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 How
to feed the swim
So you have set up all
of your gear in your chosen swim, and are
ready to start fishing. Do you just cast
out and wait for a carp to come along and
find your bait? Well you could, and eventually
it may happen, but it would be a bit like
putting a chocolate drop in a hall and telling
a dog to find it. If you could keep it interested
enough to keep looking, then it would eventually
find it. Otherwise it would give up and
go elsewhere. Put a line of chocolate drops
in a trail leading to yours however, and
the dog will find it much quicker. Put a
few highly scented drops near your drop,
and the dog will be there in seconds. The
same applies to carp fishing. One bait in
a 3-acre lake won't be found very quickly
especially if the lake bottom is silty and
the bait is not very visible. You need to
attract the carp to your bait and then hold
them there. So how do you do this?
Feeding with particles
One of my favourite methods
is using particles. These are very small
pieces of foodstuff, which may give off
a scent, and take the carp a while to mop
up, therefore keeping them in the vicinity
of your bait. Of course, accuracy becomes
important here, as you need the carp to
find your bait right there where the particles
are. I have seen anglers cast a hook bait
and then spray particles all around the
area within about a 40 feet radius of the
bait. So how do you achieve this accuracy?
There are several ways to feed
particles, and it will depend on the type
you are using. If you are margin fishing,
then maybe you can simply drop or throw
the particles in to your swim. But for fishing
farther out or in windy conditions, this
is not particle. For dry particles such
as trout pellets, one easy way is to use
PVA bags. These small plastic bags come
in a variety of types, but basically they
all do the same thing. They hold a selection
of your chosen particle, are attached to
your rig, and when they are immersed in
water they dissolve, placing your loose
feed right there with your bait and rig.
For wet particles such as hemp,
PVA is no use, as it will dissolve on contact.
Another method must be found. One favourite
method is the bait rocket or spod. These
devices are basically plastic tubes blocked
at one end with cork or polystyrene and
attached at the other end to line on a spare
rod, The tube is then filled with particles
and cast to your chosen fishing spot. The
tube will up-end on impact with the water,
spilling the particles into the lake. Continually
casting the spod will soon produce a good
bed of bait, after which the rod is put
aside for later use.
Bait boats
Another but more expensive method
of getting your bait out there is to use
a bait boat, but make sure they are not
banned on your water before using. The good
thing about bait boats is that you can fish
into very awkward areas and still be sure
that your free offerings are right by your
hook bait. Fill the boat with free offerings
and your rig and hookbait and let the boat
take everything right to where you want
it, maybe right under an overhanging tree
on the edge of an island, and you are fishing
areas that a lot of other anglers can't
reach.
 Feeders
Feeders are another good way
of getting smaller amounts of particles
into the swim, or use a Method Feeder, coated
in groundbait containing a high proportion
of particles. Hemp binds well with a good
Method mix groundbait and will cast a fair
distance on the proper rig.
Feeding in the margins
When fishing close in to the
margins, feeding little and often usually
works well, as it is easy to keep replenishing
the bed of bait. If you continue to get
runs, then feed more, say every 1/2-hour
at least. This will keep the fish interested
and in your swim. If nothing materialises
however, beware of overfeeding. The situation
you don't want is for there to be so much
feed in your swim, that they don't need
to take your bait.
Follow this advice and try to
get the carp feeding right where you want
them. Believe me, once carp get their heads
down on a bed of particles, the fishing
can be fantastic. I have even had to stop
using two rods because I couldn't keep up
with the runs. Give it a try and see of
it works for you.
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