TIPS &TACTICS
IF YOU TRY ONE THING THIS WEEK...
Alex Dawson says that how much bait you prime a spot with depends on its depth
BAG MORE THIS WEEK!
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AS TEMPERATURES creep up and the number of daylight hours increases, many anglers believe this a cue to pile more bait in.
There’s no doubt that the fish in your local venue will have recently experienced an upturn in their appetites, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can go from loosefeeding a thimbleful of freebies to larruping them in without a care.
Some will adopt a feeding strategy at the start of a session and apply it to every area of their swim, but commercial fishery expert Alex Dawson believes you can be bold in parts of your peg , while holding back in others. “Consider the depth of water you are fishing in before you decide how you are going to feed it,” explained Alex.
“Pretty much every species that you’ll encounter in a commercial won’t feel
TOP KIT CHOICE
There’s a greater chance of fish spotting your pole waving over their heads when targeting shallow water. Use a grey or white top kit for this style of fishing and it may just blend in with the colour of the sky and make it harder for the fish to suss you out.
comfortable feeding over a big bed of bait when they are in shallow water up against an island, for example.
“They will have dodged the shallows while it has been cold, and they’ll be cautious enough just being there, without being overwhelmed by a large bed of bait.
“On the flip side, you can get away with feeding a lot more in deeper water.
“The fish are hungrier, and they are much more settled and carefree when they have the security of a sufficient depth over their heads.”
PRIME YOUR PEG
Alex relies on just two baits when fishing for mixed bags on commercials in spring , and has set rules about how he uses them.
“Pellets are the best bait for fishing in shallow water close to cover. I am only trickling in a few 2mms each time I ship out, and I want to feel confident that the bait is still in place when a carp, an F1 or a big sk
