Feeder and Bank Stick Grrr

[INearlyCaughtOne]

Ok so the other day I decided to down the float rod and have a go with the feeder, I have had a feeder rod for a couple of years but never really used it.

Taking inspiration from that guy with a website and on youtube Amatuer Anglingling I chose a 25-gram cage secured on a bead with a few beads in from (boom) and a Guru bait hook attached with a pellet. The ground bait used to fill the cage was dark and I mixed pellets in.

After about 40 mins the tip went then the rod flew to the side and the small light tripod it was resting on flew the other way. I was lucky to catch the rod in time. The result was a reasonable mirror carp and it's the first time I have had a bigger fish on a feeder. We are not talking huge but big enough for me.

Now the question is if this smaller bigger fish can move the rod and tripod anything any bigger could take the lot.

Any suggestion as to a way of grounding the rod, a decent bank stick that will not move?

Also, I have been told that an angle of 45 degrees for the rod is good to find the bites but I saw a professional online (some Preston innovations angler) and he had the rod tip almost touching the water. What's best?

I toyed with the idea of holding the rod instead of placing it on a stick but surely this will affect the bites...

 

[RMNDIL]

If you don't want the rod puled in then just hold it. It won't affect the bites at the other end

 

[Steve Arnold]

as my best techniques for getting bites are either pouring a cup of tea or having a P I now have baitrunner reels on my feeder rods. Seems when I hold the rod the fish do not bite!

I think whenever carp or barbel are strong possibilities, baitrunner reels are best as both species will have your rod should you as much as blink! Even the bream on my local river often hit 'n run!

 

[mikench]

Bait runners are the way to go plus a butt rest which grips the rod handle like the Guru reaper and Nash. As you have found out even a small carp can pull a rod in.

 

[tigger]

If your using one rod and watching the tip I wold say your best option would be to have the rod but on your lap with your hand on or resting next to it with the tip section on a rest angled down so the tip is quite close to the waters surface.

 

[john step]

Yes a bait runner for times like this. Its funny how different waters require different things. I fish a water that is deep and the fish quite large. I need to set the bait runner to avoid unpleasantness.
Today I was on a shallower water at range and the fish just pulled the tip round as you see in those videos and no need for a baitrunner.
The length of line and elasticity at range negated the need for a baitrunner

 

[INearlyCaughtOne]

Thanks, guys. I have a bait runner and tonight I actually spent time setting it up properly so that the line could be taken with ease when set. One last possibility would be to keep the rod close with a cord around the hand and rod... mmm,.. maybe? I have to say I have float fished for years but I certainly enjoyed the feeder. For some reason, I gave up too quickly before. Patience pays.

 

[tigger]

If your quiver tip/feeder fishing then your watching your tip in normal circumstances so there should be no need for a baitrunner reel, rear grippa rests etc.
If your waiting for fish to hang themselves then grippa rests, baitrunners etc are the option to go for.

 

[INearlyCaughtOne]

Thanks, tiggger. Well, my session today was uneventful, with a small bream and even smaller roach. What does happen a lot is I see the tip banging around then nothing. Strike and nothing on the line. As I have only ever really used the float and this is new I am correct in saying you don't strike at the meerest bump but wait for the tip to move positively? I rather like this way of fishing but it's taken me years to get around to it...

 

[Keith M]

Tigger has it spot on; if you are fishing one rod and watching the tip for bites then you shouldn’t need a baitrunner; however if bites are quite rare and you need to occasionally take your eyes off of your rod tip and look at other things around you then just put your hand on your rod/reel with the line hooked behind your finger then you can feel if something takes off with your hookbait when you are not concentrating on your tip.

Alternatively you could use two rod rests with a bite alarm, plus a bobbin on your line (tethered to the front rod rest and hanging off of your line between the reel and your bite alarm) together with the baitrunner function on your reel then you can afford to relax a little if bites are a tad slow.

