Fishing for trout with a bombard is a fairly popular type of fishing. This method is mainly used on paid ponds and lakes. In such reservoirs, the fish are often located far from the shore, and it is almost impossible to throw light wobblers and spoons to them. Therefore, sbirulino comes to the rescue, allowing you to fish over long distances.
What is a bombard?
Sbirulino or bombarda is a specialized float that has a spindle-shaped body through which a hollow antenna with a hole for fishing line passes. The main purpose of this equipment is the ability to fish with light baits at a considerable distance from the shore.
The body of the bombard is made of plastic, often transparent, so as not to scare away the fish. It is less common to see a balsa float, but they are much more expensive. The hollow antenna is also made of polymer. Depending on the design, the sbirulino inside has a load made of brass, stainless steel or lead.
All bombards differ in size and weight. It is necessary to select sbirulino for the given fishing conditions. You should evaluate the required fishing distance, bait and gear used. Floats are also available in floating and sinking types. The first ones are needed when hunting from the surface of the water or in the upper layers. The latter are used for fishing the bottom horizon.
Photo 1. Types of bombards.
What is this
Fishing with a bombard is a type of equipment that allows you to catch a variety of fish, the main element of which is a float in the form of a miniature egg, strung along its axis on a small diameter tube. The main role of this float is to ensure the casting range of small bait, as well as control the level of depth of the thrown bait during the process of retrieving it.
For general development and to exclude double assessments, I can say with confidence that the name of the bombard float, which has become more familiar to us, is quite identical to the word sbirulino. Therefore, there is no need to look for differences in equipment, since it is absolutely the same equipment. This float is made of dense plastic and its colors can vary from transparent specimens to options with exotic colors, for example, acidic or black with a metallic tint.
Tackle for trout fishing with bombard
For trout fishing with sbirulino, suitable gear must be used that is not too light and will not allow you to cast the equipment, or too powerful, which will not bring the pleasure of catching a predator.
So, an important element for a bombard is the rod. You need to approach his choice responsibly. Today, specialized spinning rods are produced, specially designed for fishing with sbirulino. They have a length of three to five meters, medium action and are quite light. Unfortunately, in our market, due to the low popularity of this type of fishing, it is problematic to find such fishing rods.
Therefore, anglers choose regular spinning rods with a length of 2.70 meters, medium or slow action. The rod test depends on the bombard used, but is usually no more than 30 grams. The weight is kept as low as possible. There are no special requirements for the handle and fittings.
The reel should be in harmony with the rod. It must provide the following requirements:
- smooth laying of thin fishing line, without dips or humps;
- possibility of long casting;
- a thin and sensitive friction mechanism that well dampens trout jerks when fishing.
Fishing for trout with a bombard is carried out with a spinning reel. It is not advisable to use multipliers. The spool should preferably be low profile, as it is better suited for thin cords and fishing lines. Reduction from 5.5:1 and higher.
Advice! The reel with the rod must have perfect balance, otherwise fishing during the day will be uncomfortable due to rapid fatigue.
It is customary to use monofilament fishing line. Braiding in this method will not bring any special advantages. For maximum stealth, the gear can be wound with fluorocarbon on the spool. It is almost invisible to fish. But you need to take into account its greater rigidity than nylon. This can lead to spontaneous shedding of loops and beards. Therefore, “flurique” should be chosen as soft as possible.
Equipment elements
The trout rig itself does not consist of just one float. It includes the following elements:
- Sbirulino. It is mentioned above. It is selected according to the fishing conditions and the bait used, which will be discussed below.
- Leash. Used from thinner fishing line or fluorocarbon. Its length ranges from 10–30 cm (when fishing from the bottom) to 2 meters (when fishing in the surface layer).
- Special carabiners with three swivels connected in series. They prevent excessive line twist when fishing with spinners, streamers or natural lures.
- Special rubber balls that act as shock absorbers. They protect the equipment components from bombard impacts, maintaining its strength and reliability.
This minimum set is enough to go to the pond for trout.
Photo 2. Installation diagram of the sbirulino equipment.
