I've been working away at a 'diiferent' punch groundbait for the past couple of months. I don't think it's too far off the mark and there is no waste with it whatsover. I have also been messing around with bread paste on the hook, that has been very successful but I haven't been arsed in the last couple of weeks (an age thing). I can make this paste mix in under 10 minutes and I know that it works well. I am not quite as confident however with the paste, often using it after I've had a few bites on the punch. I will let you know about this gb mix and the paste mix in a few weeks time, after I have finished tatting around with it; that is if anyone wants to know.
I am persevering with the punch groundbait because it has not let me down at all but I suspect it will work better on a clear cut like the Extension or Curly.
I shall try this paste again soon but I am quite happy with that.
When you fish against the likes of Fred Cheetham every week you realise just how good and very special he is on the bread. You just hace to reassess your own thinking, it is no good trying to copy someone because you will always be behind them. He has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve and gets some alarming weights on it; the number of double figure weights he has had entirely on punch just has to be admired.
As to how much to feed I honestly think it all depends on the venue and how many roach are in it. The more roach the more feed, the Erewash and in partcular the Beeston Canal will take an amazing amount of feed; the Staffs -Worcs at Stafford will too but the roach tend to be smaller there. The Shroppie will take far more than we all probably think too. I think you are right to feed a fair bit at the start. Due to the massive cloud reaction (and that is what you are looking for) you certainly can not feed many areas. We never, ever feed right across as a metre or so short covers that anyway.
We all fished the punch in Div One three years back on the Erewash to finish third, (I still got beat by CV at the next peg, dunno what happened there I had the scales!) and used it to a lesser extent (we found huge white squatts best) at Dodges beloved Wigan to finish third in this years Div 2. In between we were relegated from the New Junction, too crappity smack deep for the punch!
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In the right hands the punch will score massively in this years Div One, I am sure of that.
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