Feeder in Winter

[Zerkalo]

As I've wrote about before, I like feeder fishing in Winter but am old school about it and use a Cage Feeder.

I like the way I fish but am also going to get up to date and try using a Pellet/Method/Hybrid feeder. I'm looking at what's available and like the look of Hybrid feeders the best, but don't really know what I'm doing. To me it looks like a hybrid would give the best presentation.



But bearing in mind I fish in 7' of water, would I be better with a pellet feeder? These look like they hold the bait in a bit better and to me looks like a lot of bait would come out only on the retrieve similar to a window feeder? Is that right or does the bait come out?



I will be using them with fishery micro pellets and probably (dead) maggot on the hook. And I'm thinking a Mini 24g Guru Hybrid Feeder looks best but I don't know. I'm concerned that they might put too much bait in as with a cage feeder I can use a 'low feed' groundbait mixed with micros and get a bit of a cloud in the water as well as being able to throw quite a bit of bait at the fish, but I want to experiment and get up to date.

Anyone got any advice or tips for this type of fishing on Winter Commercials?

 

[Griffo]

I don’t use the Guru ones as I started kitting up with the Preston version, but my winter fishing is very simular, shallow up-to about 4 ft I use a flat sided method feeder, bit deaper the preston version the banjo feeder, its available in sizes as small as a 10p so really small
Amount of micros, some days the fish have it other days I can get better results on a micro pellet feeder which they can only get at really as it releases from one end. I do think the Guru hybrid looks a better bit of kit as the sides are a bit higher, but it also looks a bit too big for me in winter. Whichever system you go for its worth a bash, especially on commercials, I also sometimes use pva tea bags with only 4 or 6 pellets in them held
On to the banjo sometimes makes a good change as well. I also mess about with dark method mix ground bait and afew pellets , as you say got to experiment with what works for you.

 

[Zerkalo]

Those Preston ones look good to me, finding them in stock is proving a bit tricky at the moment though! I think I'd go for the small and mini 20g ones at this time of year.

 

[Griffo]

Those Preston ones look good to me, finding them in stock is proving a bit tricky at the moment though! I think I'd go for the small and mini 20g ones at this time of year.

That sir is true of most Preston bits at the minute, couple of eBay tackle dealers with them

 

[RedRidingHood]

As much as I like the hybrid feeder for deeper water, I do question the presentation aspect of it. You're not supposed to put the bait deep in the bowl yet we're led to believe the bait sits perfectly on top even though the water pushes and expands the pellets outward which in turn obviously pushes your bait outwards. It doesn't help that you're probably using a heavier hook length which will also play part in how stable the bait sits... I don't know, I'd like to see some decent underwater footage of it.

 

[gingert76]

personally for me its shovel feeders in winter, can vary how much bait i put in them much more and always have a feeder and a bomb rod set up so i can switch between the two though if i was carp fishing and casting once every 30 mins then i would change to method/hybrid, spose it depends on the venues and fish that you are trying to catch

 

[Zerkalo]

I have had good days on the cage feeder but as I've wrote before, I think it's a bit of a boom or bust method, and on the days when fish aren't having it can even ruin your peg, so I bought some bombs to try as well.

 

[gingert76]

cage feeder is my favourite by miles but def hit and miss in winter though there are some cracking little cage feeders you can buy

 

[endpeg]

Preston do a little inline cage you could fish that with a short hooklength Method style.

 

[tipitinmick]

I like the guru ones also Zerkalo but, I went for Preston ICS banjo’s. Simply because I can change to another feeder or bomb quickly. That’s my opinion.