After years of spodding/spombing beds of mixed particles into lakes, last year I started to really question the efficacy of many of the inclusions.
In the main my spod mixes consisted of roughly 40% hemp, 40% pigeon conditioner, 20% mixed pellets and a can or two of tuna or salmon, though on lakes with a big head of bream, I'd reduce or totally omit the fishy ingredients.
My findings were; hemp is a must have, pellets are a great inclusion (bream allowing), fennel seeds seem to improve thing as did a bit of chilli.
Everything else appeared at best to make no difference. Leading to me now only feeding my chosen hookbait over hemp, my usual choices of hookbait being (in order of preference) boilies, maize, tiger nuts and pellets.
I know carp will readily take all manner of pulses, seeds etc - I just don't think their inclusion helps put more fish on the bank...
As for fishing up in the water, I literally saturate oily groundbaits with water, start off by making a really sloppy mix. Leave it for at least 30mins (overnight is best), then add more water to make sloppy again.
Then add coarsely liquidised sweetcorn, hemp, stale bread, soaked wheat and condensed milk, plus occaisionally molasses.
Sometimes I fish this with a zig rig, other times I fish with a small spod as float and a 2-3ft hooklength, the spod is held in place with 2 float stops beneath it and 1 above.
The latter technique is only really worthwhile using on heavily stocked waters.
