Baits to try...

WORMS

If you want to use them as a loosefeed, then chop them finely so that they release all their juices and draw in fish from afar. When it comes to hookbait, you have the choice of using a full worm, half or just the head. Surprisingly, the smaller baits often pick off the bigger fish when using them! Also excellent when tipped with a maggot as a cocktail bait.

MAGGOTS

Wriggling live maggots will help draw the attentions of nearby fish, but they are best used on hard bottoms where they are unable to bury away out of sight. If you are fishing on a silty or gravel bottom, then dead maggots are better so that they remain on top and in view for whenever the fish turn up.

GROUNDBAIT

Bream travel in giant shoals and can mop up a big bed of bait really quickly, before moving elsewhere in search of their next meal. So, making sure there is always something in your swim to keep them grubbing around is key to getting bites all day long. A bed of groundbait ( preferably high in fishmeal) is full of particles that keep the fish interested for long periods.

PELLETS

These make a popular additive to groundbait on commercials for bream. They will also be used to feeding on the pellets which carp anglers feed in PVA bags on big- carp waters. As with groundbait, try and use pellets which have a high fishmeal content. Larger 8mm pellets also make an excellent bream hookbait.

SWEETCORN

A grain of sweetcorn will often tempt the biggest bream in the shoal. In coloured water corn stands out and is easily visible. A single grain directly hooked is best for skimmers, with a double offering better if you are after a bigger stamp of fish. Hairrigging is effective on the feeder and often leads to hitting every bite.