Spomb stick or catty?

[Tree123]

Just for a point of conversation whats  

Your preferred  way of baiting up 

Personally its the stick   catty or pva. Can't remeber  the last time I used my spod rod.

Edited November 21, 2018 by Tree123

[bobcross]

Depends on the venue and situation really, but it’s usually catty,pva or spomb.

Cant get on with a stick.

 

[salokcinnodrog]

Each gives a different spread of bait, and different ways of baiting up.

 

When seagulls are being a pain, then it has to be spod or Spomb.

If you want free bait close to your hookbait, then PVA string, bag or mesh. Incidentally I tend to cast out plenty of stringers or meshes full of bait, but rarely loads of PVA bags full of bait, however, it is possible to catapult them out.

 

As for catapult, you can use it for single or multiple baits, or even firing out small PVA  bags or meshes as well as groundbait.

 

Throwing stick, a good way to get single baits out long distance, or multiple baits shorter distances, but if seagulls are about when only firing out say 1-4 boilies, may be worth forgetting.

[...]

Always 90% of time a golf ball size pva mesh ball...

fish for a bite not to feed the fish...

NEVER use a catty me...but the water i e joined lately is a vast water so be spodding from next year.

[Tree123]

34 minutes ago, salokcinnodrog said:

 

As for catapult, you can use it for single or multiple baits, or even firing out small PVA  bags or meshes as well as groundbait

Never thought of this.  Might be a way to get round the birds a bit too.  

If the birds are a pain I just  put a stringer on 

I just can't be bothered  with the spomb extra weight to carry and extra thing to clip.up plus i prefer  a bit of spread

Edited November 21, 2018 by Tree123

[harpz_31]

stick man through and through.

only use the spomb if I cant get em out far enough with the stick or in colder months when I want a tighter spread of bait.

[salokcinnodrog]

1 hour ago, harpz_31 said:

stick man through and through.

only use the spomb if I cant get em out far enough with the stick or in colder months when I want a tighter spread of bait.

 

2 hours ago, Tree123 said:

Never thought of this.  Might be a way to get round the birds a bit too.  

If the birds are a pain I just  put a stringer on 

I just can't be bothered  with the spomb extra weight to carry and extra thing to clip.up plus i prefer  a bit of spread

You'd be surprised by how much spread you do get from a spod or spomb. It doesn't go straight down in one pile. As it drops through the water lighter particles get pushed by current and they spread in quite an area. 

 

I don't spod or Spomb on every water, but it definitely speeds baiting up at range. I can put 15-20 14mm boilies and some  particles in a large Spomb, which by stick would be a few minutes, and I would still have to Spomb the particles. Add to that smaller boilies don't travel so far by stick, the spod or Spomb is very handy.

[harpz_31]

my average spread is about 100 baits over about 60/70sq yards so 10sq yards would be considered tight baiting by my standards.

[Ginger9991]

All depends on the situation. As my sessions are all at night and at relatively close range (under 10 wraps) im spodding chops and corn over solid bags. Longer range where im trying to be quiet.....or 2 lazy for the spod the i will use the throwing stick. I dont use the catapult...the one i currently own is just turd...its a fox one i believe and i just cant get on with it.

[bluelabel]

Another method in the mix is the baiting spoon... as most of my fishing is with old gear, distance casting with a pin is difficult if not impossible,  so I use a baiting spoon on a 6m landing net handle to bait up and place my baits and rigs... with normal fishing I use a catty, spomb,  or PVA☺️

[commonly]

Katapult, large, good range with a dozen or so boilies, upto 8-9 wraps. Best catty I've had, although you have to change the elastic every now & then. 

Anything over that distance, large spomb. Very useful to get out smaller offerings, including maggots. 

Got a stick, never got on with it

[bluelabel]

I have a Nash stick... its quite short and loads at the handle end... love it... if I want a spread at distance its dragged out of the rod bag... baiting sticks are an acquired taste and there is a knack to using them.... practice is the key

[commonly]

My main syndicate is pressured, so as always the gulls are an issue. After the first catapult or sound of boilies plopping into the water you can have half a dozen going on 20,all eager to have a free lunch. 

