Catching Bream on Floats with bread?

[Gold_Coast_Chaser]

Hey, I live on the Gold Coast, and in my canal ive caught a few fish float fishing with bread on a float, I use 2 small hooks, the bottom a treble (owner lure trebles) and the top one normal (but small) on a 2m very light trace (3kg tops). As i was saying, i have caught a few (mostly undersize, but a few legals) but have also struggled on knowing what to do when the float goes under, do i strike straight away?, wait till the float goes under, then strike? Let them hook themselves?? what is the technique of hooking these fish?? My float goes under every cast but just hardly ever hook up........ anyone done much float fishing and willing to share some advice, thanks!

[imnotoriginal]

Mate, I'd scrap the float and use a single small hook. I use mustad demons or mustad luderick hooks in sizes 8-12, but some prefer longshanks. Are you using braid or mono? Either way, you should be feeding out extra line and keeping an eye on this as your bite indicator. Small tics in the line are bites, but striking at this point doesn't give you a great hookup. Better to wait until you get a small run of line. I leave my bail arm open and close it and lift my rod slowly once I get a decent run from the fish. This way, they've already turned their head and have the bread in their mouth. Assuming you've left the hook point exposed, you've got a much better chance of hooking up this way. Good luck, I hope this helps.
Joel

[TheRealAndy]

I made a cracker of a bread lure whilst doing the fly tying course at Jones bait and tackle by spinning deer hair!! Would be a bit hard to cast on a baitcaster but I reckon it could be adapted. Burley up the water with bread then flick you lure in, sure to get a strike.

[metaloid]

I do a fair bit of float fishing but I try not to catch bream!!!

If you're fishing light, the main "secret" to be successful is to use slim (pencil shape) floats, not the k-mart buoy type variety, and use a fairly long rod with a soft tip.

Once you're set up properly, the other secret is to burley constantly but only in very very small amounts to keep the fish active.

Try this link for more info: http://www.coarsefish.net/float.htm

[Gold_Coast_Chaser]

Mate, I'd scrap the float and use a single small hook. I use mustad demons or mustad luderick hooks in sizes 8-12, but some prefer longshanks. Are you using braid or mono? Either way, you should be feeding out extra line and keeping an eye on this as your bite indicator. Small tics in the line are bites, but striking at this point doesn't give you a great hookup. Better to wait until you get a small run of line. I leave my bail arm open and close it and lift my rod slowly once I get a decent run from the fish. This way, they've already turned their head and have the bread in their mouth. Assuming you've left the hook point exposed, you've got a much better chance of hooking up this way. Good luck, I hope this helps.
Joel

Hey, Im using Mono, so your saying just use a hook without anything else and wait until the fish run then strike (this is what ive been trying with my float -buoy one-), cheers,

I think ill go get a thin pencil float as i have used these ones before and i have had more success, ill also try the way imnotoriginal mentioned,

just wondering, is it worth trying not to roll up the bread and just let it float with the hook point facing downwards???

And also, Metaloid, what do u mean by a bread lure?????

[imnotoriginal]

Mono floats Dylan, so that makes getting your bread down into the water column a little harder. You'll need to roll it up a fair bit and squish it to get it down. The line straight through to a hook is my rig and I don't strike, I just increase the tension on the fish. Striking is more likely to pull the hook and bread out of the fishes mouth. A steady increase in pressure (slow rod lift) is more likely to pull the hook toward the cornerof his mouth if he's running away with your bread, particularly if you're using the mustad demon hooks I use. Good luck, I went out today with my mate and we went back to bread after having no luck with the plastics. Got a couple, but they were very spooky where we fished, probably because it's such a clear day.
Joel

[Gold_Coast_Chaser]

thanks imnotorginal, maybe i should put a couple splitshot sinkers on to the line just to get it down???

[imnotoriginal]

Only if you're desperate, I just hold my rod tip as low to the water as possible so the wind can't get a hold of the loose line. If you need casting weight you can also add one of the bubble floats that can have water added to them, just leave yourself a decent length of trace.
Joel

[cobiaman]

mate, what joel said is spot on. just leave the bail arm open and wait until the fish swim off with it.

[TheRealAndy]

what do u mean by a bread lure?????

The bread lure!! Photos attached. Wont be much chop without a fly rod but perhaps it could be adapted by adding some lead somewhere.

[tigermullet]

Never having had much luck with bread as bait I decided to change to grains of wheat. Four grains on a size six or eight hook (luderick size) and using a luderick rig works well. Bread falls apart too easily. Soak wheat until it is plump and just on the point of 'bursting'. Put a few grains on the hook and when your float signals a 'down' say slowly, "Hail Mary full of grace", then raise the tip of the rod - not violently. Do it gracefully.

Not only will you catch bream, you will make a few points with the ultra religious - especially if you say it out aloud. But do be careful, if you are too loud the protestants might chuck rocks.

The technique,described above, was found on a boring day when the luderick did not show up and the thought occurred of using wheat because bream really do love it. Whether they think that Mary is full of grace when they have a hook in their jaw is open to argument.