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Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 09:33
by Pinkie
Just a thought. Are we making barbel rivers worse by following the mantra, find a gravel bed, bait it up, etc. etc!??
I can't see any problems with this after July after the eggs have hatched.
Problem is early season barbel fishing. We all know barbel spawn late, and on gravel beds. So I was just thinking that perhaps locating gravel beds and covering them in pellets early season must have a bad knock on effect. Firstly, it will draw barbel and other fish like chub in to feed, as well as crays, all of which will eat the eggs. Secondly, uneaten pellets will rot and then possibly cause a depletion of oxygen around the eggs, possibly killing them.
So the question is, is early season carbolling killing our sport?
The question being asked, I'll refrain from posting on this thread and leave it to the experts!
Re: Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 10:12
by OLDESOX
good thoughts we have made more spawning beds by introducing gravels in several places.
and stop fishing over known areas until spawning is over in the shallows as the fish can be seen your on the right track i feel.
Re: Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 11:04
by Andy Tibbott
OLDESOX wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12 2021 10:12 -
good thoughts we have made more spawning beds by introducing gravels in several places.
and stop fishing over known areas until spawning is over in the shallows as the fish can be seen your on the right track i feel.
The club that runs the back water I fish closes off the gravel bed and spawning area swims whilst the fish are spawning.
Re: Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 17:40
by Kev Berry
Pinkie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12 2021 09:33 -
Just a thought. Are we making barbel rivers worse by following the mantra, find a gravel bed, bait it up, etc. etc!??
I can't see any problems with this after July after the eggs have hatched.
Problem is early season barbel fishing. We all know barbel spawn late, and on gravel beds. So I was just thinking that perhaps locating gravel beds and covering them in pellets early season must have a bad knock on effect. Firstly, it will draw barbel and other fish like chub in to feed, as well as crays, all of which will eat the eggs. Secondly, uneaten pellets will rot and then possibly cause a depletion of oxygen around the eggs, possibly killing them.
So the question is, is early season carbolling killing our sport?
The question being asked, I'll refrain from posting on this thread and leave it to the experts!
dont know what river you fishing---but on the terence there are gravel beds everywhere but only a few that get used for spawning,
as for pellets rotting ---EVERYTHING eats them on the trent, even fry nibble at them, so I dont think any get chance to rot. Being on clean gravel also means they move as well---something the carbarbel lads have difficulty grasping when they pile 5k of bait in for the night
Re: Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 18:12
by davelumb
Kev Berry wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12 2021 17:40 -
Pinkie wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12 2021 09:33 -
Just a thought. Are we making barbel rivers worse by following the mantra, find a gravel bed, bait it up, etc. etc!??
I can't see any problems with this after July after the eggs have hatched.
Problem is early season barbel fishing. We all know barbel spawn late, and on gravel beds. So I was just thinking that perhaps locating gravel beds and covering them in pellets early season must have a bad knock on effect. Firstly, it will draw barbel and other fish like chub in to feed, as well as crays, all of which will eat the eggs. Secondly, uneaten pellets will rot and then possibly cause a depletion of oxygen around the eggs, possibly killing them.
So the question is, is early season carbolling killing our sport?
The question being asked, I'll refrain from posting on this thread and leave it to the experts!
dont know what river you fishing---but on the terence there are gravel beds everywhere but only a few that get used for spawning,
as for pellets rotting ---EVERYTHING eats them on the trent, even fry nibble at them, so I dont think any get chance to rot. Being on clean gravel also means they move as well---something the carbarbel lads have difficulty grasping when they pile 5k of bait in for the night
It'll be some piddling little southern river you could jump across with a trickle of a flow and only need half ounce leads to fish when it's pretending to be in flood.
Re: Gravel Beds/Barbel
Posted: Tue Jan 12 2021 18:41
by Pinkie
I fish the Thames mainly! Not much flow though over most of the gravel bars, apart from the weir pools in general. Plenty of good sized barbel if you know where to fish. But we do see more carpers these days. Some heavily bait up swims they've never fished before and then moan about just catching bream
.