You can’t afford to ignore meat – Steve Ringer

Match ace Steve Ringer reveals why luncheon meat is his number one commercial bait and how you can use it to catch more fish

IF I WAS forced to choose just one bait to use on commercials then it would be good old-fashioned luncheon meat! Over the years, it has caught me more fish than any other bait. Better still, it’s not only carp that will eat it – skimmers, F1s, tench and barbel all love the stuff. And the best news of all? As far as carp are concerned, it always tends to pick out a better stamp of fish.

Choosing the right cutter

I have three different cutters ters – a 4mm which I use for fish like e small skimmers and sometimestimes as feed for F1s, a 6mm which is the size I use the most, t, and an 8mm for the bigger er cubes. My y 6mm cutter is an old one from Fisherman’s Friend tackle shop which actually produces meat cubes that are nearer 7mm. I have ve noticed that some 6mm cutters produce meat cubes smaller than 6mm, too small in fact, so it’s well worth checking if you’re buying a 6mm cutter that the cubes are of the correct claimed size. I use the bigger cubes more for rod and line work although there have been odd occasions when I’ve used them on the pole. This is normally the case when I’m targeting big carp at venues where double-figure fish are likely.

Which meat?

For me there is only one choice and that is Plumrose. It has a lower fat content in comparison to other meats so it always sinks and it has a firm texture for hooking. However, it isn’t so hard that you can’t strike through it. I really can’t fault it.

How big are the cubes?

The smallest 4mm meat is primarily for smaller fish and F1s on snake lakes. Next size up – 6mm – is my favourite and one I use for 90 per cent of my meat fishing. I will even use it when targeting big skimmers. I use the biggest 8mm cubes for both hook and feed when fishing the straight lead. These can also be used on the pole when small fish have become a nuisance. Another type of meat I use is ‘meaty mush’. This basically involves putting the meat through a 6mm cutter twice. First, cut the meat into 6mm cubes and then put the cubes back through the cutter again so that I have lots of little bits and pieces. This mush is great for feeding in shallow water because it creates a fish-holding cloud loved by carp and F1s.

Colouring meat

Colouring meat took off a few years back with red meat winning matches all over the country. It’s a tactic that seems to have been forgotten, though, which is strange as it’s one that still catches me a lot of big carp. On venues which are highly coloured a red cube of meat on the hook will produce a bite quicker than a normal cube. I always colour half a pint of meat red so I can feed the occasional cube and use it on the hook too. Colouring meat red is very easy and, unsurprisingly, I do mine with Ringers Red Liquid. Not only does this colour the meat, it also releases a strong shellfish flavour. Of course, you don’t have to use red. Yellow is another colour that has caught me a lot of carp, especially in water that is on the clear side because it’s so visible.

Baits to use with meat Hookbaits

I have enjoyed a lot of success ‘dump-potting’ meat and casters together when targeting big skimmers and carp. I don’t fish casters on the hook in this situation but just use them to pull and hold the skimmers in the swim. Carp also love the crunch of a big, fresh caster! There are loads of hookbait variations from a big 8mm cube to tiny pieces of mushed-up meat. For me it’s all about chopping and changing until I work out what’s right on the day. For instance, when feeding 6mm cubes I catch lots of carp fishing two 6mm cubes on the hook. Equally if I’m missing bites half a 6mm cube can be a deadly hookbait. Then of course there’s red meat which makes a great change bait so the important point is to give yourself options and keep mixing things up if bites start to dry up but you believe there are still fish in the swim.

Punched meat

I don’t use punched meat on the pole because I prefer to fish on the hook exactly what I’m feeding – so it’s cubes all the way. For rod-and-line work though, punched meat takes some beating, in particular when fishing the Method or Hybrid feeder. Punched meat sits on the hair a lot better and there is less risk of it coming off. Its shape is also more suited to moulding inside a method ball without being damaged. Size-wise, 8mm is my favourite for Method hookbaits but at times I have stepped up to 10mm at venues such as Boddington. Punched meat can also be very good on the straight lead as a change bait, again in 8mm or 10mm. While you can feed meat on its own, more often than not I’ll use it in conjunction with other baits, either hemp, corn or casters. Hemp is a great settling bait which I introduce at the start of a session to form a bed over which I will then feed meat. After the initial feed, I won’t feed hemp again unless I start to get silly indications or foul-hook a few fish. If this happens I will then put in another pot of hemp and rest the swim for five minutes to try and get the fish to settle once more. I don’t like feeding hemp on a little-and-often basis as I feel carp can get preoccupied with it. Sweetcorn is another great bait to feed with meat and on some venues I actually mix the two together. Corn is heavy and if I’m fishing in deep water, feeding it is a good way of keeping the carp on the deck while still fishing meat on the hook. Feeding the two together also gives me an extra hookbait option because I can fish either bait on the hook.

Colouring meat red still catches me a lot of fish. Yellow also works well

Cubes and slivers of meat can be hooked in various combinations to give plenty of options

Use yellow baits for geat visibility when you are fishing into water that’s on the clear side

Steve uses three cutters – 4mm, 6mm and 8mm – to cover most situations

Sweetcorn, luncheon meat and hemp can be used in a variety of combinations – but take care

Steve rarely uses punched meat on the pole although it’s great for the rod and line