Keith

 

[tigger]

Thanks, tiggger. Well, my session today was uneventful, with a small bream and even smaller roach. What does happen a lot is I see the tip banging around then nothing. Strike and nothing on the line. As I have only ever really used the float and this is new I am correct in saying you don't strike at the meerest bump but wait for the tip to move positively? I rather like this way of fishing but it's taken me years to get around to it...

The reason your missing bites may be your set up isn't quite right for the fish infront of you. You may be being pestered by small fish just playing about with your bait. Maybe the rod tip is moving because of line bites(fish bumping into your line) or your just not experienced enough to strike at the right time, or read whats going.

 

[Keith M]

The reason your missing bites may be your set up isn't quite right for the fish infront of you. You may be being pestered by small fish just playing about with your bait. Maybe the rod tip is moving because of line bites (fish bumping into your line) or your just not experienced enough to strike at the right time.

Or if there are any Crayfish in your lake it could be them trying to nibble at your bait; which often happens on Crayfish infested waters.

Keith

 

[103841]

A word of caution if you use a baitrunner. If you are fishing near snags you still want to be in contact with your rod at all times, you may not lose your rod but your fish can bolt for the snag in an instant.

This was me today using a baitrunner, I have made up a bar that sits on the side of my chair, my hand is on the handle constantly.

 

[tigger]

A word of caution if you use a baitrunner. If you are fishing near snags you still want to be in contact with your rod at all times, you may not lose your rod but your fish can bolt for the snag in an instant.

This was me today using a baitrunner, I have made up a bar that sits on the side of my chair, my hand is on the handle constantly.

View attachment 16357

That really is a good point John, and it's very rarely ever mentioned. Lots of clowns do exactly what you describe and loose countless barbel in sunken trees etc. Who knows if the fish are tetherd in any way, but, out of sight and
out of mind!
They cast over to a snag, put the bait runner on and sit back relaxing in their chair....arrgh, i've lost another in that snag. You can probably tell that I find it infuriating. What makes it worse is they will just carry on doing it!

 

[nottskev]

About bites and when to strike. Unless I've missed it the OP didn't say what kind of feeder they were using. Different feeder set ups require you to approach striking bites differently. With open-end or maggot feeders with the bait a foot or more from the feeder, you have to "read" the tip movements. judge when the bait's been taken and strike. Judging exactly when, you pick up as you go along. It's unlikely the fish will hook itself - you have to do it. Tensioning the line just right is important.

With method feeders, your bait is in/on a sticky mound of pellets or groundbait squeezed on the feeder. You ignore all the little "bites", which are caused by fish getting the bait off the feeder, and wait til your tip pulls round and stays round. (Or keeps going, as you've found) signalling the fish has taken in your bait and hooked itself against the weight of the feeder. No need to strike - pick the rod up and move it back to see what size of fish it seems to be.

Sorry if you knew all this, but if you find your rod tip - quiver tip, presumably - is banging around, you're doing something right, getting a suitable bait in the right place, and whatever rig you have on the end is working to some extent. Sounds like the missing piece is the bite indication.
Bite indication involves the whole chain of stuff. Your hook and feeder arrangement, the way you tension the line after casting in, the choice of quivertip, the way you position the rod, how you read the tip.

 

[108831]

Well,here goes,I barbel fish regularly,I detest baitrunners,or lightly set drags,my drags are set that I have to pull hard with the rod bent fully rig in my hand to get the tiniest amount of line,in practice fish still manage to get more than you think,your issue is your tripod,these have no place for fast,strong biting fish,either a feeder arm(with you sitting on the chair,or box/platform,or a bankstick with a decent rod rest,if needed a gripper rest at the rear,though I find these a pain...also many of the bites you are 'missing' could well be carp liners,which pull your tip all over the show,I say this because I don't really know how much knowledge you have feeder fishing...

