How to master spodding

Force a bite
Don’t stick a bed of bait out, chuck the rods on top of it then sit on your hands and wait. Keep the bait going in; spodding this way will often force a bite. Always work the swim and encourage those carp into a feeding frenzy.

Accuracy is everything
Many people think that if they clip their spod to the same distance as their rig they will be baiting accurately. This is the biggest mistake we see when people are spodding, as everyone forgets the pendulum effect that occurs when your rig enters the water. For every 3ft of water you’re fishing to, expect your bait to settle on the bottom a foot from its entry point into the water. For example, if you are fishing to 6ft of water, you should clip your spod rod 2ft shorter than the rod you are fishing with.

Up it or lose it!
Avoid attaching your spod straight to the main line, as this can lead to the main line snapping on the cast. We advise you to use a shockleader that is a much higher breaking strain than your main line to absorb the pressure and force in the cast. By doing this, the chances of your line snapping will be minimised.

Up to the job
Filled to the brim, spods can weigh up to 8-12oz which is far too much for a standard rod to handle on the cast. Get yourself a purpose-built spod rod which will have a test curve of around 4-5lb. Getting a rod with this sort of power is essential to hit the distance and get your bait to where it needs to be.

Save your back
Continuously bending down to fill up your spod can be horrendous on your back, especially if you’re trying to get a big bed of bait out there. Be sensible and stack up your buckets next to your spodding position so that you can fill your spod effortlessly without bending down and stressing your spine.

Cloud it up
When fishing with Zigs, a great way to encourage the carp to get into your area is by spodding a really sloppy, cloudy mix over the top. Use clouding agents to create a plume of attraction in the water column. Use hemp, small particles, groundbait and all the usual bits you would in a standard spod mix too, as these will form a bed of bait on the bottom as well as the upper layers, giving you an option to fish bottom baits too.

Little-and-often
In our opinion, the best approach to take with the spod is little-and-often. Sometimes putting a large bed of bait out can go against you but by spodding using this approach you can gauge how strongly the fish are feeding. If they’re having it, then keep those spods going in with more and more bait; if they’re not, then keep the bait trickling in, but don’t over do it.

The perfect mix
A spod mix can contain anything you want. Use a variety of food items, all of different sizes, colours and flavours to keep the fish interested. We love a massive helping of chilli hemp and various sized pellets as the bulk ingredients of our mix, a couple of cans of sweetcorn, a bit of groundbait, some broken boilies, then for added attraction we will chuck a load of liquid on top too.

Into a rhythm
When you’re trying to get a big bed of bait out, get into a rhythm of spodding: fill the spod, cast, tug, lift and reel, then repeat. By doing this, your accuracy will improve and the spodding will become second nature, making sure that your spod lands
on target, every time.

Protection
Never spod without a fingerstall. Go spend a day chucking spods without one of these genius little finger gloves and we guarantee your finger will be good for nothing by the time you pack up. They’re vital pieces of kit for anyone who wants to spod out bait.