Big bream

[Dick Dastardly]

I say carp water as I believe the extra food will be the ultimate factor.Of course What Im really thinking is that the ultimate LKSD,SB water will be a classic one regards LSD and water quality but also have carp anglers piling the bait in! I think we both know of one such water that could have fitted in to this category were the rules/management policy different! But of course Im only guessing.

 

As for the quality of bait going in. Initially HP/HNV baits were of a very high quality.A lot of their "design" had a lot of thought go into them to achieve a "balanced" diet. Then with the appearance of "shop brought" I believe the quality in general went down,Far more thought devoted to ensuring longer shelf life's etc than nutritional balance.This period of time also saw any carp bait makers (and users) questioning the need for the HNV approach and even if the real (if not only) factor was that the base mix carried and released the all important flavour/smell well.Even the father of HP/HNV baits Fred Wilton questioned his own beliefs! He said to me once that maybe just maybe carp simply liked the taste of milk proteins! Some of the pretty low nutritional value baits and high carbohydrate baits ("crap baits") such as Semolina mixes were extremely effective catchers purely due to their excellent flavour carrying/releasing properties. The actual contents of the baits I used to get given from one company (and I caught very well on) were certainly (by the accepted lore) "crap baits" which really relied heavily on flavour.

 

That said its a long time (best part of 15-20 years now) since I was in the bait "loop" so to be honest dont really know what the modern trend is.Maybe the quality (nutritionally) has improved again? or it could have remained the same just that there is far more going in now (simply due to more people carping).

 

Sorry I cant add anything else firmer but carp wise Im a bit of a "has been" now!

[Anderoo]

That's interesting - thanks Budgie.

 

On the point about carp simply liking milk proteins, etc. I often wonder whether fish actually find plastic/rubber baits attractive in some way? I know they are effective because of bouyancy and visibility, but perhaps there's something else to it?

 

It's been interesting re-reading this topic, it's taken me more than 90 pages and 3 years to get over my fake baits for bream hang-up!

[lutra]

But surely Brian this is what enables them to get to this size?

Yes, but I'm just not sure you would class all the waters i know an odd 15 to have come from as SB waters. Some of them have a lot more bream (big bream) in them than kind of SB waters i think you might be used to.

[lutra]

Yes, but I'm just not sure you would class all the waters i know an odd 15 to have come from as SB waters. Some of them have a lot more bream (big bream) in them than kind of SB waters i think you might be used to.

What I'm trying to say Budgie is not only has the bream record gone through the roof in the last 20 years (6lb+ ?), but if you look at some of the doubles waters with better numbers of bream in......... 15lb isn't the amazing weight it once was.

 

No I'm not saying they can or do average 15lb on these waters, but it seems to me that it's not a case of SB waters and shoal bream waters as there are waters that sit in the middle of the two.

[Dick Dastardly]

Most definately mate. The real thing IMO about SB/LSD waters is the massive average size.

[BreamBoi]

Hi im new to feeder fishing as i been carp fishing for about 6 months now and i decided to take up a diffrent method ..

 

i caught a 6lb 11oz bream a few days ago at my local fishery in iver , bucks ( farlows fishery ) useing a free running rig with a small cage feeder which contained silver x super bream groundbait with some hemp and corn in the mix also .. with a size 14 hook with a hair onit ..

the hair bait i first used sweetcorn but i only was pulling out small bream in the regionof 2lb - 3lb then i switched to luncheon meat after 3-4 hours n not long after casting i pulled the 6lb bream out ..

 

if you have any tips for me it would help alot thanks

[Steve Burke]

Just started re-reading this whole fascinating topic. In fact this makes the third time, and each time I learn something.

 

For that reason I'm bringing it to the top.

[Barry C]

To much for us mere mortals to take in in one hit. I just hope some of it sticks.

[Tigger]

Has anyone got any thoughts on why we have waters like this? What i mean is Why have they not bred and these places turned into skimmer city? What makes a water a big bream water?

 

 

A friend of mine who does the ecological studies for British waterways was involved in a fish rescue on a large reservoir not to long ago and the fish situation was pretty dire. The water contained mostly stunted fish but a few large perch and bream. He said you could see by looking at the bream that they where past their sell by date having large bulbos eyes sunken bodies etc and to old to reproduce. Apparrantly there where no skimmer bream in the water ! Many people blamed the cormorants but apparrantly this wasn't the case. My friend reckons the dire state of the fish population was due to lack of food and that the reservoir hadn't been re stocked for a very long period. Due to the fact that it was/is a man made reservoir it had stone built sides and a silt bottom but very little or practically no plant growth at all. This produced an enviroment that was pretty void of food so now after draining the water they're putting in fish hide outs in the form of large iron mesh type cubes etc and planting areas of water plants etc to stimulate invertibrates and water creatures for the fish to feed on.

 

I have no idea about Winghams bream situation regarding breeding but possibly the bream will actually just die out in time unless re stocked.....what do you think Steve?

I know gravel pits are supposed to be full of food but are they full of food throughout the year or is it mainly seasonal and then very meagre pickings. Perch and pike on the other hand can thrive on eating fry of the roach, rudd and themselves etc so shouldn't suffer the same fate as the bream. The tench seem to do ok but is that not because they can out compete the bream.

Steve what's your thoughts on it ?

[John Weddup]

A friend of mine who does the ecological studies for British waterways was involved in a fish rescue on a large reservoir not to long ago and the fish situation was pretty dire. The water contained mostly stunted fish but a few large perch and bream. He said you could see by looking at the bream that they where past their sell by date having large bulbos eyes sunken bodies etc and to old to reproduce. Apparrantly there where no skimmer bream in the water ! Many people blamed the cormorants but apparrantly this wasn't the case. My friend reckons the dire state of the fish population was due to lack of food and that the reservoir hadn't been re stocked for a very long period. Due to the fact that it was/is a man made reservoir it had stone built sides and a silt bottom but very little or practically no plant growth at all. This produced an enviroment that was pretty void of food so now after draining the water they're putting in fish hide outs in the form of large iron mesh type cubes etc and planting areas of water plants etc to stimulate invertibrates and water creatures for the fish to feed on.

 

I have no idea about Winghams bream situation regarding breeding but possibly the bream will actually just die out in time unless re stocked.....what do you think Steve?

I know gravel pits are supposed to be full of food but are they full of food throughout the year or is it mainly seasonal and then very meagre pickings. Perch and pike on the other hand can thrive on eating fry of the roach, rudd and themselves etc so shouldn't suffer the same fate as the bream. The tench seem to do ok but is that not because they can out compete the bream.

Steve what's your thoughts on it ?

 

 

Hi Tigger

 

is this a drinking water reservoir?.

 

If so please see my alton water post.

 

John