Pearl barley is one of the favorite delicacies of crucian carp, roach, ide and bream. Many fishermen prefer this product because it can act as both groundbait and bait. This means you don’t have to waste time preparing several dishes at once. There are fishermen who, when deciding to use pearl barley, are afraid to experiment by feeding river inhabitants only with it. In fact, no one forbids combining this porridge with various other attachments if it brings good results.
Important! This combination is very useful when the bite is not going well.
Before you cook pearl barley for fishing, you should prepare all the necessary ingredients so that later it does not turn out that something is missing.
To do this you need to take:
- 1 glass of clean pearl barley (the cereal should not contain any worms or other unpleasant nuances);
- 6 glasses of water;
- 0.5 tsp salt;
- sugar (optional);
- 2 tbsp. regular sunflower oil;
- 2 tsp honey.
How to prepare pearl barley for fishing
There is far more than one recipe for preparing cereal, but fishermen most often use the one presented below.
It is like this:
- The pearl barley is poured into a sieve, and then thoroughly washed in warm running water.
- After this, the cereal must be poured into a saucepan in which it will be cooked, add the required amount of prepared water and put on fire.
- While boiling, you will need to add salt and sugar to the water.
- The cereal is cooked for at least 40 minutes. All this time you need to make sure that it does not stick to the bottom of the container.
- Having realized that the porridge is cooked, add sunflower oil and honey to it, and then remove it from the heat and set it aside for several hours.
After complete cooling, the porridge can be safely taken with you fishing.
Important! If all the water has not evaporated from the pearl barley porridge, the remaining liquid is poured out, and the future delicacy is put on the fire for a couple more minutes to “dry out” a little.
When you come fishing, it is recommended to add a whole head of garlic and a little anise oil to the porridge. This delicacy is best used as bait, because it will attract all river inhabitants.
Secret recipes for catchy pearl barley
Experienced fishermen know that every fish likes its own smell. Peaceful fish are simply “crazy” about sweet aromas, so fishermen add various sweets to their baits and baits. We will add honey to the mixture. It is sweet, smells good, and will effectively lure fish to the desired location. There is no need to feel sorry for the honey - every grain should be soaked, but at the final stage all that remains is to mix everything thoroughly.
Read! Mayfly larva (granny)
Barley with breading and honey
When a fisherman picks up a bait made from grain with honey, his hands become sticky. To avoid this, sprinkle the porridge with breading, dry semolina or ground cookies. She becomes, as it were, “shaggy”. This is where the name comes from. And the grains are easier to separate from each other, and the aroma is more piquant.
Barley with seeds
It is not necessary to resort to chemical methods in the process of preparing bait - fishing experience shows that this can be avoided. You only need to add a little ground and pre-roasted sunflower seeds during cooking. Thus, grains of pearl barley will become much more aromatic and attractive to the inhabitants of the reservoir. In addition, when immersed in water, small grains will peel off from the grains, which will additionally attract fish.
Salted pearl barley is better
Salt is a flavor enhancer, so a little salt in the porridge will not be too much. The main thing is not to overdo it with the amount and add salt wisely. A pinch is enough for a liter jar of the composition. However, many fishermen do not add salt to the bait at all, and do not complain about their catches.
How to steam porridge in a thermos
If you don’t have a stove at home or don’t want to bother for a long time, then you can simply steam pearl barley for fishing. It must be said that this method has enough of its fans, so it will work no worse than the previous one. The main advantage is that this method can be easily used even in nature.
And again, before preparing porridge, you should stock up on the following elements:
- One thermos.
- 400 grams of cereal.
It must be said that you can steam pearl barley in a thermos quite quickly. To do this, pour the cereal into a container, and then immediately pour boiling water over it.
Important! The thermos should not be full to capacity, because then the cereal will not have room to swell.
The porridge will take about two to three hours to cook. During this time, the container should not be opened. After cooling, you can safely start using the treat.
If you want the pearl barley to smell better, then you can add some aromatic oil to it, which will create a special cloud in the water that attracts fish.
What can you fish with?
Pearl barley for fishing is in particular demand. However, in addition to this, you can use other ingredients that fish also bite well. We are talking about an assortment that is often used by experienced people.
The cooking recipe may be different, but again it is better to listen to the advice of fishermen who constantly use porridge.
In this case, you will need the following products:
- 1 part pearl barley;
- 2 tablespoons semolina;
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil;
- 1 dessert spoon of yellow food coloring;
- a third of a glass of unroasted sunflower seeds;
- 3 parts drinking water.
In this case, the bait should be boiled and not steamed. I would like to immediately note that pearl barley for crucian carp is a grain that is always cooked for at least 50 minutes, so it is impossible to assume that half an hour is enough. During this time, the grains will not even have time to cook halfway.