Lake trout fishing
Catching lake trout, as a fairly wary fish, requires not only mastery of tackle, but also the use of various innovations that the fishing tackle industry offers. In order to catch fish successfully, despite the changing fishing conditions, you should not only train your fishing technique, but also use the latest achievements of fishing thought. Naturally, behind every new product in the fishing segment of the market, there are people who understand a lot about fishing. Moreover, any innovation is the result of long practical work, testing a new product in water bodies. One such product, developed by Fausto Buccella (famous sports fisherman from Italy, Balzer team), is the Bombarda. Another, no less well-known name for bombarda is sbirulino. The bombard solves the problem of casting small and light baits over long distances. When using sbirulino, the weight of the bait does not matter. Casting occurs due to the weight of the bombard. Initially, the bombard was positioned as part of the equipment for trout fishing using natural baits. But later it began to be used with artificial light baits. The bombard can be used for spinning, fly fishing, and match fishing, but specialized rods have the longest cast when you need to deliver small bait over a fairly long distance. In appearance, the bombard resembles a float with a spindle-shaped body and a hollow antenna, inside which a fishing line or cord passes. The bombard moves freely along the line, and at the extreme point it is limited by a small damper, which softens the loads when casting. There are two types of installation: completely sliding installation and sliding installation with a stopper (usually a silicone stopper), which is placed on the fishing line above the sbirulino. The spindle body can be made of plastic or balsa. The body of the bombard is loaded with lead or brass weights. There are models on which you can change the weight due to removable cargo segments. Bombarda can have a painted or transparent body. For fishing in the dark, there are models with a luminescent coating. For catching lake trout, bombards with a transparent body are most suitable. Such models are practically invisible in the water, which is very important when fishing for trout, which has excellent vision. Bombards are classified into: floating, slow-sinking, fast-sinking. Each class has its own area of application, depending on the conditions on the reservoir. Depending on the placement of the load in the body of the bombard, it moves differently in the water. Based on the placement of cargo, bombards are divided into types: “Magic” - the cargo is located in the body, at opposite ends. The bombard occupies only a horizontal position in the water. Such models are the most sensitive. The horizontal position is independent of line tension. "Match" - the top of the bombard is loaded. When performing wiring, it occupies a position close to horizontal. When paused, it lowers the top down. "Competition" - the shipment is placed at a natural center of gravity. Its behavior in water, when guiding, can be compared to the movement of a swing, only with a greater degree of freedom. During direct wiring, it maintains a horizontal position. It has great controllability and a large number of wiring options. “Moretto” - the load is placed along the entire length of the body. Because of this, the bombard does not make sudden jerks during wiring. Well suited for fishing in the water column and bottom layer. “Classiche” - the load is located at the bottom. This makes such models the most long-range. During a pause, due to the front loading, it goes almost vertically down. Gear used for fishing with a bombard
It is best to use specialized fishing rods
The length of rods can vary from 3.3 m to 4.2 m. A mandatory condition for selecting a rod is that the test form should not be less than the weight of the bombard (sbirulino). The best option is when the weight of the equipment is in the middle of the test range of the rod. The reel is used from the spinning or match range. As for the choice of fishing line or cord, taking into account the peculiarities of catching lake trout, it is difficult to say for sure. It is necessary to take into account the transparency of the water (the trout sees the line better). However, you can go for a combined option - cord and fluorocarbon fishing line. But you need to understand that with braided fishing line the casting distance increases significantly. When using the match method of trout fishing with a bombard, monofilament is definitely used. When inserting small baits, with the exception of wobblers, the leash may twist. In order to reduce the likelihood of twisting, a swivel of good quality is installed between the leash and the main fishing line or cord. The length of the leash is 1-1.5 m. The diameter of the fishing line for trout fishing is no more than 0.2 mm. Hooks, only from well-known manufacturers, made of thin wire. Fishing for lake trout using bombards can be done using artificial baits (flies, streamers, wobblers, spinners) and natural baits. The advantages of using a bombard are the possibility of long-distance casting of the lightest baits, the ability to fish all horizons of a reservoir using a slowly sinking bombard. In addition, the bottom layers are fished when using a sinking bombard and the surface horizon when using floating bombard models. Due to the use of long leashes, overlaps are possible. The likelihood of overlap is reduced if you use the following technique: in the last phase of the rig’s flight, the line coming off the spool is slowed down. The leash straightens and the bait falls into the water first, and then only the bombard. Everything written above is only general recommendations for using bombards. The main points are learned only on the pond. And only trout can give answers to all questions.
