Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Rip up the groundbait rule book – Matt Powell
Forget light and fluffy mixes says Matt Powell, who reveals his stodgy margin mix to prevent foul-hooking
WHEN groundbait comes into the equation we are often told that a light and fluffy mix is always best. Once your blend has been given a thorough mix it is usually put straight through a riddle to create a lump-free final product with a low food content. But is there a time and a place when going against the grain could be the thing to do? Cresta’s Matt Powell always includes groundbait in his armoury on commercials and has recorded some of his most impressive catches by doing things differently to everyone else on the bank. “Groundbait is highly effective when fishing in the margins but use it in the wrong way and you will foul-hook carp,” explained Matt. “If your groundbait is prepared so that it is really fine it doesn’t take much of a commotion to stir it all up, sending much of it up off the bottom where the fish will chase it. This inevitably leads to line bites. “Mixing your groundbait so that it is stodgy and remains on the deck prevents this from happening you will instantly notice an improvement in your catch rate.”
Use a heavy mix
All groundbaits come in a fine powder form out of the bag, but they will react differently once water is added. Some require a lot of water to take on the consistency you are after while others will turn into a slop when the same amount is added. With this in mind it is important to think about how you want your groundbait to end up before you part with your hard earned cash. “Sonubaits Green 50:50 Method Paste is ideal when you are fishing down the edge for big carp,” revealed Matt. “It takes lots of water and you are aiming to make it really stodgy. I want it to squeeze through my fingers if I take a handful and then form a fist with it in the middle. “When it reaches this consistency it will be really heavy and even if carp are feeding aggressively and swimming around the area, it won’t waft off the bottom,” he said. “This will keep them glued to the deck close to your hookbait.” Matt doesn’t use a riddle to remove lumps and instead prefers to mix the groundbait and water using a drill with a whisk attachment. The same result can be achieved by thoroughly mixing it with your hands if you don’t have a drill. Although an occasional lump may remain, it will make the bait weightier and, at a time when the fish are feeding heavily, the additional food content won’t fill them up.
Searching the depths
Groundbait usually only comes into play for the margins when faced with really shallow water. If it goes over 2ft deep then it is seen as useless because it will create a cloud that draws fish off the deck. Matt’s stodgy groundbait enables him to use it in much deeper water and he has no hesitation in fishing with it when he has well over 2ft in front of him. “You could scoop up your groundbait out of the bowl but when you cup it in it comes out in a ball. This gets it down to the deck quickly and leaves very little, if any, food content in the upper layers. “Big carp feed best in anywhere between 18in and 2ft of water at this time of year. If you can’t find that depth then fish in whatever is the shallowest water available. “I’d have no hesitation using this down a really deep margin that was as much as 6ft.” When fishing in the edge Matt uses black J-Range Lastix elastic, 0.20mm Gamakatsu Super G-Line HV Cut mainline to an 0.18mm hooklength of the same material and a size 14 Gama Power hook. His float is a 0.4g Dot Em Down pattern that is short and stumpy with a thick tip. “A heavy float built in this way stays above the surface until you get a proper bite. Anything lighter is prone to bobbing around slightly when fish are moving about and if you strike at these false indications you will foul-hook them.”
Hookbait rotation
When fishing during the summer months you often find that the best hookbait changes from one session to another. Some days it pays to use something that stands out like a sore thumb while on others it can be better to use a hookbait that blends in with your loosefeed. “On heavily pressured commercials the fish can wise up to a hookbait that stands out as they are used to being caught on these offerings. “When the fish behave in this manner I use a paste made from the same groundbait. To do this I mix a separate batch with a little less water so that it is stiffer and stays on the hook better,” Matt explained. “If fish start hoovering up the groundbait they will accidentally take the paste and they’ll soon be in the net. A few dead maggots work in the same manner as they are so small and the fish suck them up unintentionally.” A whole dendrobaena worm or a couple of grains of corn will work better on venues where fish respond to something that is highly visual. Staffordshire Curborough Fishery was the place Matt chose to demonstrate how effective his stodgy groundbait is. A full cup of the mix was introduced along the shallow margin at the start. Within 30 minutes there were signs of life close to the carpet of feed. Dropping over the top with a lump of paste led to the float darting under, a 5lb common the reward. “A single carp can hoover up a lot of groundbait quickly so I put in the same amount after every carp. Even if a series of fish seem to spook I will top up as they could have eaten everything. You can’t overfeed big carp at this time of year.” Around a dozen carp fell for the attack in three hours, with every one hooked firmly in the mouth and not a foul hooked fish in sight. Groundbait in the margins will get carp into a frenzy but Matt showed the importance of the perfect mix.