PAUL GARNER Create a banquet for bream

There’s no doubt these fish love their grub – here’s what to give them

NO OTHER fish are quite as synonymous with using large amounts of bait as bream.

Prebaiting works well for this shoal-living species, and with the fish now into their summer routine after the rigors of spawning, this is a great time to mount a baiting campaign.

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a fortune to prebait for bream, you just need to choose your ingredients wisely, feed the right amounts, and then reap the rewards.

How much to use

Any amount of regular baiting will improve your chances, particularly with bream.

Ideally, bait up every day, but even twice a week will make a significant difference. Of course, you must put the bait in at the right spot, so my rule is to only bait up in swims where I have already caught bream.

There is no need for barrowloads of bait either, 2kg is ample to get fish going, and that way you won’t be left with uneaten bait on the bottom.

Bargain baits

My groundbait is made up of two components – a binder that holds it together, and particles that offer more feed for the fish.

If you are fishing at close range, or prefer a spod, drop the binder and just use particles.

The best cheap binder is bread crumb. Bream and other coarse fish like the taste of crumb, so it also acts as an attractor.

Brown crumb made from crust is a good starting point. White crumb is too sticky on its own, but a small amount mixed with brown gives you a perfect mix.

My top cheap feed has to be sweetcorn. Buy bulk bags of frozen corn for the lowest price.

Also derived from corn, flaked maize is a very cheap ingredient and coarse fish love it. For best results I like to soak it for a few hours to soften it before use.

Bream love pellets, but they can be expensive. I often find that I have a few left over at the end of a trip and will hold on to these for my bream feed. Store them in an airtight bag and use them within a couple of months.