Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Former World Champ Tommy Pickering explains how casting less will catch you more fish!
Former World Champion Tommy Pickering shows how fewer casts can lead to big catches in the cold
INTEREST in commercial feeder fishing has rocketed in recent years. With minimal tackle and preparation required, it’s hardly surprising. But if there’s one thing that’s become apparent, the specific tactics used are a far cry from the old school days. Chucking a cage packed with groundbait, worms and casters into a vast reservoir packed with bream used to be the way to go, but the modern version is all about pellets, Method feeders and short hooklengths. Another change that many anglers have subscribed to is a difference in how long the feeder stays in the water. Tommy Pickering, however, has a completely different approach. “Casting out, putting the rod on the rest and leaving it in place for a long period used to be the done thing when bream fishing. That all changed when carp waters took over,” says Tommy. “Nowadays it’s all about reeling in and recasting every few minutes, but I’m convinced that doing this leads to fewer fish going in the net during winter.”
Avoiding disturbance
During summer when the carp are active the sound of a feeder crashing through the surface layer can trigger a frenzy. In winter though the fish have a very different mentality and actively try to avoid any manner of commotion. “The noise of a feeder going in the water is almost certain to spook any fish in the vicinity so the more this happens, the more unsettled the carp are going to be. “During a six-hour session it’s very rare that I cast more than 30 times.” Tommy casts every 10 minutes at the start, landing the feeder in a different spot each time until he starts getting bites or at least liners to indicate the fish are nearby. Once he’s confident that he is among or close to a shoal, the feeder stays in place for at least 20 minutes unless the tip hoops round first.
Method modifications
There are stacks of different feeders on the market, all designed to do a certain job. Most anglers will find something that suits their needs, but when you’re the former manager of the England Feeder Team you’re going to be more demanding than most! “I want a feeder that holds the bait until it gets to the bottom before dispersing its contents. I choose a small Maver Method feeder and cut down the stem. “I then put a hollow float bristle through the middle, which the line will run through, and place the tail rubber back on to the feeder. “With a glue gun I fill in the holes in the bottom because I’m convinced that water pressure pushes the bait out as the feeder falls through the water and this prevents this. “Finally, I drill several tiny holes in the side and these enable water to flow in and put a little pressure on the bait once it’s on the deck to help it disperse.”
Experiment with baits
Although the feeder will be motionless for long periods, Tommy makes sure it’s still ‘working’ while sat on the deck. Micro pellets are crammed on to the feeder every cast, while the rest of the ingredients can be changed at will. “It’s amazing how much difference switching hookbaits can make and I’ll have several choices on my sidetray, including bright mini boilies, sweetcorn and dead maggots. “Adding a squirt of flavour to the concoction can also work but it’s all about trying a different combination each cast until you find what is working that day.” When it comes to tackle, Tommy aims for a balance between finesse and muscle power. On most8 commercials where a short chuck is required, he’ll use a 10ft Maver MV-R Method rod
with a 4000 size reel loaded with 9.9lb MV-R Power mainline. His hooklength is 0.16mm to a size 18 Maver CS27 hook.
Unlocking Hayfield
Set up on Adam’s Lake at Doncaster’s Hayfield Lakes with just a single rod ready to go, the 25g Method was chucked 30 yards into open water. “I’ve selected this swim because it’s in the middle of the lake where most of the fish are going to ball up. It also gives me plenty of options of where to cast as there aren’t many anglers on the lake today, so I have licence to explore lots of areas.” Six casts were made in the first hour without so much as a single liner, but on the seventh the tip twitched several times as carp brushed up against the line. “I’ll leave it in place for 15 minutes this time and see if anything develops.” Nothing did, so on the eighth cast the feeder was relocated a few metres shorter of where it landed previously. That proved to be the perfect tactic because a 6lb mirror was soon fooled. “This highlights that the fish won’t budge an inch in winter and it’s imperative that you search every inch of the peg to pinpoint their exact location,” advised Tommy. From then on it was a matter of casting and waiting until the tip pulled round, sometimes waiting 20 minutes for that to happen. On occasion when the bites dried up he’d search the peg and cast a more frequently until they resumed again. “I’ve fished for six hours and covered a lot of water despite casting no more than 25 times all day. It’s not been frantic, but I’ve banked nine carp for around 60lb which I’ll take any day of the week at this time of year. “Keep the noise to a minimum when feeder fishing and you can replicate what I’ve experienced today,” concluded Tommy.