Q&A Groundbait for river bream

WHAT goodies should I be putting in a groundbait mix when fishing the pole for river bream, and how many balls should I introduce at the start?

Trevor Callings, Maidstone

Rivers are low and clear at the moment, but there are still some bream to catch. It’s possible to get carried away and throw in too much bait at the start so don’t go mad! Six balls the size of a grapefruit will be enough – after all, you can always add more.

In terms of what to put in the groundbait, there are a surprising number of options. Below are details of six common feed items and when to use them...

DEAD MAGGOTS

Live maggots squirm too much to make up a ball of groundbait that’ll go straight to the bottom – the solution is to use dead maggots. Most tackle shops sell dead maggots straight out of the freezer, but you can prepare your own by tying off a bag of maggots tightly and popping them in the deep freeze for a few days. A scattering of dead maggots is about right.

CHOPPED WORM

Bream love worms, but so do tiny fish and eels so they may not always be a banker. Begin by adding chopped worm but if nuisance fish turn up, cut out the worm being fed and see if it makes any difference. Dendra worms are the most commonly used and these should be chopped into a fine mush for maximum attraction and some fine morsels.

CASTERS

No bream mix should be without casters. Use these liberally but only add them to the groundbait you’re about to feed, otherwise, they’ll dry out in the open air and float. Casters should make up around 50 per cent of the freebies you intend on adding to the opening amount of feed.

CORN

Adding a scattering of corn to the groundbait gives you not only a few bigger particles for bream to get stuck into but another option to use on the hook. If you are having small-fish problems fishing worms or maggots, a grain of corn can work wonders.

PELLETS

Bream love a fishy feed, so pellets can be used on an experimental basis – if you don’t catch using them, then leave them at home next time. Micro pellets are the ones to go for and these need to be dampened down before adding to the mix. Again a small handful will be enough for a couple of kilos of groundbait.

SQUATTS

Squatts are a super feed for holding big bream and small skimmers, but don’t add too many as they can end up impacting on how easily you can make up a ball of groundbait. A light sprinkling will be ample.