THE MASTERPLAN

HOW TO CATCH BREAM & TENCH FROM LARGE STILLWATERS

Darren Starkey reveals the tactical approach required to fool quality slabs and bonus tincas from a lake near you this week...

TACKLING large, open expanses of water for bream and tench can be a daunting business – but by following a few simple guidelines, the rewards are there to be had.

These venues often have no islands to cast to, while underwater bars and ledges are tricky to locate. This can leave you scratching your head with regard to where you should focus your attack , but there will always be a few clues to help.

Wind direction is the first thing to consider, and heading for the end of the lake that the breeze has been hacking into is often a wise move because natural food will have washed down with it, and hungry fish will follow.

But location is only part of the equation, and knowing how much bait to add, when to top up and the correct rigs to use are equally vital if you want to catch big fish. So, join me here ‘in session’ as I set about detailing how to stack the odds in your favour.

TARGET AREAS

1. 40m with a maggot feeder

2. 40m with an open-end feeder

BAIT NEEDED

1. Two bags of groundbait

2. Two pints of maggots

3. 0.5kg of worms

4. Tin of hemp

5. Bag of 3mm pellets

VENUE

Hull DAA’s Brough Hawk Pond. Members only, tickets £45 per year, plus a £10 joining fee for new members

STAGE 2 -SWITCH TO THE WINNING FORMULA

The regular casting routine of the first few hours starts to bring about a response below the surface, and my first fish of the day is a 3lb tench, taken from over the groundbait.

That acts as a prompt for me to switch the maggot feeder rig over to another open-ended feeder set-up, as I’m confident that it’s the goodies in the frame that have worked the oracle.

Using Korum Combi feeders enables me to do this quickly, as all I have to do is remove the end caps to turn them from being maggot feeders to open-end ones.

My groundbait is a 50/50 mix of Dynamite Marine Halibut and Frenzied Hemp Big Feed and Frenzied Hemp with added Worm

Meal. This has a dark brown colour, and the attraction is enhanced with the addition of XL Liquid Worm to the mixing water. Some 3mm Dynamite Baits Swim Stim Red Krill pellets also go in.

Packed into a feeder, this pungent mix of small items delivers plenty of food content to keep the fish occupied, as the various scent leak off.

The switch soon pays off, as what I first believe to be a carp sets the clutch spinning.

My gut instinct is wrong, though, and a double-figure bream is soon in the net!