I either wait till dusk or the advantage I've found with a spomb, is to leave it for a short time before retrieving. The gulls won't break the water all the time the spomb stays still, as soon as you wind in they will try diving for your bait. So I wait long enough for it to drop! 

[salokcinnodrog]

5 hours ago, Ginger9991 said:

All depends on the situation. As my sessions are all at night and at relatively close range (under 10 wraps) im spodding chops and corn over solid bags. Longer range where im trying to be quiet.....or 2 lazy for the spod the i will use the throwing stick. I dont use the catapult...the one i currently own is just turd...its a fox one i believe and i just cant get on with it.

Try and get an original Drennan Boiliepult, far better than most other catapults, however you do also have to get a smaller pouch to fit as I find the pouch on when purchased is too big.

[Tree123]

2 hours ago, bluelabel said:

Another method in the mix is the baiting spoon... as most of my fishing is with old gear, distance casting with a pin is difficult if not impossible,  so I use a baiting spoon on a 6m landing net handle to bait up and place my baits and rigs... with normal fishing I use a catty, spomb,  or PVA☺️

Love a spoon for close   work. I love it on the river  for prebaiting   take literally  no time at all 

[finchey]

All my fishing is day sessions on fairly small lakes so I'm usually fishing for a bite at a time so I nearly always use a stringer with 3 or 4 boilie's or a small stick of crushed boilie's with a matching liquid. 

I also fish a larger lake were I like to fish over a spread of bait so I use a throwing stick for that, I actually really like to use a throwing stick It took me a while to get used to it and the first time my arm was dropping off the next day 😂. 

 

[Tree123]

Took me a while  and about 5 kg of bait  hahah but I havnt used it while so no doubt I'll be out practice  with it now 

[Dave Hedgehog]

12 minutes ago, Dannygooner said:

I'm still struggling. Took me half a kilo of boilies before I stopped pinging them 8foot in front of me lol

I’m glad it’s not just me. Couldn’t get on with it. Looks so easy but in reality I baited every tree and bush on the lake. Something else that now sits in the garage in a darkened corner.

ive found cutting my baiting down has improved my catches. Less is more in my book.

[bluelabel]

Another option is not to bait up at all...  just use a single hook bait..  takes a bit of courage, but oddly enough it has woked for me on a few occasions on pressured day ticket waters... saves a fortune in bait and its less gear to lug about

[bluelabel]

Easy to do when you get it fer nowt

[Tree123]

10 hours ago, bluelabel said:

Another option is not to bait up at all...  just use a single hook bait..  takes a bit of courage, but oddly enough it has woked for me on a few occasions on pressured day ticket waters... saves a fortune in bait and its less gear to lug about

Yeah this is why I've gone down to bags and a stringers alot of the time   ive never used more then half a kilo  on a night 

[salokcinnodrog]

12 hours ago, finchey said:

All my fishing is day sessions on fairly small lakes so I'm usually fishing for a bite at a time so I nearly always use a stringer with 3 or 4 boilie's or a small stick of crushed boilie's with a matching liquid. 

I also fish a larger lake were I like to fish over a spread of bait so I use a throwing stick for that, I actually really like to use a throwing stick It took me a while to get used to it and the first time my arm was dropping off the next day 😂. 

 

 

11 hours ago, Dannygooner said:

I'm still struggling. Took me half a kilo of boilies before I stopped pinging them 8foot in front of me lol

 

11 hours ago, Tree123 said:

Took me a while  and about 5 kg of bait  hahah but I havnt used it while so no doubt I'll be out practice  with it now 

 

11 hours ago, Dave Hedgehog said:

I’m glad it’s not just me. Couldn’t get on with it. Looks so easy but in reality I baited every tree and bush on the lake. Something else that now sits in the garage in a darkened corner.

ive found cutting my baiting down has improved my catches. Less is more in my book.

 

10 hours ago, bluelabel said:

Another option is not to bait up at all...  just use a single hook bait..  takes a bit of courage, but oddly enough it has woked for me on a few occasions on pressured day ticket waters... saves a fortune in bait and its less gear to lug about

 

9 hours ago, Dannygooner said:

When I watch ol' specs from korda on the odd YouTube vid, my minds blown at how much bait he puts in. He must need a borrow just for his spod mix. Having a severe drug habit must be cheaper than his bait bill. He pumps in tremendous amounts. 

