engrossed by maggots, and even the most cautious fish will eventually become catchable if you keep feeding a pinch every minute.
Try to start feeding as soon as you get to your swim. By the time you have set up and started fishing you have a good chance that the fish will be looking for the next bait.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING ONE OF THE BEST FEEDER FISHING RODS TO HELP TAME BIG CHUB.
Bread
You could exchange 4mm pellets for maggots, or even sweetcorn, but all these small baits rely on regular feeding for consistent results. They work best when you have a shrewd idea that the chub are in your swim before you start fishing. But what if you want to keep mobile and fish lots of swims, perhaps on a completely new stretch of river?
When keeping mobile, I love to fish bread. This highly visible bait will often bring an instant response if the chub are at home.
When floatfishing, I like to feed a small ball of mashed bread, stiffened with a little brown crumb to help it sink before breaking up too much. Flake or wet bread on the hook won’t be ignored once the fish have been alerted to the feed.
Trotting bread or free-lining is such a great way to fish but can also try quivertipping bread flake or crust, switching to a small cage feeder loaded with liquidised flake that quickly disperses, attracting the fish.
THE BEST FLOAT FISHING RODS WILL HELP IMPROVE YOUR CONTROL WHEN STICK FLOAT FISHING.
Paste and boilies
Visible baits work best when rivers are clear, but the chances are that some of our chub sessions are going to be when the water is more coloured, and this can call for a different approach. This is the time to switch to paste baits, that are not only easy to see, but have a far stronger scent too.
Cheesepaste is a great choice, but we shouldn’t ignore others. I like to make my own pastes using carp bait ingredients. Most chub anglers have their own recipes, often using milk protein ingredients.
Alternatively, most carp bait companies supply a range of base mixes and matching liquids, which can be used to make brilliant paste baits with a fine, yet sticky texture.
A tactic I have used successfully in the past is to feed paste and fish a matching boilie as a hookbait. This is a great idea when you want to keep recasting to a minimum.
ADDING THE BEST LIQUIDS AND ADDITIVES TO YOUR PASTE BAITS WILL INCREASE THE ATTRACTION OF YOUR HOOKBAITS.
Luncheon meat
When rivers are really coloured, or when fishing at night, big smelly baits are the way to go for chub. Luncheon meat does take some beating under these conditions and, although they may not be the best for chub, many a session has been saved when a fish or two has fallen for a cube of meat.
Under these conditions I tend to rely on just the hookbait, as the current will spread any freebies out too much. For maximum impact try flavouring meat with cheese or scopex. While not set in stone, the bait ‘rules’ outlined here will stand you in good stead for chub fishing this summer, no matter what the conditions, so get out there and make a date with old rubber lips!
