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How to Fish For Chub
"If there's one fish you can rely on to feed no matter how cold it gets, it's the chub.” - Specimen Angler, Phil Spinks
As Phil puts it, chub are a keen feeder in the winter months so if you are looking for a reliable catch as we begging the 2023 fishing season, this article is for you. In this chub fishing guide, we will cover some of the essentials for targeting one of the more challenging river fish in Europe!
What is a Chub?
Known as a fish in the carp family, the chub may look similar to a dace, but its fins are larger and redder. The Chub can also be distinguished by its rounded body, blunt snout, yellow-white underbelly, and a very large mouth.
How to catch a chub
1. Picking a well-covered location
2. Try the Trotting method
3. Fish off the top (surface fishing)
4. Pick strong tackle
5. Targeting chub an hour prior to sunset and sunrise.
Read the Top 5 Tips to Chub fishing in full.
You can also spot some of our best tips for chub fish in the UK, in the following video.
Where to catch Chub?
When it comes to chub fishing, location is paramount, after all, you can't catch them if they are not there. Chubs gather in large shoals and are found swimming near the surface of low-land rivers and streams.
“Its starts with trying to find some slack water, from inside the bends, behind trees. Chub won’t be particularly happy sitting a fast flow.” - Phil Spinks on Catching BIG Chub
For winter fishing of chub, your location is even more important for success. You should look for cover such as snags, weed rafts, and undercut banks as well as a drop-off. Chub are also present in areas of slower water and creases in the main flow of water.
Coarse Fishing Near Me
If you need some inspiration for where to go chub fishing, the AD team in our fishing stores are happy to suggest some locations.
How Do You Fish for Chub?
If you are wondering how to fish for a specimen-sized chub, you can find expert advice in one of Phil Spink Specimen Series videos below!
Some key tips that Phil mentions for specimen chub fishing are:
“I like to think I am fishing for big chub, but the first step is catching a chub…the key is to keep on the move until you find the right spot.”
“Location is everything…I put a piece of cheese paste on and cast it out into the slack water behind these bushes and it could not have been in the water no longer than 30 seconds!”
“If you cast out a bit of cheese paste in the right spot, your [rod] tips pull right round and you're connected to your first chub!”
“If I have caught a chub out of a particular swim, it always pays to take it a bit further down the river when you put [the chub] back…if you put it back in the exact same swim it can spook other fish that were likely to be there.”
Best Bait for Chub
Angling Direct’s very own expert angler; David Rosemeier shared his ideas for picking the best chub baits this winter.
“I always find it exciting when you can use bait that you already have in the fridge. Possible chub baits would be sausage meat, cheese, liver paste, shrimp or prawns!”
If using items at home for fishing bait to cut down your food waste is something of interest to you, be sure to check out our article that suggests more food items you can use for fishing bait!
“If I had to choose just one bait for chub fishing during the winter it would definitely be cheese paste.”
What Baits to Chub Eat?
If you are an angler that enjoyed giving some free bait offerings that are also nutritional to fish, it is worth noting that chub enjoy maggots and casters, especially in the colder months!
For 3 more great Winter Chub Baits, check out the video below where not only do we share the best bait for chub but the best times and situations to use that bait.
Chub Fishing Equipment
When targeting chub you may be best picking up a strong carp fishing rod and carp fishing reel or fishing tackle designed for specimen fish. The reason for the stronger tackle is down to chub fighting hard when hooked, especially when fishing in running water.
Chub also aren’t particularly line-shy fish so ensure you have the adequate specimen fishing tackle to prevent them from burring you in snags or freeing themselves from your hook. A nice balanced setup is a must when packing your chub fishing tackle. Pack a minimum of a 5lb line, especially if the chub are larger in size on your particular venue.
You can also find sensible fishing tackle for chub in our Coarse Fishing Rods and Coarse Fishing Reels selections on AD online!
Chub Fishing Rigs
Like your fishing rods, reels and line for chub fishing, your chub rigs need to be strong and durable enough to withstand the pull you may get once a chub goes for your bait. With this in mind, we show you how to tie the perfect chub fishing rig in the video below. This chub fishing rig is arguably the most effective fishing rig for chub as it is easy to tie and popular on the UK rivers.
Winter can be a tricky time to fish, but if you know where to look and what techniques to use, you can have a lot of success. Pike and carp are two great options for winter fishing, but if you are struggling for bites or want to try something different, head to the rivers for chub!
Chub are a reliable bite in the colder months and can be caught using a variety of methods. For more information on how to target chub this winter, you can always pop to your local Angling Direct fishing store for how to improve your coarse fishing from the AD team!
Before you get started with coarse fishing this season, be sure to pick up the correct coarse fishing licence. You can find out more about what fishing licence you need in our guide.