Traditional wisdom when it comes to bream groundbaits is that they should be predominantly fishmeal-based and I must admit all of my bream fishing in recent years has revolved around fishmeals and fish oils – as well as plenty of pellets and particles, especially corn.
Bait-Tech, however, have taken a very different approach with their Omen groundbait, which is designed specifically for bream and skimmers, but which is not an out an out fishmeal and you realise this as soon as you open a bag as the typically oily smell and feel of a fishmeal is just not there. Sure, there is fishmeal present but it is subtle and not overpowering and my nose picked out hints of garlic – the aroma, including that of fishmeal, became more pronounced on mixing but it was certainly unlike any bream mix I had ever used before.
Bait-Tech themselves say:
“Bream fishing will never be the same again! Designed specifically to target skimmer and bream, this groundbait makes a mockery of ‘traditional’ mixes. Developed for use in a feeder or on the pole, the easy mix formula boasts three new bream attracting flavours and herbs that are very different from the norm.
Omen is a highly versatile mix specifically designed with skimmers and bream in mind and is the perfect choice for feeder, pole or waggler fishing on almost any venue! Each ingredient has been selected to perform a specific job to give both instant attraction while also offering long term appeal to draw and hold fish in your swim. The cuisine for bream!”
As for the mixing as expected, having now played with much of the Bait-Tech range, it was simple and effortless to create a mix to suit your exact need was and this versatility is key to the fact this can be adapted for open-ended, cage or method feeders with little effort.
I was a bit worried the absence of a higher percentage of fishmeal would detract from the binding properties required to make a good method ball but I need not have been as it balled up fine – although specialist anglers looking to pile it full of pellets and whack a big ball to the horizon for serious slabs may need to doctor the basic blend to get the exact consistency they require – and indeed this is exactly what I did.
As it is out of the bag it is perfect for all open-ended feeders giving a fast to breakdown but heavy mix – exactly what is required to quickly get bream snouting around on the bottom.
The particle size is on the fine side meaning lots of scent in the swim without too much in the way of actual feed so it is likely to pull and hold smaller fish for a while but if you are looking to hold a good shoal of fish, or bigger fish, you will need to pack it with pellets and particles and it can take a fair loading without the addition of a binder for close to medium range work.
As to whether a groundbait which is not totally overloaded with fishmeal can hold its own in the bream stakes – well, certainly check out the clips with Wayne Swinscoe below who has used it successfully on a variety of differing water types from drains and rivers to commercials.
We fished it packed with pellets and corn in conjunction with method feeders and pellet hookbaits on a big reservoir that holds a decent head of slabs in the 5 to 8lb bracket and caught from the off and just kept catching! We fished in the autumn when it was a bit late for tench and on a water with no carp but I have no doubt these species would home in on it well too – it may be designed with bream and skimmers in mind but it’s not just a bream feed – although personally I’d look to chuck in a bit of liquid molasses for the tench and boost the sweetness a little.
As far as bream groundbaits go it’s certainly different, but that is no bad thing as being different will often give you an edge.
If you want to know more about Omen from a match fishing master then check out the clips below where top matchman Wayne Swinscoe explains why Omen is his top groundbait when bream fishing, how he uses it to best effect and how to get the best from it.
PART ONE
PART TWO
Supplied in a 2kg bag, with comprehensive mixing instructions on the packing, you can find Omen in all Bait-Tech stockists.