To prepare the mix, pour the prepared water into a small saucepan. After it boils, pour pearl barley into it. As soon as the cereal begins to boil, semolina and dye are added to it. Next, add the seeds and add sunflower oil. After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, you will need to keep them on the fire for about 10 minutes. You need to make sure that the porridge acquires a yellow tint and begins to smell pleasantly like seeds. If this does not happen, then you can let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
After preparing the porridge, there is no need to rush and try to cool it faster. On the contrary, the treat should be wrapped in some kind of warm blanket or towel and left in this state for a couple of hours. During this time, the porridge will infuse and at the same time cool a little.
It must be said that such pearl barley bait, which includes additional components, has a viscous consistency. However, in this case, this only benefits the fisherman, because it will be possible to easily make instant boilies from the porridge. And avid fishermen know that these will definitely attract big fish.
How to properly attach pearl barley to a hook
From all of the above, we can conclude that preparing pearl barley for fishing is not a difficult task if you set your sights and follow simple steps. However, this is not enough for fishing to take place. You should also know how to properly place this pearl barley on a hook so that it does not “slip” or get wet when it comes into contact with water.
It must be said that it is not a porridge-like mixture that is planted that will go into bait, but rather ready-made grains. To do this, several of the most appetizing ones are selected, and then the hook tip is pierced along the axis line. If the pearl barley is cooked correctly, then everything will be done the first time.
Some fishermen who are just learning the basics of the science of fishing are worried about how long the finished porridge can be stored if they had to cook pearl barley for fishing in advance, for example, and the event was postponed due to the weather. If the refrigerator is very good and freezes strongly, the cereal can stay in it for 3 or even 4 days. After this, there is usually some smell that the fish is unlikely to like. Of course, such a delicacy is suitable as bait, but it is definitely not suitable for bait. Therefore, if the next fishing trip is not planned for the next few days, then it is better to cook new pearl barley porridge.
Choosing pearl barley
A tasty and nutritious bait characterized by a pleasant aroma, the role of which pearl barley porridge can pretend to provide, allows you to ensure a high-quality and decent catch of bream. To prepare a catchy mixture, the fisherman must not only try hard at the stove, but also, first of all, choose the right product. Few people know, but not all pearl barley is suitable for the fishing process. Only properly prepared porridge of the right size and consistency can provide a good bite.
Important! Dark-colored grains, even with high-quality preparation, do not arouse proper interest from the fish. In addition, cooking such cereals will require much more time.
When choosing a product, experts advise paying attention to the following factors:
- the cereal must be of the latest harvest, fresh, completely freed from grain husks;
- the grains must be white and large enough;
- pearl barley should have a pleasant aroma, without the smell of dampness or rottenness;
- grains should not contain any impurities, moths, insect larvae, etc.
It is also recommended to pay attention to expiration dates when purchasing a product. You cannot use expired cereal, as it is characterized by an unpleasant taste and aroma that will scare away the fastidious bream. Pearl barley for fishing should be of the highest quality, light, almost snow-white in color.
What kind of fish are caught with pearl barley?
Many people compare barley grain to a pearl - a special treasure, and this is not without reason. The fact is that porridge is so nutritious, it contains so many useful ingredients that you need to eat it every day. Perhaps that’s why, or perhaps not, but many river inhabitants liked this delicacy. And we are talking not only about carp, but also about roach, bream, crucian carp and many other representatives of the fish family. Therefore, when going fishing, you can try how fishing with pearl barley will go and what kind of fish it will be interested in.
Pearl barley as bait
As for the bait, this is understandable, but what about the bait. Fishermen have one golden rule, which concerns the fact that it is necessary to feed the fish with the same thing that will be on the hook. Therefore, this rule cannot be forgotten. And if so, then you need to consider several recipes for preparing bait, which includes pearl barley and other ingredients.
Recipe one - with peas
You need to take a pan and pour 1 cup of peas into it, and then add 4 cups of flour there. After boiling, the cereal needs to be cooked for about an hour until it becomes like a puree. After this, you can add a little pearl barley and cook it until tender. The finished mass should be thick so as not to become limp in the feeder. Upon arrival for fishing, you have the opportunity to use this delicacy as an independent dish or mix it with some store-bought bait mixtures. It must be said that in this case, not only fishing for crucian carp with pearl barley works well, but also for bream and carp.
Recipe two - with millet
One portion of pearl barley must be filled with six portions of water. Next, the container should be placed on the fire and cooked until the cereal begins to boil. After this, you will need to add a little sunflower oil and any flavorings at your own discretion. All this aromatic porridge should brew for at least about 15 minutes.
Read how to cook millet for fishing in different ways and how to use it effectively in practice.
If you add a little more corn grits and barley to this mixture, you will get “salapinka”, which is ideal for bream.
If the pearl barley is not suitable for catching crucian carp, it will certainly be suitable for catching any other fish.
What ingredients may be needed
The bait can be prepared with various natural flavors. The following is added to the finished grains to attract the attention of fish:
- refined oil;
- cinnamon;
- vanilla;
- sunflower seeds;
- garlic;
- ready concentrate;
- garlic;
- ground coriander;
- honey;
- anise;
- berry syrup.
We recommend reading: Bait for perch in winter
Important ! You should never mix too many scents. In cold water, the listed additives are used to a minimum.
