Spodding for or against

[andrew jackson]

For a number of years I have used spods and bait rockets, without giving it a second thaught. Of late some anglers have stated, that spodding scares fish and is counter productive. My results have allways been ok, but these comments have sown a seed of doubt. Perhaps my results would be better without the spods?
Has anyone, any first hand experience of spods spooking fish? Or would sombody like to shore up my failing confidence with some positive comments.

 

[Philip Inzani]

Andrew, not saying I al right or wrong but I never used to use spods at all, but now I have two...a pocket rocket for a quick top up and a bigger one for larger loads.
I would never use a spod if I am fishing for say a fish I can see. I also would be very very wary of using it if I suspect there are already fish in the swim. OK I have never actually seen a fish spook but thats because I have never tried it. I am fairly certain that if I plonked a spod on top of a browsing Carps head on most of the waters I fish then it will be bow waving out of my swim pronto.
I use it as a tool for drawing fish in rather than enticing fish already there to feed. I know on some waters fish are actually supposed to respond to the spod..Horseshoe for example but IMO these waters are in the minority and I suspect its when spodding has been used so much the fish become accustomed to it and the sound of the splash is like a dinner gong.
Not sure what waters you fish, but if you are happy with your results using it why change ? Maybe try a few sessions without and see what happens.

 

[Carp Angler]

Once again it's horses for coarses.
As Phil rightly says, spodding over browsing/feeding carp IMHO would be the easiest way to spook them.
People spod on the smaller and more intimate waters that I fish and I've seen carp bow-waving away from a crashing spod.
Just do what you feel is right.

 

[GrahamM]

That makes sense where the carp could be big and/or wary, but there is another factor on waters where this is not so much the case.

Swimfeeders spook wary fish for exactly the reason Philip describes, but in some rivers where there are shoals of barbel the smack of the feeder hitting the water actually attracts them at times, for they've learned that the noise associated with a feeder hitting the surface means that grub is being served.

On some carp fisheries the spod has the same effect.

But in most cases, and if in any doubt, heed what Philip says.

On another tack, remember that the spod isn't just a tool for carp fishing or even just stillwaters. I often use one for baiting up river swims when they are too far out to feed effectively with a baitdropper.

You can get a couple of pints of hemp into a barbel swim in no time with a spod, concentrated far more accurately than with a catapult.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Spodding is just like fishing the method, or balling in groundbait. When u break it down, all u are doing is placing feed in the water. On some waters, the carp seem to be attracted by the splash, I have hooked carp on Catch 22 when spodding over the top of the hook baits....and other water, the fish spook.

 

[Neil Gaffan (Gaff)]

all good points, as previously mentioned you have to weigh it all up from water to water, on a pressured hardwater were the fish are easily spooked, then i would spod shit loads at the beginning of a long session (2nights or more) then leave it alone until i hook, but on waters were everyone and his dog are lobbing out buckets of bait then i would keep topping up the swim every few hours, in the end if it worksdon't change it! i've fished waters were you can boat out your ground bait and particle, and have literally poured 20kilos of bait over the top of fish, even had then sucking the odd clump off the suirface next to me boat!!

some fish spook some fish don't!

it also depends on whether you are after one fish or a bag load

 

[Birds Nest]

Can you get the bait on the bottom with a sopd on the rivers ? My understanding was that it "tips" it out on the surface ?

S

 

[Stuart Bullard]

Is there any correlation with time fishing? I only fish half days max, and therefore have never considered spodding viable? Perhaps this is an incorrect assumption? I went to one of my club waters this Sunday and, whilst not a "carp puddle" it cannot be considered a specimen or hard lake. Towards the end, on the rod I was using with the method, I could hardly get the rod down on the buzzers before it screamed of!

 

[Roto fryer]

i spod if i cant get the bait there anyother way. i wont spod if i can avoid it.

 

[DAVE COOPER]

Birds Nest - No, you are right, you can't get bait directly on to the bottom with a spod. Using one on a river is the same principle as with a catapult, you have to gauge where the feed is ending up. The advantage, as Graham says, is that you can keep the feed much tighter than you can with a catapult and generally get the bait in much quicker.

 

[Ben Lovell]

i would use a spod on a highly stocked water where the carp need to compete for the food and so they recognise the splash like a dinner bell.

also if im on a long stay and i want to create a feeding situation and wait for the carp to come to me, rather than finding them.