Meat remains one of the most reliable and versatile hookbaits in fishing. It is relatively cheap, easy to get hold of, and few baits can rival it when it comes to catching a wide range of species in all sorts of situations.
I have caught plenty of bream, big roach and tench on meat, which says plenty about how versatile it is. Carp obviously love it, but it is far from being just a carp bait. I am also pleased the old trend of feeding it heavily with cubes has died off, because that can create water quality problems. Used mainly as a hookbait, and with feed kept to a minimum, it is often all the more effective for it.
THE BEST BARBEL FISHING RODS ARE IDEAL FOR FISHING MEAT ON THE RIVER.
Luncheon meat
Bacon Grill, Spam and chopped pork and ham were among the first meat baits I ever used, and all three still have a place in the emergency bait supplies I keep stashed in the car. A lot of that comes down to their long shelf life, but they also remain effective and incredibly adaptable.
Bacon Grill is still one of my favourites, but Spam, particularly the black pepper variety, is right up there too. It is firm, easy to chop or pass through a meat cutter, and stays on the hook really well, which makes it a very reliable option when you want a neat, durable hookbait. Both can be punched or cut to suit the job in front of you.
It is worth checking the ingredients on tins of luncheon meat, though, because some contain chicken rather than pork. That usually makes them much softer, and some versions can even be prone to floating. That is not always a bad thing, as softer meat can still be very effective, but it does mean different brands behave differently. It is well worth experimenting, because texture can vary a lot and you will soon work out which ones best suit the way you like to fish.
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN USE MEAT IN A SLOP? FIND OUT HOW IN THIS EXPERT ARTICLE.
Hot dogs
A cheap and under-rated meat bait. Most hot dogs contain more chicken than pork, a very different proposition to luncheon meat.
Their soft texture makes them ideal for short-range work on pole or leger. They are quite buoyant too, useful for fishing on the drop or when a wafter-style bait is required to turn finicky bites into something more positive.
You can simply slice hot dog sausages into chunks for larger fish, a useful tactic if you are freelining for river chub.
Most of the time, though, it’s a 6mm or 8mm punched bait that does the business. Use a fine baiting needle to carefully hair-rig these soft baits. They are also ideal for side-hooking on the float. Why not use them as a very visual hookbait when float fishing pellets for barbel and chub?
Hot dogs are also a brilliant bait to punch and use on a straight lead during cooler conditions, when you are often fishing a single hookbait and searching the swim for bites. More often than not, if you put a neat piece of punched hot dog in front of a fish, it will have it.
CAST OUT A PIECE OF PUNCHED HOT DOG ON THE BEST CARP FEEDER RODS.
Garlic sausage
Over recent seasons, garlic sausage has become a firm favourite bait of mine. I have used everything from matchbox-sized chunks for catfish, down to tiny punched pieces for crucians. Being quite tough, this bait can be hair-rigged with ease.
Garlic sausage is often much cheaper than luncheon meat, and it can be cut into slices and punched or chopped into cubes. It’s a very versatile bait that you can find in the chilled food section of your local supermarket.
MEAT IS A PERFECT BAIT FOR ROLLING ON THE RIVER FOR BARBEL.
Salami
Among my favourite baits in the last few years are the various salamis and pre-packaged snack meats that have become really popular. Peperami is probably the best known of these products, but there are lots of other different varieties available, many of which are useful baits.
Straight from the packet, Peperami is just the right size for a carp bait – simply cut it into chunks and hair-rig it. This tough bait will easily last all night and is loved by carp and barbel. For smaller species I use a bait punch to produce my hookbaits. These can range from 4mm upwards, making them ideal for tench, bream and crucians. These small baits are also useful for larger species when they are playing hard to get.
PUNCHED MEAT MAKES A GREAT HOOKBAIT FOR FISHING WITH THE BEST FISHING POLES.
Why not fry your meat
The high fat content of many tinned meats can make using them in hot weather very tricky, especially if you need to cast them any kind of distance. Their soft texture is ideal for pole fishing, where the hookbait can be carefully lowered in, but use the same bait on a leger rig and the cast will often dislodge the hookbait.
One simple tactic to prevent the hookbait being lost is to push a small piece of dead grass under the bend of the hook before pulling it into the bait. This works surprisingly well, but can impede the hook on the strike.
More effective is to toughen up the meat by lightly frying it, so that it can be side-hooked or hair-rigged. Frying draws a lot of the fat out of the meat and gives it a tough skin. Start by cutting the meat into cubes, then warm up a large frying pan and add the cubes of meat. Keep them moving around the pan and fry them for about two minutes.
I will often add some garlic granules or chilli powder to give the bait an extra kick. Let the cooked cubes cool down on a sheet of paper towel and they are ready to use.
YOU CAN ENHANCE YOUR MEAT BAITS WITH ADDITIVES FROM THE SUPERMARKET.
Colouring and flavouring
Some anglers swear by using ragged-shaped lumps of meat, but personally I find it makes no difference.
Cutting meat into neat cubes is certainly less wasteful, and makes baiting up and feeding easier since the baits are of a uniform size. I tend to chop my bait up at home and add any additional flavours and colours the night before fishing. I like to add spices to meat, as these combine really well with this savoury bait.
Store the bait in the fridge to keep it fresh. The porous texture of meat holds flavours well, and both savoury and sweet additives are effective.
IT PAYS TO ENHANCE GOOD BAITS, HERE ARE THE BEST BAITS FOR CARP FISHING...
