Dave Coster How To - Catch Faster With Groundbait Feeders

This entry was posted on 1st May, 2018

There’s a new way of kick-starting groundbait feeder swims that is catching on big time. It has been standard practice in the past to begin a feeder session with a normal sized feeder, casting regularly during the first hour to get a decent amount of grub out. But this method can become a bit tedious and waste a lot of fishing time. Very often, relying on small helpings of groundbait, casters, hemp and pellets, takes several hours before swims properly come to life.



The much faster way to pull fish into your swim and to get those bites coming, is to start off with a jumbo-sized cage feeder. This trick has come about due to the popularity of spodding with carp anglers. These guys have this technique down to an art form these days, finding that casting out lots of feed, rather than try to catapult it in, is far more accurate. Jumbo cage feeders are similar to Spods and Spombs in that they release their contents quickly.



In order to cast out giant feeders a stronger rod is needed, rather than risking damage to one of your favourite quivertip models! A good bit of advice here is to invest in a cheap 3lb test carp rod, about 10ft in length is about right and you should be able to get one for under £40. Strong braid is another good idea, as this will withstand vigorous casting and dealing with heavy loadings. Because braid is so thin you can load this on a normal size reel, but use a finger guard when casting this gear.



Another useful accessory for feeder spodding is some measuring sticks. These are pushed in the ground and normally have a 5m cord, so you know how much line or braid is being wound around them. Once you have measured your target casting distance on your baiting rod and the main line has been clipped up, your feeder rod needs to be measured at exactly the same distance and again clipped up. You are then ready for some speedy groundbait feeder action!