Depending on the size of spod, you don't need a specialist spod rod. A 2˝ to 3lb test curve rod will cast a small spod, but if you're going to cast a bigger spod, you'll need a more powerful rod. A cheap beachcaster will do the job fine if your not going to spod to far.

There are lots of spods on the market,The Pocket Rockets can be cast a long, long way, but the big advantage is that being so light, if you feather the cast they will land with hardly a splash, vital if you have to put bait out over feeding fish.

So the first decision is…how much bait? The biggest mistake people make is to think, "I've got a spod and a bucket of bait, and lets get it all out." Remember that a spod is really just a long range catapult, ie, if you would just use a couple of pouches of pellet in the margin, why use a kilo because your fishing 60yds out? A couple of spods full is enough to put an attractive feeding patch down. Also, remember that you're not limited by what you put in them, so if you are using boilies, use different sizes, break some in halves and crumb a few, all little 'edges' that can catch out a wary fish. If I want to create a bed of bait, normally I start by clipping up and feeding bait 5-10 yards behind the marker with maybe 5-15 spods full. I then unclip and reel in a couple of yards, and repeat the process until I'm maybe 5 yards in front of the marker. I think this is better than putting all your bait right on the marker as it might attract more fish, and you don't have to be quite so accurate on the re-cast, especially at night. Another trick, especially if using Method or PVA bags, is to not be particularly accurate on the cast, so the area is peppered with little clumps of bait. Obviously this isn't quite as effective in deep water as the bait will disperse a lot on the way down.

A couple of tips…

Use a 'Big Pit' type reel. An hour of spodding with small reels can betiring, big pits make it easier to retrieve and easier to cast because of the size of the spool.

When spooling up the reel, put a loop of powergum under the line clip, it'll help protect the line.