Pearl barley has been used for fishing for a long time, because freshwater fish, which are not predatory species, simply adore it. The fisherman’s task is to prepare the bait in such a way that it has the optimal consistency and attracts peaceful inhabitants of lakes and rivers to the fishing spot.
There is nothing complicated about properly cooking pearl barley, although certain specifics need to be taken into account.
Cooking pearl barley
You can cook pearl barley for fishing in various ways. Recipes vary, but the requirements for cereals will always be the same: its grains must be large in size, peeled and white in color.
Pearl barley from the latest harvest will be the fisherman's best choice. The most common ways to prepare pearl barley for upcoming fishing are.
Method of cooking on the stove and in a pan
This is the most popular and easiest option for cooking fishing bait or bait, which consists of three stages:
- rinse the cereal and place it in a large, deep saucepan;
- add water to cover the pearl barley by 5–7 cm;
- Stir the pearl barley during cooking to ensure uniform temperature treatment.
The cooking process takes about an hour when using cold water, and about half an hour if boiling water was initially poured into the pan.
Steaming pearl barley in a thermos
The advantage of this method is that you can steam pearl barley right at the fishing spot, when the bait or complementary food is running low, but the bite continues. The cooking sequence is as follows:
- washing the cereal (1/4 part) and pouring boiling water over it (3/4 part of the total volume);
- steaming in a thermos for 2–3 hours;
- pouring pearl barley onto a cloth to free it from liquid.
The most important thing is that the cereal and all other ingredients for steaming are at hand at the right time.
Cooking cereals in a slow cooker
You can boil pearl barley in a slow cooker this way:
- place one portion of pearl barley and two portions of water into the multicooker;
- select the “Cooking” cooking mode (it may be called “Porridge”);
- Cook the pearl barley at medium power for 40 minutes.
Dry barley or “snotty”?
And one more question that worries fishing minds: should the bait be dry or with starch? Who knows? Let's just say that fish are not as aesthetic as people, so they perfectly absorb “wet” pearl barley. In addition, the inhabitants of reservoirs have an excellent sense of smell, and they detect the slightest fluctuations in aromas, including the smell of pearl starch.
Experienced fishermen still advise not to wash pearl barley for complementary feeding, but to use clean grains dried on a newspaper or sheet of paper for bait.
Soaking pearl barley
This procedure is used in cases where it is necessary to reduce the cooking time of pearl barley. First, the cereal is washed, after which it is filled with water and allowed to stand for 1–2 hours. For optimal soaking, a glass of pearl barley requires a liter of water.
It must be taken into account that during the soaking process the volume of pearl barley doubles, so the container must be selected of a suitable size. Soaking makes the beans tender and soft, even though only cold water is used.
Preparation of pearl barley
First of all, the barley itself needs to be properly prepared. The correct pearl barley for fishing is barley that is cooked to 85% readiness. That is, the pearl barley should be soft on the outside and hard on the inside.
The fisherman’s task is to properly boil the grain so that it stays on the hook
In this case, the pearl barley will stay well on the hook and will not fly off when casting.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to name the exact time for preparing such pearl barley, since the cereal comes in different varieties, which is why the cooking time depends.
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Use of flavorings in pearl barley
To make pearl barley even more attractive to fish and make them instantly react to the appearance of tasty food in the water, various flavorings are added to it. Pearl barley is able to perfectly absorb the odors that fish like, so you can safely add both liquid and dry ingredients to it. The list of the most common natural flavors includes:
- honey;
- vanilla;
- berry-based syrup;
- powdered chocolate or cocoa;
- vegetable oil;
- garlic.
For 50 g of finished pearl barley, add 5 g of honey or the same amount of vegetable oil. Vanillin is scooped onto the tip of a knife, and cocoa powder or chocolate will need half a teaspoon. The syrup is introduced until each grain is lightly and evenly coated.
A clove of garlic will be enough for this volume of porridge, and when using other spices (cinnamon, anise), add 1-2 pinches. Permissible deviations are not terrible, in addition, the fish will not refuse a combination of flavors.
However, some odors can completely ruin your fishing trip. When using pearl barley, your hands should not smell of tobacco or perfume, which can easily scare away fish. The same condition applies to gasoline.
Fishing flavors eliminate the pine smell, and in hot weather you should monitor the freshness of pearl barley more often, because its spoiled composition will have an extremely negative impact on the quality of the bite.
Fragrances for bait
Pearl barley porridge for fishing in the form of a bait can be used without adding flavor. But sometimes, for example, for catching crucian carp, it’s a good idea to use a flavoring in the form of dill, vanilla, macadamia, sunflower oil, garlic, anise or honey.
It is believed that if you add potato broth to the cereal, it will scare away small individuals and attract large crucian carp.
It is important to understand that the flavoring serves as an addition to the porridge and does not interrupt its smell. Strong aromas can repel fish. Flavorings must be of natural origin.
