Thread: fishin by smell

Originally Posted by funbun

What method are you trying to use to catch them once you smell them?

have throwed the book at em .im missing it some where!

I "smelled" a Bream bed one time, many decades ago. An old timer buddy of mine told me that a bed smelled like overripe watermelon ... and that was the scent that I picked up. A light wind carried the smell down the bank quite a ways, but I did find the bed. First and last time I ever smelled a Bream bed, as far as I can remember ... but, I ain't been much into Bream fishing since those times, so I may have just ignored it.

Slab, If you've thrown everything in the book at them, I figure it's time to write a new book. I'm working on it:


Here's a video where I have smelled beds and catch'em. This was the Tuesday, December 29, 2017 trip:

They were more than likely closer to the reeds in the shallower water. If they are shellcrackers they can be finicky to bite. Keep your distance and try a tiny jig head tipped with a meal worm, red wiggler, or some type of larvae. Don't use a cork, just tight line it.


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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

I "smelled" a Bream bed one time, many decades ago. An old timer buddy of mine told me that a bed smelled like overripe watermelon ... and that was the scent that I picked up. A light wind carried the smell down the bank quite a ways, but I did find the bed. First and last time I ever smelled a Bream bed, as far as I can remember ... but, I ain't been much into Bream fishing since those times, so I may have just ignored it.

Yep....thats the smell

If the males are milking the beds they at times will not take any bait!!

Originally Posted by funbun

What method are you trying to use to catch them once you smell them?

I know they were there somewhere..tried worms under hooks in the reeds..but no luck..wasn't shallow enough to see the beds.How long do they stay on them?

Fastfish I remember reading that males only stay for a couple days for the eggs to hatch in warmer water. Cooler water a little longer. The guys brought up a good point about the wind taking the smell down wind and in some cases a good distance.
Funny how so many talk about the old timers using this, same here when I was taken by a older fisherman for gills. It amazed me how he would smell the beds as CP spoke of and then work our way to find them. Just a thought, but have you tried a dropper fly off the jig for a smaller presentation to imitate A scud or something like that? Maybe smaller will help.