Steve Ringer answers your top 10 questions on Hybrid feeder fishing.
Discover how to get more bites on this deadly feeder this weekend…
1 IS A HYBRID BETTER THAN A METHOD? ONE of the questions I get asked the most is, why do I use a Hybrid feeder as opposed to a Method feeder?
Well, I don’t like to compare the two as they do perform different tasks, but I can tell you what I like about the Hybrid. Most importantly, it protects the bait on the cast better than a Method does, due to the raised sides.
With a Hybrid I know that 90 per cent of my bait is reaching the bottom with the feeder. It still needs to break down, and this is where the holes in the base and the slats in the side come into their own, allowing water to penetrate and break down the contents of the feeder.
On the subject of casting, the Hybrid feeders have a weightforward design, which means the bulk of the weight is in the nose of the feeder. This helps you to cast them straight in even a strong crosswind.
There’s a size for every situation, too, from those suited to underarm casts on tiny snake lakes to bigger versions which can be cast 100m-plus on venues like Boddington Reservoir. 2 ELASTIC OR INLINE? If the fishery I’m on allows a choice, it’s an elasticated feeder for me every time!
First, I feel I lose fewer fish when playing them on elasticated feeders. With inline feeders I find a carp can nod its head, and when the feeder bounces on the line the hook can fall out.
This is something that just doesn’t happen with an elasticated feeder. If that wasn’t enough, an elasticated system such as the Guru X-Safe gives me the ability to quick-change my feeders during a session.
For instance, I can have four or five feeders on the go and keep clipping them on and off to save time. This can be particularly useful when it comes to making the most of a quick burst of bites.
3 HEAVY OR LIGHT ELASTICS? Whether I use light (white) or heavy (black) elastic depends on the situation I’m faced with.
If I’m targeting mainly carp from 4lb upwards I’ll always opt for the heavy elastic.
However, if I’m looking at more of a mixed bag consisting of F1s, skimmers and the odd proper carp
then I’ll go with the light version.
The reason for scaling down the elastic for smaller fish is to ensure that when I’m playing, say, an F1 there is plenty of elastic out to help prevent those annoying hook pulls around the net.
4 LONG OR SHORT STEM? For 95 per cent of my Hybrid
feeder work I use the long stems, my thinking being that they give me that little bit more elastic which in turn leads to fewer hook pulls at the net.
On top of that you will also find that the long stem helps to keep the feeder stable in flight after the cast, so accuracy is therefore improved.
The only time I don’t use the long stem is for very short casts with the mini Hybrids – there’s no need when casting just 15m and catching smaller fish.
5 PELLETS OR GROUNDBAIT? Another question I get asked a lot regarding Hybrid feeders is ‘do they work with both groundbait and pellets?’
The simple answer is ‘yes’ and I regularly use Hybrids with groundbait on venues like Ferry Meadows when fishing for bream.
This doesn’t mean you have to use just pellets or groundbait, in fact quite often I will use a mix of the two.
Because of the way the Hybrid is designed, no matter what bait you use on the feeder the water can still get in through the slats and holes to help break it down.
6 HOW HEAVY SHOULD YOU GO? Feeder weight is an interesting topic. Normally, the further I want to cast, the heavier the feeder.
For instance, at Boddington in the winter when fishing at 80m and further the lightest feeder I will consider is the 42g version.
The reason is that I need a heavy feeder to load the rod on the cast to get the distance. Heavier feeders will also go through the wind that little bit better too, so if you’re ever really struggling to hit the clip then changing to a slightly heavier feeder can make a massive difference. However, there is an exception, and that’s when feeder fishing up to islands. Sometimes, when casting tight to an island, you can end up fishing on a very severe slope.
In this scenario, a light feeder will often move down the slope, pulling your hookbait away from
the loose offerings.
To stop this happening I simply use a heavier feeder so that I know, once it hits the bottom, that even feeding fish are unlikely to dislodge it.
Another little tip when fishing on a slope is to try and keep a relatively slack line between rod tip and feeder. This means that if a fish does bump the line, the chances are it still won’t move the feeder.
7 WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A SPEED BEAD? These are great little gadgets that offer more than just the ability to change your hooklengths quickly.
The speed bead gives the hooklength loads more movement which allows it to behave in a more natural manner.
Because the hooklength loop is inside the swivel it means that once the bait around the feeder breaks down, the hookbait isn’t dragged away, as tends to happen if you simply double-loop your hooklength to an O-ring.
8 WHAT’S THE IDEAL HOOKLENGTH LENGTH? This is a subject which divides opinion. Personally, having played about a lot, I now tie all my Hybrid feeder hooklengths at 4ins.
I feel this is the perfect length, as it’s long enough to allow the hookbait some movement, but at the same time not so long that fish are constantly getting away with it, as in sucking and blowing the hookbait back out again without getting hooked against the weight of the feeder.
Of course, these are only my own findings and I know some very good anglers who prefer 2ins hooklengths, for instance.
I guess my point is that a 4ins hooklength works for me – you just need to find out what works best for you!
9 WHICH HOOKBAITS ARE THE BEST? In recent times it has been all about wafters, wafters and more wafters!
The beauty of a wafter is that, being so light, it is very difficult for a carp to deal with once it’s been sucked it in. More hook-ups are the inevitable result.
I tend to favour a 10mm Ringers Chocolate Orange wafter but I do use other hookbaits, and if I had to pick three to go alongside wafters they would be hard pellets in 6mm and 8mm, dead maggots, and punched bread (8mm or 10mm).
Confidence is key with your baits – go with what you believe in.
HOW DO I PREPARE 10 MY PELLETS? Soaking pellets for the Hybrid is a contentious issue. One reason is that pellets vary so much, so if you chop and change pellets a lot each type will soak up
differently.
For this reason, the first bit of advice I always give is to find a pellet you like and, where fishery rules allow, stick with it.
Personally I use Ringers Method Micros, which are a blend of different types of 2mm pellet. They are designed to be easy to soak, they stick well to a feeder, and they break down quickly.