Q Should I always fish a Method feeder for carp or are there times when a cage feeder would work better?

AOn a pleasure session both will catch their share of fish but each feeder achieves different ways of presenting the bait and introducing feed into the swim. The type of peg being fished will help you decide which feeder is best.

A Method feeder used with a short hooklink is a very positive way of fishing, putting the bait in among the feed and enabling you to be very precise. It’s also excellent when casting close to islands or far banks with vegetation as there’s little chance of the hooklink being snagged in the greenery owing to its short length. Bites will be positive thanks to that short link.

The cage model, however, gives you the opportunity to fish with a hookbait sinking slowly through the final foot of the swim and if used with feed that’s pressed lightly into the feeder, can create a cloud close to the deck for the bait to fall through. So, much depends on what you are trying to achieve in terms of how you want to catch carp.

See the quick guide ( right) to help with your decision but if you are still undecided, set up both feeders and fish them to see which is best!

Method feeder

Best used at the start of a session owing to the Method’s positivity to catch carp already in the peg that will home in on the feed. It is worth trying different hookbaits throughout the day and having different mixes to put round the feeder. Try soaked 2mm pellets only, 2mm pellets and groundbait and, finally, just groundbait. Try all three combinations because on some days one will work better than the other. Be sure to bury the hookbait well into the feeder because this produces far more positive bites. Hooklinks should be the standard four inches long.

Cage feeder

Rarely- used on commercials but when fished in conjunction with the Method this type of feeder can be deadly because it offers fish something totally different. It also enables you to create a sinking cloud of feed while your hookbait falls slowly through it. Corn is a great bait in this situation because it is very visible. The hooklength should be about 12 inches long and the feeder shouldn’t be around 30g, heavier if you have to fish at a greater distance. You can fish both pellets and groundbait in the feeder but using just groundbait means your hookbait is easily picked out by the fish.