Lures for small river chub

[Jack H]

A small chalk stream that a club I'm a member of owns is fairly narrow in size, but full of snags, overhanging trees etc. It holds some decent sized chub up to about 5lb. I’ve just got a lighter lure setup sorted, up to 10g and would like to have a crack at catching one or two. I’ve caught chub by mistake on lures in the past whilst out after perch and pike, but just wondering what people’s go to lures are for chub on small streams.

Thanks in advance

Jack

[Pikerd74]

If the stream is really snaggy I would go for a little spinnerbait they are probably the best lure for chucking into snags, I’ve had a few chub on them whilst targeting perch.
My go to is usually a small crankbait, the salmo hornet is one of my favourites and the floating one can be backed out of snags with care.

[andrew_nagel]

I’d suggest you send a PM to Mark Houghton, or look him up on his FB page MH Custom Lures. Mark makes smaller lures perfect for chub, and has caught his fair share of chub on lures. There’s no bull-s with Mark… he’ll give you straight forward advice.

[peteren]

2-3” floating cranks are good. I also like 2” shads. Chub aren’t usually fussy- go for lures you can present in the right places without spooking them.

[Daniel]

Any little crank with a tight wiggle, 2" seems to be the best size for numbers of fish, but a 3" crank can often tempt the bigger chub.

I like to fish on, or very near the surface for two reasons, firstly you'll avoid most snags, but more importantly, it's bloody exciting!

Casting upstream and retrieving with the flow works better than casting downstream and retrieving against the current.

[Jack H]

Thanks everybody. Got a mini strike king spinnerbait lying about in one of my boxes, so will give it a go. Should have mentioned I’ve got a couple of Marks lures on the way. Went for the tadpole and a bean crank to start out. Look amazing. Look forward to giving them ago.

Cheers

Jack

[KC]

Only one lure needed & its Mark houghtons chunky minnow
(It never fails face)

[Oldskoolfool]

I tend to use small fussy crank baits ideally 30-50mm
You can often get a reaction strike if you ca land it behind a fish you can see. Very small spoons or spinners work as well.

[Mark Phillips]

A small chalk stream that a club I'm a member of owns is fairly narrow in size, but full of snags, overhanging trees etc. It holds some decent sized chub up to about 5lb. I’ve just got a lighter lure setup sorted, up to 10g and would like to have a crack at catching one or two. I’ve caught chub by mistake on lures in the past whilst out after perch and pike, but just wondering what people’s go to lures are for chub on small streams.

Thanks in advance

Jack

Hi Jack. I've fished a couple rivers exactly as you're describing. Targeting the chub I always did well with small inline spinners, you'll catch loads of them on those. The bigger chub I've found can be singled out with surface lures, so the smallest jitterbug is good one to use, also rather strangely, I've had a few 5lb plus fish on 6" Hawg Wobblers when targeting pike. Big chub love those, but spinners is 100% how I'd do it. They'll spot the lure very easily in clear water, so let them come to you and fish above or around snags. Hope you get a few mate. It's great fun on light gear lure fishing for chub, no matter how big they are.

[John Milford]

Mann's Baby 1 Minus, or a small prop-bait, like a Heddon Baby Torpedo.

[Jack H]

will definitely be giving the spinners a go. One of my favourites for perch. I’ve had a look for a manns baby 1 minus John, but they seem difficult to come across, is there anybody in the UK that stocks them?

Cheers

Jack

[Mark_Houghton]

Small lipless cranks like Rat-L-Traps can be killers, especially in chrome patterns, and being heavy for their size theyre excellent for accurate casting into tight spots.

[Ratty46]

Im using the salmo Shallow floating hornet , if I bump a snag I just stop let rise and then carry on.

Also lil bugs are good in snaggy areas, being a surface lure.

Can also swap out to singles save snagging

[Gary Coggon]

Yes, 25-50 mm crankbaits with tight wiggle just subsurface or small Jitterbugs outfish everything else on my smallish, northwestern spate rivers by quite a clear margin. I’d add the Bomber Shallow A in firetiger/frog as a more readily available substitute for Manns One-Minus plus the yellow Rebel Crickhopper that took my PB. Trout love the Crickhopper too. The one outlier I’d give a go is the now-rare Heddon Meadow Mouse because it has a relatively large presence at around 3” and it’s my one lure that scores just as well if floated downstream and then drawn gently back close to/among the overhanging willow tips, where it swims with a slow, wide wiggle. It just works.