 

[Newbie74]

Ok so the other day I decided to down the float rod and have a go with the feeder, I have had a feeder rod for a couple of years but never really used it.

Taking inspiration from that guy with a website and on youtube Amatuer Anglingling I chose a 25-gram cage secured on a bead with a few beads in from (boom) and a Guru bait hook attached with a pellet. The ground bait used to fill the cage was dark and I mixed pellets in.

After about 40 mins the tip went then the rod flew to the side and the small light tripod it was resting on flew the other way. I was lucky to catch the rod in time. The result was a reasonable mirror carp and it's the first time I have had a bigger fish on a feeder. We are not talking huge but big enough for me.

Now the question is if this smaller bigger fish can move the rod and tripod anything any bigger could take the lot.

Any suggestion as to a way of grounding the rod, a decent bank stick that will not move?

Also, I have been told that an angle of 45 degrees for the rod is good to find the bites but I saw a professional online (some Preston innovations angler) and he had the rod tip almost touching the water. What's best?

I toyed with the idea of holding the rod instead of placing it on a stick but surely this will affect the bites...

Congratulations on your Catch do you
Think you will stick At the feeder fishing

 

[Newbie74]

as my best techniques for getting bites are either pouring a cup of tea or having a P I now have baitrunner reels on my feeder rods. Seems when I hold the rod the fish do not bite!

I think whenever carp or barbel are strong possibilities, baitrunner reels are best as both species will have your rod should you as much as blink! Even the bream on my local river often hit 'n run!

So you would recommend a Baitrunner reel when feeder fishing

 

[Steve Arnold]

So you would recommend a Baitrunner reel when feeder fishing

Absolutely! I tend to fish short sessions and generally use big baits. The river Lot, France is famous for its big carp and you never know when they will be in your swim.

Although its barbel I am usually fishing for, I always have a heavier rod to hand in case there are signs of carp in the swim. One of the signs is not getting bites from barbel!

I had this 13 lb river carp on my Greys Prodigy 1.5 lb tc barbel rod on a day the barbel did not show, it gave a hell of a fight. Took me into a fallen tree and I got a soaking to tease it back out. You would not believe how hard and fast these river fish can take a bait!

If you look through some of my old posts I have other photos of good fish caught from this river, biggest carp was 44 lb. Not many barbel this year though, winter floods have affected the river and I think the barbel are very late spawning.

My fishing is not bad considering I am really a sea fishing type and a bit out-of-my-element here. Catching bigger fish in the river than I normally caught in the sea!

Gradually I have upgraded my river tackle and now it's nearly all Shimano OC baitrunners in 4000, 6000 and 8000 sizes.

 

[Newbie74]

Absolutely! I tend to fish short sessions and generally use big baits. The river Lot, France is famous for its big carp and you never know when they will be in your swim.

Although its barbel I am usually fishing for, I always have a heavier rod to hand in case there are signs of carp in the swim. One of the signs is not getting bites from barbel!

I had this 13 lb river carp on my Greys Prodigy 1.5 lb tc barbel rod on a day the barbel did not show, it gave a hell of a fight. Took me into a fallen tree and I got a soaking to tease it back out. You would not believe how hard and fast these river fish can take a bait!

View attachment 16413

If you look through some of my old posts I have other photos of good fish caught from this river, biggest carp was 44 lb. Not many barbel this year though, winter floods have affected the river and I think the barbel are very late spawning.

My fishing is not bad considering I am really a sea fishing type and a bit out-of-my-element here. Catching bigger fish in the river than I normally caught in the sea!

Gradually I have upgraded my river tackle and now it's nearly all Shimano OC baitrunners in 4000, 6000 and 8000 sizes.

But a 4000 , baitrunner for feeder fishing would be sufficient I’ve heard others saying as I would be more interested in catching bream Rudd roach , I was looking at bigger Reels upto 10000 bait runner and they looked big and cumbersome for feeder fishing more for predator fishing .