River Fishing Tips | Is it worth prebaiting for barbel? - Martin Bowler
The answer to that question is a resounding yes, provided the river isn’t in heavy flood.
I often prebait with groundbait balls in summer, before leaving the swim for a few hours – or even overnight – for the fish to find the free grub and gain confidence.
Leave the swim for a few hours or even overnight for barbel to gain confidence
Depending on the depth, flow and pace, I’ll typically throw the balls five to 10 yards upstream of the spot I intend to fish.
You can use whatever bait you want, and my typical mix consists of Sticky Krill Active Mix, pellet crumb, trout pellets and Ellipse pellets. Six orange-sized balls are normally enough to work the oracle, and I’ve had some great results on rivers such as the Wye and Trent using this tactic.
Martin Bowler is no stranger to catching big barbel