Big bream

[poledark]

Here you go a spod that comes in backwards. Made my own about 20 years ago, but I am sure I copied someone elses idea.

 

 

Den

[Steve Walker]

Did that years ago Steve, and across a lake 60yds wide. Thats why I try to minimise the movement.

Let me know how you get on

 

Will do - I'm happy to take your word that it does it, I just want to see how it does it!

[Anderoo]

Cheers Den, yes, that's just like the one Alex made (with the point of the hook snipped off). I'm going to make one and give it a go next time out. If it works, it might prove to be a bit of a breakthrough.

 

(To be clear, I know the spod coming in backwards will work, I don't know what the baiting will be like! I'll give it a good testing in a deep, clear margin.)

[poledark]

Andrew, the "hook" is just a bit of stiff wire, nothing fancy.

 

Den

[Kappa]

I don't know what the baiting will be like!

 

The trick will be to carefully match the groundbait mix and the spod's buoyancy. A heavy mix in that distance spod does sink it but it has to be a stiff enough mix to withstand the cast. Maybe you can make a adjustable buoyancy spod or just fine tune your mix?

 

Rich

[lutra]

You could always buy a spod that comes in nose first. Like den says they are not a new idea, i had a bought one 10 years ago. You might even get one in Oxford now.

 

When it comes to spods and bream fishing I think the smaller the better. Ive use one i made out of a large feeder a lot for close in work (up to 50yards depending on wind), so long as the water is not to shallow they don't seem to mind it on their heads.

[Anderoo]

You might even get one in Oxford now.

 

 

My first experiment will be to just trim the bouyant nose cone of a normal spod into a point. This will make it more aerodynamic and make it lose some bouyancy. If that works, brilliant. If it doesn't, I'll have to add weight and go for the 'bring in backwards' option.

 

I don't want it to sink like a stone, I just want it to sink slowly so I can give it 5 seconds to get through the first few feet of water and drift, and then shake all the goodies out, so that there's enough distance still to fall to the bottom that you get the 'dusting' of groundbait, using a fairly dry mix.

 

I'm not too worried about spooking them Lutra, I'll be baiting up at about lunchtime and then leaving it until late afternoon before casting. With the amount I want to put out, a smaller spod would just prolong the disturbance.

[Steve Walker]

I don't want it to sink like a stone, I just want it to sink slowly so I can give it 5 seconds to get through the first few feet of water and drift, and then shake all the goodies out, so that there's enough distance still to fall to the bottom that you get the 'dusting' of groundbait, using a fairly dry mix.

 

Remember the Cartesian Diver? I think you could use that effect to make a spod that sinks to a fixed depth and then automatically upends.

[lutra]

I'm not too worried about spooking them Lutra, I'll be baiting up at about lunchtime and then leaving it until late afternoon before casting. With the amount I want to put out, a smaller spod would just prolong the disturbance.

I think thats where are approaches differ Anderoo. As i said somewhere in here before, i believe large areas of bait to be counter productive as it can be slow to get bites, but not line bites and I'm convinced bream that have been caught before on baited areas will be reluctant to feed on this.

[Dick Dastardly]

Anderoo your now seeing what I have found to be one of the hardest "technical" problems with big bream fishing. Without a boat its just so hard to bait up in the desired way at any range.I think its no coincidence that my best results have come when I have been able to use a boat or be able to fish under 30m when it can be "balled" in.

 

Ive had similar problems when using mass particle baits at diostance for carp.Yes there are some great bait delivery systems but they all create small mounds of bait or as in the case of the spod and "dry mix" leave you with no control!

 

I think your on the right lines though with either the "sinking spod" or Richs ideas about different consistancy groundbaits. Coarse mixes can be dampened to make them heavier and therefore sink quicker but you have to obviously bear in mind coarser mixes could defeat the whole point by providinbg too much food. Something that can be introduced in a relatively coarse/heavy form but breaks down very quickly would be worth looking at (?).Do you remember those things the carp lads were using a short while back? Something along those lines crushed down a bit first?

 

Im really struggling here as its stopping me from either A) feeding the longer range swims like I want to or forcing me to fish closer in to be able to bait like I want to.

 

At the moment I plan to give the closer in but balling in with an "active" mix aproach another go.