Best winter bait/method for Roach

[Santiago]

Thanks! I think silkweed might be best early summer! Anyways the lock gate where it grows is still well under water!

[Dave Burr]

Not wishing to cause an argument but silkweed is traditionally a late summer/autumn method but, if there's some available its worth a try.

[Tengisgol]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet but liquidised bread as groundbait if the water is quite slow moving.

I take a fresh loaf and, two to three slices at a time, liquidise them down to a fluffy crumb. You need to tear those slices into quarters before you put them into the machine and then hold and sometimes turn/shake the liquidiser to keep it all moving. One liquidised fresh loaf is often enough for a whole day's loose feed. The big benefit is that it is a great attractor but without filling 'em up. I introduce it in walnut to tangerine sized balls. Squeeze them hard and throw them in. They will float for a few seconds then plummet into the depths breaking up as they do.

Fish over the top with a held back float tripping the bottom, fingernail piece of flake squeezed over a ten or twelve medium wire hook. Lovely, my very favourite type of fishing!

Good luck!

[Moley]

Try wet but liquidised bread as this gets down to the bottom quicker than the totally dry liccie, for your feed/Groundbait. About a Walnut Sized ball to Kick-start the swim. Top up when the swim goes quiet as usually this is just the fish backing off from the feeding zone after a few have been caught.

Punched bread at this time of year is the option I would look at first to see if any Roach are about perhaps upping the Punch size or using flake if they are taking the bait well and competing.

Maggots and worms in the type of swim mentioned will attract Perch.....fine if you are fishing for them. But not good if you want to catch Roach only. Maggots in my experience will give you a mixed bag.

If a mixed bag is what you want, Red Maggots seem to be the better option. Don't ask me why, they just are!

Personally I prefer to float fish as it gives me something pleasant to watch. Start with the Hook just touching bottom, then vary the depth up or down to locate the level the Roach are at and be prepared to move the tell tale shots about too....it really can make a difference!

Having said that though a small feeder and light Feeder Rod can be very effective in the right hands too.

Why not try both (not at the same time though) and see which gives the better results, as very often at this time of year it can pay to change presentation to guage what the fish want. But if using the Feeder, a word of warning, watch the amount of feed you put in because over doing it really can put Roach off easily

I hope this is some help and good luck with your Roach quest....they really are the most splendid of fish!

As ever,......

Mole Power!!!

[Santiago]

Thanks, I'll be happy to catch any thing! ! I blanked last weekend on a lake full of carp, so hopefully the warmer weather will bring on the fish!

[Phil Arnott]

Bread flake for 8oz+ roach else for smaller roach bread punch or maggot with a little accurate groundbaiting.

If a pole can be used then it will almost always beat other methods.

Both fishing still on the bottom or slowly running through are worth trying. One time when fishing a local river the roach would take a moving bait until 3:00 pm after which time they would only take a still bait. Strange things fish!