A couple of things on these quoted posts: 

Using a throwing stick accurately takes practice, don't expect to be able to be hit distance or one spot accurately first time. The type of throwing stick you use can make a difference. I was awful with a Korda throwing stick, until I discovered I needed 2 hands to use it accurately, an overhead throw, whereas with my Cobra Ace stick (for 20mm baits) I can use 18's and 20's accurately with a 1 handed action, like a dog ball throw stick.

I also struggle with accuracy with straight stem sticks, yet a swan neck curve as in the Cobra I am pretty good. Then you have baits needing to be perfectly round. Any misshape flies off at a lovely curve. Splitting baits can also be reduced by wetting the throwing stick, it reduces the spin forces.

 

Some waters do respond to loads of bait, and others best with minimal freebies. On some day ticket lakes or heavily stocked fisheries, there may be no point in piling it in, a single hookbait may be best. 

I have used the method of single hookbait, but baiting up heavily when I leave. Prebaiting as it were, then when I fish next time with a single or just a stringer. 

[yonny]

Prefer the catty at close quarters, the stick for area-baiting at longer range, and the spod for baiting tight at longer range.

All depends on what the fish are doing innit. If they're shoaled up in the middle then I'm not going to be using the catty close is.

My preferred method is the one that gets the bait to to the fish I'm fishing for.

If we spin the question round and ask what type of fishing situation I prefer, it's definitely close quarters with the catty. Up close and personal stuff, if I can see the spot from up a tree, and can see them feeding, I'm happy as Larry.

Edited November 22, 2018 by yonny

[yonny]

14 hours ago, Dave Hedgehog said:

Less is more

 

13 hours ago, bluelabel said:

single hook bait

 

12 hours ago, Dannygooner said:

a borrow just for his spod mix

 

2 hours ago, Tree123 said:

bags and a stringers

You see all of these will work on their day but a good angler knows when to use them. A good angler has all of the above up their sleeve and uses them when suitable to make the most of the situation in front of them.

Those that write off heavy baiting are sacrificing bites in certain situations. Lots of bites. That's a fact imo.

Similarly, heavy baiting in the wrong situation will kill it stone dead.

 

[salokcinnodrog]

1 hour ago, yonny said:

 

 

 

You see all of these will work on their day but a good angler knows when to use them. A good angler has all of the above up their sleeve and uses them when suitable to make the most of the situation in front of them.

Those that write off heavy baiting are sacrificing bites in certain situations. Lots of bites. That's a fact imo.

Similarly, heavy baiting in the wrong situation will kill it stone dead.

 

@yonny and I have had this discussion before over a big bucket of hemp and bits that a mate and I spodded in, with the original Gardner (*) spod, on an overnight session. By morning we had caught a number of decent fish, had very little sleep but amazed the other anglers on the lake who though putting in so much bait would kill it dead. I tried it on subsequent occasions but the tactic rarely worked again immediately. The fish would take a few days to move onto beds of bait.

It was right place, right time.

 

At Earith I regularly caught over amounts of spodded in pellets, chops and whole boilies, even in midwinter. Single hookbaits failed big time.

On Ardleigh both heavy baiting and sparse baiting worked at various times. I caught carp over a bed of spodded in bait on the first night, yet on other occasions I caught on minimal baiting (Method Ball of groundbait with a few freebies, no stringer).

Brackens I found responded to heavy baiting with big stringers or PVA meshes full of groundbait, due to rules the catty, spod and throwing stick were banned.

 

Even during a session fish preferences can change! From single (high attract) hookbaits at the start of a 4 or 5 day winter session they can suddenly switch onto bait. It is not any way an exact science, and strangely as the week wore on the weather got colder, but the carp wanted some of my food bait around the hookbait, stringers with a few loose boilies cattied into the area.

 

A local day ticket water I fished a number of years ago on one day in winter, I caught 4 carp to double figures all on a hookbait with 1 free boilie on a stringer. The next day doing exactly the same, not a touch from the same area. The only carp caught that day came to maggots on a size 14 to my mate.

 

* The not particularly aerodynamic black thing