YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED BY EXPERTS…
Q What type of pole rig should I use when trying to fish pellets on the bottom for carp or F1s on a lake that is affected by underwater tow?
A PELLET hookbaits must be nailed to the bottom once in position or they will look unnatural. Your rig needs to provide stability, but it must also help to fool the fish into believing that the hookbait is a loose offering. You can achieve this by using a shotting pattern that helps it flutter through the bottom layers of the water column.
Q What is the best way to feed worms when trying to catch a mixed bag on my local club water?
A WORMS are just as effective at tempting quality silverfish as they are at drawing in big carp.
As loosefeed they are best combined with groundbait in order to get everything down to the deck where the bigger fish will be waiting, with a dark mix complimenting the worms well.
HOW TO feed worms properly
Q What is the best shotting pattern to use when the fish are spread throughout the bottom few feet of the water column?
A THIS is the best time of year to catch ‘on the drop’, with the fish often being close to the deck. A strung-out shotting pattern is the answer, but you need to work out where the fish are sat before committing to the tactic.
For example, if you’re fishing a swim that is 6ft deep and you believe that the shoal are sat between half-depth and the lakebed, you need to try to slow the fall of your hookbait once it gets to that half-depth.
To do this, your shot needs to be strung from the hooklength to halfway up the rig. If the shoal goes a little deeper, tighten your shotting up, spreading them over a smaller area so that the hookbait gets through the ‘barren area’ quickly, before then slowing down to provide a natural presentation once it enters the vicinity of the fish.
Q What baits should I pack inside a large cage feeder when putting down a big bed of bait to draw in both carp and bream?
A PROVIDING the fish with the baits that they regularly see and are therefore constantly on the lookout for is the best way to reduce the time it tak