[Ratty46]

Yes, 25-50 mm crankbaits with tight wiggle just subsurface or small Jitterbugs outfish everything else on my smallish, northwestern spate rivers by quite a clear margin. I’d add the Bomber Shallow A in firetiger/frog as a more readily available substitute for Manns One-Minus plus the yellow Rebel Crickhopper that took my PB. Trout love the Crickhopper too. The one outlier I’d give a go is the now-rare Heddon Meadow Mouse because it has a relatively large presence at around 3” and it’s my one lure that scores just as well if floated downstream and then drawn gently back close to/among the overhanging willow tips, where it swims with a slow, wide wiggle. It just works.

i have a spro rat copy, 8cm size that sounds like it works in a similar way, i have tried it few times but nothing yet on it, i do think a bigger chub may have a go at it.

[Gary Coggon]

Yes, 25-50 mm crankbaits with tight wiggle just subsurface or small Jitterbugs outfish everything else on my smallish, northwestern spate rivers by quite a clear margin. I’d add the Bomber Shallow A in firetiger/frog as a more readily available substitute for Manns One-Minus plus the yellow Rebel Crickhopper that took my PB. Trout love the Crickhopper too. The one outlier I’d give a go is the now-rare Heddon Meadow Mouse because it has a relatively large presence at around 3” and it’s my one lure that scores just as well if floated downstream and then drawn gently back close to/among the overhanging willow tips, where it swims with a slow, wide wiggle. It just works.

i have a spro rat copy, 8cm size that sounds like it works in a similar way, i have tried it few times but nothing yet on it, i do think a bigger chub may have a go at it.

Spot-on. Yes, meant to say my experience is that it does select the bigger chub.

[Jack H]

Ive got a couple of Mark Houghtons shallow diving cranks on the way which look ace, and have ordered a couple of different size kopyto shads with some light jig heads as an alternative. How does everybody go about fishing such snaggy rivers? Is it easier to cast a floating crank slightly upstream and let it trot down underneath the snags? or are the margins a better bet? Not done much lure fishing on such a small and shallow river before.

Thanks again for all the advice, greatly appreciated.

Jack

[Esoxuk]

Fladen eco mini crank baits https://www.fishingrepublic.co.uk/15898 ... gKSJfD_BwE are ideal. Cheap, buoyant good wobble, good cars properties and no tears when left in a bush, tree or log. Better hooks can be fitted,I normally only have a rear hook fitted.

[Ratty46]

Ive got a couple of Mark Houghtons shallow diving cranks on the way which look ace, and have ordered a couple of different size kopyto shads with some light jig heads as an alternative. How does everybody go about fishing such snaggy rivers? Is it easier to cast a floating crank slightly upstream and let it trot down underneath the snags? or are the margins a better bet? Not done much lure fishing on such a small and shallow river before.

Thanks again for all the advice, greatly appreciated.

Jack

If it's really snaggy below surface go topwaters, as a rule( because I hate losing lures) I use topwaters where very snaggy and the shallow hornets where it's not too bad.

Trotting lures in the current is also a good tactic, some chub. You only get one chance

[Jack H]

Ive got a couple of Mark Houghtons shallow diving cranks on the way which look ace, and have ordered a couple of different size kopyto shads with some light jig heads as an alternative. How does everybody go about fishing such snaggy rivers? Is it easier to cast a floating crank slightly upstream and let it trot down underneath the snags? or are the margins a better bet? Not done much lure fishing on such a small and shallow river before.

Thanks again for all the advice, greatly appreciated.

Jack

If it's really snaggy below surface go topwaters, as a rule( because I hate losing lures) I use topwaters where very snaggy and the shallow hornets where it's not too bad.

Trotting lures in the current is also a good tactic, some chub. You only get one chance

cheers Ratty

Jack

[Monts]

As well as those mentioned above I love a Bomber Square A. AGM don't stock them these days sadly but plenty on eBay.

Great lure IMO.