Is Bread A Good Fishing Bait – Explained

Incorporating bread into your fishing can be a fantastic way to increase the number of bites you’ll expect per session. Depending on when what, and where you’ll be fishing using bread has its advantages.

Throughout this article, we’ll discuss a few different methods of catching fish using bread. Any issues to expect as well as the rules and regulations throughout fisheries that may alter how anglers can and can’t fish with bread.

However, there’s no doubt about it, bread can be an absolute killer bait for many commercial fisheries all throughout the UK and Europe.

Why Is Bread A Good Fishing Bait

Bread is something we all have at home the majority of the time. It’s one of those baits that you’ll understand the hype behind once you’ve used it. After fishing numerous commercial fisheries all throughout the UK, we can to the realization that when the fish aren’t biting but are clearly visible on the surface bread is always the way to go.

In all honesty, we’re not quite sure why fish like it so much, but it’s almost a fishing cheat code when used properly. Yes, there are plenty of expensive baits and additives along with new products that enter the commercial fishing scene regularly. However, this cheap and readily available bait has given us the best results by far.

Let’s just put it this way, there’s a reason why it’s banned from certain fisheries all across the country. For argument’s sake, there is research out there that gives anglers the impression that bread is bad for fish, however, that’s a whole separate issue. As the fish struggle to process gluten or yeast. If consumed in excess bread may be harmful.

The general rule of too much of anything can have a negative impact is an analogy we use to tackle this as a whole. Using a small amount of bread won’t do the fish any real harm. However, throwing in entire loaves of bread to attract fish to the surface may very well be detrimental to their health. Not to mention it could also have a wider impact on the surrounding environment.

Why Is Bread A Bad Fishing Bait

When fishing with bread, you will face a few issues. Firstly when using bread as a hook bait, the chances of it coming off your hook are significantly higher than many other common fishing baits.

Bread will not last for longer than 10 minutes usually so swapping it out is something you’ll have to do regularly. We find that when fishing on the surface or on the lake bed, it’s always best to squeeze it into a ball around your hook. This helps keep it stronger for longer and will ensure it’s not falling off your hook as often.

Some Fisheries across the UK also have a no-bread policy, this has to be followed as some lakes notice an increase in ducks and geese. This in turn has a negative impact on the fishery and creates more mess to manage. Another reason may be, it just makes fishing too easy.

Fishing with bread can be tons of fun until your bait keeps failing off and you consistently bring in the rig just to swap it out for a new piece. Generally, it may be more work but can bring excellent results.

What Fish Will Eat Bread

The most common fish in the UK will eat fish. Carp, F1, goldfish, bream, and barbell in our experience are particularly inclined to bread as a hook bait. Many anglers have noticed the majority of the fish in commercial fisheries showed a preference for white bread.

To be honest, if you’re looking to catch carp on the surface or on the lake bed bread can be a killer bait. We’ve used it countless times when fishing local waters, bringing us copious amounts of success.

Here is a list of fish that tend to go for Bread:

• Carp (Cyprinus Carpio)
• Catfish (Silurus Glanis)
• F1 Carp (Carassius Carassius × Cyprinus Carpio Carpio)
• Goldfish (Carassius Auratus)
• Bream (Abramis Brama)
• Barbell (Barbus Barbus)

Using Bread To Stalk Fish

When fishing with bread, there are two methods that seem to be most effective. Throwing a few pieces of bread into the water along with some line and a hook is an extremely simple but highly underrated technique. Fishing like this allowed us to catch 50 carp in a day session. We found that bread is the only bait that can regularly ensure results like this.

When stalking carp it’s crucial to remain quiet, any sudden movements or sounds can spook the fish at the worst of times. We noticed on those warm summer evenings before sunset, large numbers of fish came up to the surface.

Throwing in a few extra pieces of bread every few minutes ensured that the fish didn’t leave the swim. When fishing using this method it’s you’ll find the best results at heavily stocked fisheries. In all fairness as carp are the biggest and most popular fish in most commercial fisheries, they do often minimize the chances of you catching anything else. Catfish, Bream, F1, and goldfish are not caught anywhere near as often as Carp.

Float Fishing Using Bread

Another way to fish using bread is a standard float fishing setup or plain line and split shots which work just as well but just require you to pay attention 100% of the time. When using this technique, tightly pack the bread around the shank of your hook. Make sure to leave the point exposed to help with bite reliability.

It’s important to remember that you are fishing with bread so the chances of your hook bait falling are high. Bring the rig in every 10-15 minutes in between waiting for bites to guarantee the best results possible. Use a rod or pole that you are comfortable with and invest in some polarised sunglasses. This will allow you to see deeper into the lake and spot potential fish you’re aiming to catch.

Are You Allowed To Catch Fish Using Bread

Some fisheries do not allow fishing with bread. Whether this is because of the potential negative effect it may have on the environment or potential health issues for fish. If you do see a sign that says no bread then it’s best to always stay away from it. You can be asked to leave or even pay a fine if you do break the terms of the fishery.

We find that smaller and less popular fisheries do not have such rules but it’s really about finding what works for you. There is no doubt about it when you do use bread to catch fish, especially in the UK you will be shocked by the results.

Conclusion

Holistically speaking, bread is excellent fishing bait. It allows you to target a wide variety of fish and has proven to be highly attractive and successful in freshwater. I think its durability is its major shortcoming but there is no such thing as perfect bait. Once you’ve taken into consideration the cost, effectiveness, and utility of bread, it’s arguably one of the best fishing baits available.