Ball It in!

[NoCarpPlease]

On hard fished venues, the big bream seem to wise up and become nocturnal feeders.

I've heard that too - although neither of the examples I gave were hard fished - but they are and were both VERY clear.

My favourite bream venue fishes much better when the adjacent river is in flood and flows in to the lakes - giving extra depth and colour.

 

[Maesknoll]

I've heard that too - although neither of the examples I gave were hard fished - but they are and were both VERY clear.

My favourite bream venue fishes much better when the adjacent river is in flood and flows in to the lakes - giving extra depth and colour.

Bream shoals can move fair distances and do for spawning, maybe they pass through some of the harder fished areas, maybe it’s the clarity of the water. At Newbridge on the Bristol Avon, there are some big bream, but the real big weights are usually only caught in the last week of the season.

 

[smiffy]

I think Bream are naturally nocturnal. Generally from the first day they’re born they will be hunted by something and the instinct is to survive. So during the day they will hide away until they feel safe. It’s only once they get too big for most predators that they will bask on hot days.
A bit of colour can change that and give them confidence to feed at other times. That’s why I prefer shallower lakes during the winter as they tend to colour up quicker with a breeze on them.
Having said that. I have seen weights of Bream from a gin clear Cam and my local river, the Suffolk Stour. Both are much better rivers with colour and flow though.

I will add that depth can help in a similar way to colour. A lad ,who’s blog I’ve been reading, has opened my eyes on a local venue by insisting you can catch Bream all through the day in a depth of 20ft or more. Despite the water being gin clear. Haven’t been able to go out and test the theory myself yet.

Heres the blog

Alton Bream Approach

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been asked occasionally about my approach to Alton. Most questions relate to tackling a venue this size and setting up for the bream. When you visit a venue the…

stephenmdavis571fishingblog.wordpress.com

 

[Silverfisher]

The big bream catches here generally come when it's beyond the nice level of colour you'd prefer for most species but not yet full on flood colour. Bream soup a lot of the locals call it. That's not to say decent bream catches don't come out when it's much clearer because they do semi regularly but in such conditions most people fish for other species and wait for the extra colour for bream.

 

[JLK]

Most times bream are quite happy to sit well off bottom and you can think that there isn't a fish in your peg.
Dumping a ton of bait in at the start isn't always the best way to get them to settle/get their heads down either. Sometimes you have to keep feeding constantly over the top to force them down and then you might only catch a few. Shallow up and you can't get a bite. Proper frustrating it is.

 

[rudd]

I think Bream are naturally nocturnal. Generally from the first day they’re born they will be hunted by something and the instinct is to survive. So during the day they will hide away until they feel safe. It’s only once they get too big for most predators that they will bask on hot days.
A bit of colour can change that and give them confidence to feed at other times. That’s why I prefer shallower lakes during the winter as they tend to colour up quicker with a breeze on them.
Having said that. I have seen weights of Bream from a gin clear Cam and my local river, the Suffolk Stour. Both are much better rivers with colour and flow though.

I will add that depth can help in a similar way to colour. A lad ,who’s blog I’ve been reading, has opened my eyes on a local venue by insisting you can catch Bream all through the day in a depth of 20ft or more. Despite the water being gin clear. Haven’t been able to go out and test the theory myself yet.

Heres the blog

Alton Bream Approach

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been asked occasionally about my approach to Alton. Most questions relate to tackling a venue this size and setting up for the bream. When you visit a venue the…

stephenmdavis571fishingblog.wordpress.com

Was talking to an old mate I used to match fish with last week.
The fishing at Alton is now top notch for silvers.

 

[rudd]

Have balled it in for big bream during the winter - a worthwhile gamble if a shoul come along.
Taken catches of several double figure bream doing this.

 

[smiffy]

Was talking to an old mate I used to match fish with last week.
The fishing at Alton is now top notch for silvers.

It’s a fantastic comeback story. I fished it from the first season it opened, when the water level was much lower, until 92 when nearly all the fish disappeared. It’s a top fishery now with Roach getting caught right through the winter. I’m chuffed

 

[rudd]

It’s a fantastic comeback story. I fished it from the first season it opened, when the water level was much lower, until 92 when nearly all the fish disappeared. It’s a top fishery now with Roach getting caught right through the winter. I’m chuffed

When I asked for best area mate replied - take your pick!
Which method? Pole, feeder or waggler all working!

Coincidence? Keeping my hand in at sea fishing and as I live the other side of the Orwell near the biggest roost of cormorants on east coast - have seen an abundance of small sea fish explode the last five years plus skate all year round off Felixstowe beaches feeding on something.
Cormorants have more than enough sea fish to eat all year round and are leaving Alton and other waters alone.
Ok - there may be a few that turn up but the majority are feeding ar sea.