Spodding

[Norfolkboy]

When I'm carp fishing I like to introduce a load of feed into my swim, and know exactly where it is all the time.

Firstly, you'll need the right equipment.

You need a heavy rod with say a test curve of 4-6lb, when spodding heavy mixes, with a big spod! Smaller rods with a t/c of 3lb will do for smaller spods with smaller baits in. You'll also need a spod, a marker float, a feature finding weight, rod and reel with a line clip, 10-12lb line and heavier shockleader.

Here's a pic of a spod:





The idea of a spod is that it has a floating tip, so when you fire out your spod, the tip will float while the bottom of the spod will sink and let out all your bait.

What i do to get started is cast out a feature finding lead, it's a round weight with little spikes on it, kind of like a mine. ( i think) You cast that out on it's own, and slowly retrieve. By doing this you can find the contours of the lake, for example gravel, weed, silt, where it gets deeper or shallower. When you have found somewhere you want your bait, put the line in a line clip



Then reel in and on the same reel, set up your marker float and cast out to where you wanted to fish, the best thing to do is find something that's opposite say a tree or something. Leave that down, and set up a different rod with your spod attatched to.

Cast that out with no bait in and try and get close to the marker float, when your close enough set that up in the line clip. Fill your spod with your bait which you can pick up very cheaply (will talk about later). Do this for as long as you want to get a good feed out there and then fish your baits over the top of it.

The mix you can use to put in the spot, can be bought from farms and pet shops, goat feed you can pick up in 25kg backs for around £6, which actually include things like csl pellets, defo worth it. Too that you can add corn, hemp, liquid attractants and whatever you like.

I've probaly missed out a lot, and the pics aren't up to much so i apologise for that. But just thought it might help a few people

[fishypaul]

great post dan,
it seems a lot of hard work,i read a while ago that some guys who were fishing in a 24 or even 48 hour carp competition spodded almost non-stop for the whole match,
to me,that would take the fun out of fishing completely,but i can't knock it,they won the comp
i wonder how much the bait for a session like that would cost,

i admire those who use this and succeed,they are so dedicated its marvellous,
its not for me ,i like the relaxation of fishing too much.

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Very good read

Interesting as I have never done this method it sound like it could be moulded to any type of fishing

[Norfolkboy]

Yes, can be used for bream, tench, just spod out different baits

[Old Smoothound]

Good read Dan well done mate..... now I know why you are........... did diller derr....................................

CAPTAIN CARP!!

[>((PDM))'>]

Good post Dan,

But to be just a little controversial, surely this kind of approach is only used by the bivvy anglers who think the only way to fish is by moving the entire contents of your house to the river bank and stay there for days on end while the fish recover from the endless bombardment of spods hitting the water. It would surely be impractical to expect carp to munch thier way thru pounds of bait before finding your hookbait, for an afternoon session in mid summer..

Ok, so I'm not a carp angler but I have caught a few, and all without ever feeling the need to cart an artic load of equipment to the bankside and stay there for days on end ( or untill my giro is all spent). I once fished an evening session on Waverney Valley Lake on the pole, the baliff though i was mad, but ended with 130lb of bream and carp after 5 hours during which time the guy in the next peg with his bivvy/tv and chimney coming out of the top caught nothing.

IMHO you would not go far wrong in taking an example from the match results on carp waters and using some of their methods to improve catches (200lb+ in a five hour match must have something going for it). I have found that specialised match tactics have worked fine for me during short pleasure sessions on a variety of waters including some older natural and not overstocked lakes when used in moderation.

Spodding should be reserved as a tactic for long multiday sessions and not as a general means of introducing bait to a tight area for a short session, far better to use a clipped back method feeder ( i have modified my line clip for use when big fish can be expected, I will post details if anyone is intrested)

If you were tackling up in a peg and someone came along and chucked in 20 x 1/2lb bricks you would probably think your chances of catching were ruined for the next few hours, and yet this is exactly what you are suggesting.

I am not a dedicated carp angler as you can tell , but believe every method has its day and it wasn't made too clear in your article as when spodding may be of benifit (if at all) and personally I feel its far better to use a feeder and cast acurately knowing that every cast resulting in a bite means a new load of feed goes in, the faster the bites the faster the feed goes in and vice versa, as opposed to the spod which loads in feed which may or may not be needed. Always remember you can put more feed in, but its dam difficult to get it back out ;)

Paul

[>((PDM))'>]

it seems a lot of hard work,i read a while ago that some guys who were fishing in a 24 or even 48 hour carp competition spodded almost non-stop for the whole match,

Fishypaul,
I couldn't agree more with your comments, but rest assured the guys who won the match will have done their homework on the water and discovered what worked. It isn't unusual to see 14lb(dry) of groundbait and 4 or five bags of pellet used in one 5 hour match at places like Drayton reservoir or castle ashby. That kind of feeding is not for the faint hearted or for those fishing on a budget- and is definatly not relaxing fishing - but its what is needed to win on the top carp waters these days. A typical match day on Drayton is £10 ticket and a minimun of £20 bait, add the petrol etc and its not a cheap day out. These are figures quoted by a good friend who fishes these matches every week.

I did fish Drayton in August and used 2 tins of Aldi corn, 1 bag of pellets and an evening ticket, total spend under £6 for 4 hours fishing. The result- 11 fish all carp for a total of 137Lb (all weighed). Ok, i would not have even made the frame in a match, but what a great day!

What a great venue for a "coarse meeting".

Paul

[Norfolkboy]

Yes, some good points paul and i agree with most of it. I'm not a "bivvy boy", i very rarely do night sessions, but when I do i like to get the most out of it, and catch some fish. If i were just doing a day session, i would certainly use a method feeder and not spend too much money on the day. But sayin that the baits you can get for spodding are so cheap these das, if you buy from pet shops, it is so cheap and you're getting what you'd buy from tackle shops but with extra goodies like vitalin. £6 for a 20kg bag of goat mix, which includes mollasses (buy it in a 250ml bottle for around £2.95) CSL pellets, vitalin etc.. YOu can get some good deals

[Bobby Buoy]

get a bait boat it,s not so much hard work. also bait presentation has a better chance of being correct.

[Norfolkboy]

Slightly more expensive!!!!!!!!!!!