HOW TO: Freeline Bread for Carp & Catfish

Freelining bread has to be one of the most effective methods of fishing I've tried to this day, and it remains one of my favorite methods to use when nothing else is working. It's as simple as it sounds; bread on a hook with no sinker. You'll catch mainly carp and catfish using this method, although we've caught several other species using this method including spotted gar and smallmouth buffalo.

The question most anglers have about fishing with bread is how to keep the bait on the hook. The method we use works well, and you'll be able to re-cast the bread several times before losing it.

To start, tear off a corner of a slice of bread. You'll want to leave the crust on just the corner. Once you have your corner, fold it in half and smash it down into a small rectangle with crust on the top and bottom.

Once you have the bread compressed, you can begin threading it onto your hook. We normally use either straight shank or octopus hooks for this, #2 or #1. Start by piercing the bread near the edge.

After that, pull the hook through until the eye is flush with the bread, and flip it around to where the point is near the middle of the bread piece. Then, pierce the bread a second time.

And that's it! Just make sure the hook point and barb (if you're using barbed hooks) are exposed. As I said before, carp and catfish both absolutely love bread and this method of hooking it will ensure your bread stays on long enough to get a bite.

We generally use light tackle when freelining, to help detect bites. Also, stalking & sight casting can play a big factor in freeline fishing, especially in narrow creeks/canals and reservoirs with clear water. However, don't be discouraged if the water isn't crystal clear; you can still freeline in even the muddiest of waters. It's all about watching the line. Keep a small amount of slack in the line (not too much, just a little), and keep your eyes on it. As soon as you see the line begin to straighten, set the hook. If you see your line pick up and drop repeatedly, you probably have a carp on the other end testing your bait. If so, wait until the line actually starts moving away to set the hook. If you're not familiar with freelining already, it does take some getting used to. But it's well worth it!