Let's celebrate! It is recommended to divide the porridge into several parts, then add different flavors to each part. This will help you understand which scent will be more in demand when fishing. Do not mix several additives so as not to spook the fish.
Features of pearl barley for different types of fish
For each type of fish, the recipe for making pearl barley will be different from one another, since all aquatic inhabitants have their own taste preferences.
For crucian carp
Crucian carp does not make great demands, so it can readily do simple porridge. As an additive, you can use vegetable oil, as well as honey, because fish really like its sweetish taste.
The recipe for making pearl barley will be as follows:
- Place the cereal, doused with water, on a small burner;
- Boil the pearl barley for an hour;
- First add oil to the porridge, then honey, and after stirring, let the pearl barley brew.
Crucian carp bite most actively on pearl barley, which contains honey, in sufficiently warm water.
For carp
Carp, on the contrary, is a picky fish, so it is simply necessary to attract it with the aromatic smell of pearl barley. You can use garlic, honey or vanillin. It is better to cook porridge in a thermos:
- Pour well-washed grains into a thermos;
- Prepare boiling water and pour in the grains;
- Add vanillin to create a pleasant aroma;
- Leave the pearl barley in the thermos (for 11 hours).
In summer, carp preferences are complemented by bait containing fruit scents.
For bream
For bream in each reservoir, the choice of additive may be different. In one lake it goes well with the smell of garlic, in another - with the aroma of anise. To cook pearl barley with garlic, you need:
- Pour water over the grains and, stirring the barley periodically, cook it for 45 minutes;
- Mash the garlic cloves and place them in a separate container with boiling water for 4 hours;
- Pour garlic infusion over barley.
In spring and autumn, fishermen can try adding animal components - worms or bloodworms - to pearl barley for bream.
For roaches
When preparing to catch roach, there are no particular difficulties with pearl barley: this fish is omnivorous when it comes to plant foods. But you can further increase the result of a good catch and prepare pearl barley with the addition of vanilla or anise:
- Pour water over the grains and cook for an hour with systematic stirring;
- When the pearl barley is cooked and there is almost no liquid left in the pan, turn off the heat and leave the porridge covered for another hour;
- Add anise.
To prevent the roach from knocking the pearl barley off the hook, its grains should be moderately soft.
Ide readily goes for pearl barley in spring and summer. You can use anise or vegetable oil as flavorings, and consider the recommendations given above for preparing pearl barley for roach as a recipe. You can also add a little sugar and salt to the mixture.
Rusks and flour for pearl barley
When preparing bait from pearl barley, you can use breadcrumbs and flour.
When the moisture has completely left the pearl barley steamed in a thermos, it should be transferred to a bowl. Then, mix with breadcrumbs until the grains no longer stick to each other. You can add cinnamon as a flavoring, after mixing it with breadcrumbs.
Note! Sunflower cake is considered the most attractive bait. You can buy it in the store or make it yourself from sunflower seeds. Bait in the form of a mixture of pearl barley and makuha will attract crucian carp, carp and bream.
How pearl barley is placed on a hook
To properly place the prepared pearl barley on the hook, each grain must be pierced in the middle. Here is a darker stripe with a characteristic dark color. This place in the rump is considered the strongest, providing the bait with a secure attachment to the hook.
The number of grains to attach depends on the size of the hook. Only one grain or even half of it is placed on small-sized equipment. As many grains are placed on large-sized hooks as the size of the product allows. The puncture is made directly in the middle of the grain or at a slight angle, with a slope.
How to choose grains for fishing?
The choice of cereals should be approached thoroughly; it is recommended to consider the following points:
- The more grain, the better. They must be peeled and have a white tint.
- For good bait you need fresh grits. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the packaging date.
- Do not use pearl barley grains if they have been accessible to rodents or if there are moths in them.
Note! The result of fishing depends on the bait, so it is worth spending a little time to choose a quality product.
Pearl barley bait
When fishing with pearl barley, you should remember the golden rule of fishermen: feed the fish with the same thing that is currently hooked. Porridge as bait will be needed even before the starting cast: it needs to be thrown into the water in large balls. During fishing, bait is added in small portions.
You cannot feed the fish too generously, otherwise this process will become fattening. However, the volume of prepared pearl barley can be 10 kg or more of the mixture. Cereals for bait are prepared at home, and it is better to take water and soil for the composition from the reservoir directly at the fishing site.
Pearl barley prepared for fishing must be protected from drying out. An ordinary small glass jar with a plastic lid is suitable for this. For two days, pearl barley can be used as bait, then only as bait. By following all the tips given, you can expect an active bite while fishing, which will bring the angler an excellent catch and a great mood.
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! All about fishing for pasta
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.
Anise and vanilla
In last place are these two additives. Pisces will react well to them depending on their mood.
Sometimes there is a crazy bite for anise or vanillin, and sometimes they won’t even approach the bait table.
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