Spodding

Hi! I am quite new to carp fishing and I would like any advice you can give me on spodding, e.g. lines to use and shockleaders etc. Cheers!

8lb mono with 25lb quicksilver (3 times the rods length) has done the trick for me!!
just feather the line before the spod lands if clipped up!!

Mark is right about light mono ( I use 10lb main line on a Diawa EMS5000T reel). I use a very heavy mono shock leader (35lb test). Make sure you have a good quality spod rod. Even with small spods. I can vouch for the Trevs of Wilmslow own brand spod rods. Mark1 and 2. Although Fox and other firms now make them. I would also advice you to start off using small spods, like the gardner pocket rocket. Fill three quaters full with gear, then top up with water. The cast should be more of a lob rather than a full blooded chuck, and above all practice.

Finally remember not to get carried away with it. I have seen so many people completely fill in spots and not catch over it. I have done it myself, so learn by others mistakes. I now use between 1 and 4 spods of stuff over a spot, and fish for one fish at a time, topping up when I think I need to.

Steven,

Although I'm not a carp angler I do do a lot of spodding for bream and tench. I've not found any need for a spod rod, I'm more than happy to use standard 1.5 - 2.5 tc rods for spodding. Granted I don't use a big spod I use the gardner pocket rocket, which in my experience is the most accurate one I've ever used. I fill the spod with water (no bait) and cast beyond the marker float, then wind back until the spod is just in front of the marker.

Clip the line up and your ready to go, feather the line through the air and you have a very accurate method of baiting at distance.

Of course if your going to use a spod the size of a washing up liquid bottle then you need a specialist rod with a shock leader. But I sometimes think its the biggest, heaviest is best mentality rearing its head and I am more than happy putting up to a gallon of bait in using the method described above.

Oh, and plug the spod with a small amount of very dry mixed groundfeed to stop the particles falling down your neck when you cast !

Good luck

Just a quickie( ooerr missus). Don't forget to read RIK'S article on distance casting regarding the amount of breaking strain line to amount of casting weight.35lb line and 8 to 12 ounce of loaded spod seems a bit ( or loads ) of trouble. It still applys to spods lads. An unnatached Spod hurts just as much as a 4 ounce when flying. Actually, it probably hurts more. I would think>

I dont use spods of 8 to 12oz Gypsy often. Mainly I use the Gradner Pocket Rocket as this delivers enough bait in one spod full for me, or the Angelrs Workshop boilie rocket. Occasionally I move up to a spod about 8oz but not often. You are right about shock leaders for big spods, but casting a spod should be more of a lob rather than a full booded chuck, as I said before. I have never felt that I have come anywhere near a crack off with 35lb shock leaders, but debate is always healthy.

Steve are u putting out large beds of bait like particles because if your not then take a look at the nash pva bags they are
huge and can take upto 100 boilies in one go (i think) so you might find this a bit better than spodding as you no your bait is surounded by freebies.

Daniel I think PVA bags are great, but what I try to achieve is a small speard of baits, over a bigger area. That way the fish have to move around an area about two to three yards square to feed effectively. Which of course means that I am more likely to receive runs. It also gives me plenty of presentation options, rather than a hookbait in the middle of a small pile of freebies. Do'nt get me wrong I use PVA all the time. Infact one of the options is to put a small bag in the middle of a spodded area. Spodding acheives a wider spread of bait than bags so the bag in the middle represents a concentration of the food all around it.