Lures for trout fishing with bombard
Trout can be caught using a bombard with a variety of baits. Artificial ones are used more often, since such fishing is considered sporty and more dynamic. Natural baits and baits may be more effective, but they do not bring such emotions and pleasure from catching fish.
The main baits for trout fishing with sbirulino are:
- spinners;
- flies, nymphs and streamers;
- fly wobblers;
- wobblers and topwaters;
- silicone baits.
There is no need to explain that the size of all listed types of bait is selected to the minimum size that is used in ultralight fishing.
The bombard also expands the capabilities of the baits themselves. By selecting the weight of sbirulino and the type of buoyancy, they can be carried out in any horizon. This way, a small wobbler can be immersed in the depths, and a twister can be presented to the trout at the very surface.
Photo 3. A variety of baits when fishing for trout with a bombard.
Trout lures
Trout can be caught using sbirulino with a wide variety of artificial and natural baits. The most exciting and dynamic fishing is achieved using ultra-light ultralight models:
- In the upper layers of water, it is advisable to use fly fishing flies, nymphs, small streamers, fly wobblers and topwaters.
- In the water column, micro-oscillators, spinners and UL wobblers are most often used.
- At the bottom, with the help of sbirulino, you can use silicone baits, micro-oscillators, rotating spinners and wobblers.
Where and how to catch trout with a bombard
The technique of catching trout on sbirulino is largely determined by the horizon in which the fish is currently holding. Therefore, for successful fishing, you must first decide at what depth the predator is located and understand its mood. Based on this, the type of bombard and bait are selected.
Floating sbirulino and bait. This is the simplest fishing option. The equipment is thrown to the desired point and driven slowly with periodic pauses. It is important to create the illusion of a food object swarming on the surface of the water. Such fuss attracts active trout well.
Advice! When fishing from the surface of the water, polarized glasses are a must so as not to lose sight of the bait and not miss a trout bite.
Floating sbirulino and sinking bait. In this case, the wiring is carried out slowly in a dotted manner. The fisherman tightens the equipment by 20–30 cm and pauses for 5–10 seconds. This animation works well for trout, which feed in the near-surface layer, but do not attack the bait from the water surface itself.
Slow sinking bombard and floating or sinking bait. This option is reminiscent of fishing with a suspended wobbler. Here it is important to detect the horizon in which the predator is feeding. Then the equipment is immersed to the required depth and unhurried wiring is carried out with periodic stops and stretches.
Fast sinking bombard and any bait. This equipment option allows you to fish the bottom layer with light spinners, wobblers, flies and silicone baits. A sinking artificial bait is more suitable for fast retrieve and active trout, a floating one is for passive fish and should be used very slowly with regular pauses.
Equipment components
Equipment designed for trout hunting does not consist exclusively of one float. It includes the following components:
Trout floats
- The heavy float, the sbirulino itself, is selected for the fishing conditions and the bait used.
- Special rubber or plastic balls that act as shock absorbers. They protect the integrity of the unit in case of collision with the float during wiring or when casting.
- A swivel necessary to prevent excessive twisting of the line when fishing with a bombard. It can be triple or quadruple.
- Monofilament or fluorocarbon leash. Depending on the fishing conditions, the bait used and the behavior of the fish, its length varies from 30 cm to 2 m.
Since rainbow trout bite better on edible baits such as maggots, squid strips, trout paste, the length of the leader can be increased to 1.5–2 m.
This minimum set is enough to start catching the intended prey.
Disadvantages of the bombard
Despite all the delights of fishing with sbirulino, there are some disadvantages of this method that scare away many fishermen:
- bulkiness of the gear;
- inconvenience of fishing in cramped conditions;
- suitable for fishing at medium and long distances;
- the presence of various elements in the equipment, which reduces its strength and requires time for installation.
But in general, the bombard is a universal fishing equipment that will allow you to catch trout in any body of water at any time.
Studying the bombard for fishing
A bombard is a special float that is designed for spinning fishing.
Use it together with light baits to increase the casting distance. The bombard float allows you to throw tackle such as small wobblers, silicone fish and spinners over a long distance. This design also allows you to place baits in any body of water at different depths.
