PAUL’S TOP FIVE BREAM BAITS...

PELLETS

On venues where pellets are permitted always use a good quality halibut pellet with added betaine, as these definitely catch more fish than pellets containing less fishmeal. Size-wise, 8mm pellets are ideal. They are big enough to deter small fish, but more than acceptable to even moderately-sized bream. TOP TIP: Swap to a 10mm or 12mm bait for larger specimens.

MAGGOTS

Maggots will catch everything that swims, which can work against you when breaming. That said, a bunch of four or five dead maggots is very effective, especially when the going is tough. I think it is the small size of maggots and the soft texture that bream like so much. TOP TIP: Use red maggots because they are slightly less visible and therefore tend not to be as attractive to small roach.

SWEETCORN

Bright, soft and with a lovely salty taste, sweetcorn is a very underrated bream bait. Try using a single grain mounted lengthways when fishing the Method. TOP TIP: The ideal change-bait, thanks to its bright colour. Save it for hookbait only, so that it really stands out on the bottom.

WAFTER BOILIES

These slow-sinking boilies come into action on days when the bream are really feeding hard. Baits that balance the weight of the hook tend to lead to better hookholds, so you will lose fewer fish when using wafters than you do with other baits. TOP TIP: Use a dark 8mm-10mm wafter that is a similar colour to your groundbait mix. A yellow or red bait is worth having as a change bait.

MEAT

Brightly coloured, slightly buoyant, soft, and very oily, meat is an underused bream bait. Keep a couple of tins in the car as a back-up. TOP TIP: Cut a tin of pork luncheon meat into 10mm slices and use a bait punch to make 8mm barrels.