Processed Baits
There are many processed baits available for the angler. One of the most common is bread which is used in several forms.
Luncheon Meats
Luncheon meat is now one of the standard baits for many species, particularly chub and barbel. You can take good chub on all varieties of tinned meats, including luncheon meat, bacon grill, and chopped ham and pork. All these meats can be used successfully straight from the tin, and for chubbing use 3/4 in (2 cm) cubes.
You must not, however, fall in to the trap of leaving the same bit of meat on the hook all day if there have been no bites. This is a common mistake made by anglers. Most meats of this type, if they have not been specially flavoured, soon lose their natural smells and become bland and very unappealing.
If you opt to use a flavoured variety of meat, the base brand does not really matter. The most important factor is the texture and toughness of the meat: it also must be tough enough to withstand casting without flying off the hook.
Many anglers use luncheon meat baits on ridiculously small hooks, and then complain that the meat keeps falling off. If you are going to use ‘h in (1 cm) or 3/4 in (2 cm) cubes of meat, use a hook matched to the size of the bait, a minimum being a size 6. To hook the meat, push the hook bend through the bait, and then twist and pull the hook point back into the meat along a different line.
If you use this method of attaching the meat it will not fly off, and the hook will pull easily through on the strike provided you have selected your meat brand correctly.
Sausage
Sausage was a much-used bait for barbel on the River Thames years ago, although many chub, roach and bream were tempted by it. There are two ways of using sausage: either a portion of sausage itself or a paste made of the meat. If using the sausage solely, it is best to use the skinned variety, as the skinless tend to be too soft and fall apart too easily. When using skinned sausages, however, take care to hook them in such a way that the skin does not impede hook penetration.
Spicy Sausage
Sticks of spicy sausage meat, such as pepperami, are readily available from most supermarkets, and are convenient change baits, requiring no preparation and keeping indefinitely if they are in an unopened packet. Break off a chunk, flatten one end to put the hook through and you have a superb bait. As it has a tough skin, you need to pare this away with a sharp knife where the hook is to be inserted. If you wanted to experiment there are many other flavoured sausages that could be used as bait.
