The brutal cold snap reminded us just how unpredictable the fishing can be at this time of year, even on the most prolific of commercial fisheries. Yet, for me, there’s one fish that I can rely on to give me a few bites when I can’t feel my fingers, and that’s the chub.
I know not every fishery has them, but if you can find a venue that they call home, I reckon they’re a much better fish to go for than carp, F1s or even roach and skimmers.
Here's six tips for targeting them...
CHECK OUT ARE GUIDE TO SOME OF THE BEST CHUB FISHING RODS
Lift and drop
Chub will come off bottom to get at the loosefeed, so you need to keep putting your hookbait in among it all. That means lifting and dropping the float constantly.
POLE FISHING IS VERY EFFECTIVE ON COMMERCIALS, CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST FISHING POLES.
Dot the float down
Even though chub can be greedy, bites will be shy. Dot the float tip right down to a little speck and be prepared to strike at absolutely every movement!
Keep on feeding
Never stop feeding! A dozen maggots thrown by hand is fine to ensure that constant small stream of bait falls through the water. Stop this, and the bites will dry up.
THE BEST FISHING CATAPULTS WILL HELP YOU TO KEEP YOU FEEDING ACCURATE.
Fish close in
With the deepest water at 6m, this is a distance I can catch in and feed by hand. However, it’s important to have a second line elsewhere to rest this short line.
Don’t go too light
Because the water is deep, you need a heavy float. We can be guilty of using too light a float, so a 4x16 slim bodied float like the MP4 is ideal, using a bulk and three small dropper shot.
PICKING THE RIGHT POLE FLOAT IS CRUCIAL TO DETECTING BITES, OUR EXPERT GUIDE WILL HELP YOU MAKE THE BEST CHOICES
Lubricate hollows
Hollow elastic is brilliant, but in the cold it can stop working and hang out of the pole-tip. Carry elastic lubricant – a few squirts down the top kit is enough.
HOLLOW ELASTIC ARE SOME OF THE BEST POLE FISHING ELASTICS, SEE OUR EXPERT GUIDE
