MY PINGING FEEDER SET UP
BIG FEEDERS
Feeder choice is a large, 28g Guru Hybrid feeder. I prefer a large feeder because it carries more bait, which in turn I find produces quicker bites in comparison to smaller feeders.
A 28g feeder is more than heavy enough to hit the required distance.
WAFTER HOOKBAIT
As far as hookbait choice goes there is only really one – and that’s a wafter!
The only variations are in colour and size, which I will experiment with to see what’s best on the day. Just lately I have been catching lots of big carp on a 6mm wafter, so don’t think a big bait necessarily means big fish.
As a guide I will kick off with a 10mm fluoro orange and feel my way in. If I’m catching I won’t change, but if I’m not then I will chop and change for a few casts to see if it’s the hookbait colour which is making the difference.
ROD AND REEL
Rod is an 11ft Daiwa SLR matched up with a TDR Distance 25QD reel loaded with 6lb Guru Pulse Pro mainline to a shockleader of 12lb Daiwa ST mono.
Now you might be thinking, why the need for a shockleader for fairly close work?
The answer is that I feel it makes me more efficient, as when I’m playing fish with the rod down low I know exactly where the fish is when the leader knot hits the tip ring.
There is no lifting the rod to see how far out the fish is – the leader knot tells me everything.
I also then have the added bonus of playing the fish on the 12lb leader once that’s on the reel.
HOOKLENGTHS
I use 4ins of 0.19mm N-Gauge to a size 10 QM1 hook. Yes, a size 10 might sound big, but in comparison to an 8lb carp’s mouth it really isn’t.
The important part, though, is that since switching to a size 10 for this type of fishing not only have I lost fewer fish but I also feel I’ve had more bites.
Once a size 10 QM1 is sucked in, the carp’s chances of getting away with it are vastly reduced.
The hook is tied on using the knotless knot, with a bait bayonet taking the place of the standard hair.