IYCF runs through when you should rely on each of the four main ways of baiting up
THERE are a number of ways to make or break your fishing session, and how you feed your swim is arguably top of the list. Fail to give the fish the food they want in the correct quantities and you’re setting yourself up for a struggle.
How the feed is introduced is also important, as is how accurate you need to be and whether you need to create some noise when feeding.
There are four common ways to feed a swim, and it’s important to choose the right one for the situation facing you.
SMALL POT
A small pot can be attached to the end of your top kit, and this is arguably the most popular way to feed with a pole. Fill it with your chosen bait at the start and drop it over your rig. Don’t be tempted to add more – after all, if fish are already present, you don’t want to overfeed them. Half-fill it after every fish to keep the swim topped up. These pots come in a variety of sizes and, as a rule of thumb, the colder it is, the smaller your pot should be
BIG POT
This type of pot is attached to a top kit specifically made for feeding and is never used for the fishing itself. Such a pot is ideal for feeding bigger quantities of bait into areas of the peg that are devoid of life. The aim is to give the fish a reason to visit – that reason being a large meal. The margins are often the ideal place for feeding such quantities, as fish will be tempted into shallow water once food is available. A big pot can also be used to feed big balls of groundbait accurately
HOW TO ATTACH A SMALL POT
1A pole pot will have two sizes of hole towards the bottom – the bigger ones are like
