The Coach Match ace Jamie Hughes’ essential advice for catching more bream
THIS WEEK: Switch to a Method feeder and catch more bream
BREAM fishing used to be exclusively about chucking a groundbait feeder at range, but in recent years all that has changed.
There is no doubt that old school tactics are still highly effective, but a modern-day attack can be even better on the right venue.
Two times Fish O’Mania champion Jamie Hughes has caught dozens of big bream bags during his career, and his most recent hauls have been put together on the Method.
This week he reveals how he goes about using the deadly tactic for hungry slabs...
WHY THE METHOD?
“I often get asked why I find a Method more effective than a groundbait feeder, and I believe there are several reasons.
“The first is that a lot of venues are very silty these days and a heavy groundbait feeder will sink into the bottom where it will at best be partially hidden.
“A flatbed Method, on the other hand, will sit on top of the silt and leave both the hookbait and loosefeed in view and easy to hoover up.
“The second benefit is that the short hooklengths used on the Method lead to the fish hooking themselves. This means you’ll never miss another bite!”
GROUNDBAIT CHOICE
“Bream love fishmeal, so you need to make sure that any groundbait you choose is packed with it.
“My personal favourite is a 50/50 blend of Bag‘em Matchbaits XP and Commercial Carp.
“This clings to the feeder well
but it also breaks down quickly once the feeder has been on the deck for a short while.
“Lots of the flavour is then released, and it won’t take much time at all for the bream to get their heads down on it.”
BRIGHT HOOKBAITS
“Bream move around in big shoals, and when they start to feed heavily you can guarantee they will churn the bottom up, clouding the water somewhat.
“The groundbait has all the scent required to keep the fish there, but you need a bright hookbait to give them the chance to find it quickly.
“I like to use corn or even bright mini boilies to give myself every chance of a quick bite.
“Make sure the hookbait is
sitting on top of the Method ball so that the fish don’t have the opportunity to eat a big mouthful of groundbait before they find the trap.”
SCALE IT DOWN
“When you are fishing for carp you need to use heavy tackle on the Method, as there is every chance you will get broken on the take from such a powerful species.
“But bream are a totally different animal and don’t fight anywhere near as hard.
“That means you can use lighter tackle from top to bottom, and 5lb mainline to a 4ft hooklength of 0.15mm and a size 16 PR36 hook will land even the biggest slabs if you combine these elements with a soft-tipped rod.”