REACH FOR THE CATTY
Potting in bait is seen as the best way of feeding the margins, but Craig Butterfield shows why pinging a catapult can fare better down the edge
WE ALL have preconceived ideas about how we should feed a swim.
A Kinder cup is ideal for depositing tight piles close to islands, hand feeding helps to build up a swim for a late plunder on the short pole, and the biggest pot you own drops the payload down the margins.
It’s no secret that breaking the occasional angling rule isn’t always a bad thing, and Craig Butterfield does just that when trying to bag up down the edge on snake lakes.
The catapult is his best friend when his focus is homed in on this area of the swim, while the pots are left inside his carryall.
“There are several benefits to feeding like this, and it’s an approach that can get the margins producing from start to finish,” explained Craig.
“It’s particularly effective on snake lakes when proper carp are the main target.”
Identical treatment
The contours of a snake lake are among the main reasons that the margins can be effective for the whole session.
Plumb up tight to the far bank and then do the same down one side – you’ll often find there’s just inches between them, if that.
“Carp love to hog the cover and they’ll gravitate towards it, especially if it’s in a quiet area,” said Craig.
“A lot of anglers go straight to the far bank at the start of a session and catch well, but there’s no reason why you can’t do the same down the edge.
“You’ll need to fish well away from you so that you don’t unsettle them, placing your rig close to any cover that they will sit close to from the word go.”
Stick the plummet on and look for 2ft-3ft of water. Try to find this close to the next platform or 11m-13m away by a distinctive feature such as an overhanging tree or reeds.
Do this down both sides and this will give you two options to rotate between.
Budget baiting
With the cost-of-living crisis impacting on the amount of disposable incoming that people have, anglers are keen to try and catch just as many fish as they used to, while sticking to a limited budget. It doesn’t get much cheaper than this, as a tub of pellets is all you need for a full session.
“Two or three pints of 6mms will be more than enough and, if you have any left over, they can be taken home without worrying about when they’ll go off,” said Craig. “I’l
