Groundbait; Balling or Cupping? When and why?

[RedRidingHood]

I used to always cup my groundbait in everywhere I went in fear of scaring fish when balling but on my local I was observing a guy who'd always ball groundbait even though he has a perfectly good cup sitting directly beside him, I'd never asked him why but decided to give it a go myself and I haven't gone back to cupping since. I'm not sure if this is just placebo effect but since I've been balling I've noticed I've been getting a lot more activity in my swims.

Obviously this is on a deeper pond and I wouldn't ball in groundbait on shallow ponds (?)

I'm aware that fish on commercials are stimulated by sound but this isn't a commercial and the fish are very wild.

Thoughts, opinions & personal preference on feeding groundbait?

 

[ukzero1]

I've never cupped in groundbait as I don't use a pole that often, but I can see it's advantages, like getting into those spots that you just can't ball a lump in, such as that tasty looking margin under an over-hanging tree. When using the waggler though i've always balled it in, just something I've always done, even on shallower waters. so accuracy is a bit second nature.

 

[gingert76]

used to be cup for accuracy and ball for more of a spread for me but noise def comes into it, i used to cup and drop it from 6ft to make a splash if i wanted noise, so usually at the start of a session or match i will ball or cup and splash it, top up with cup or smaller balls so minimal noise and then if dead i would ball or cup with splash again

 

[Northantslad]

Noticed on a few venues and with various feeds, that fish are wising up to a nice neat bed or neatly nearby freebies. On these venues I find that randomness within an area gets better results.

 

[sjmclean]

A lot of it comes down to what you are feeding/fishing.

A good example on my favourite huge water for bream, I'll often start by balling in 10 balls of groundbait with no feed in it, which gives a nice spread (within reason). Then I'll cup in 5 balls of leam packed with feed and this will be done very accurately. Calum Dicks has a good video online which covers this a bit.

 

[Zerkalo]

Even if I was cupping it in I like to give it a nice spread over a good area especially for Bream. Nothing I like better than using my groundbait catty though when not fishing at poles length.

 

[Silverfisher]

Not being a pole angler if it's not in the feeder I'll ball it in when on the float although I do usually just rely on particle baits when on the float. When I do use it on the float I put in 2 or 3 about cricket ball sized balls at the start then top up with a half as big ball if if it goes a bit quiet.

 

[Dave Spence]

I will always ball it in if allowed; it is so much quicker. A lot of fisheries only allow cupping or feeder as a means of introducing groundbait, I can never understand this especially when there is a limit to how much g/bait you can use.

 

[rudd]

I used to always cup my groundbait in everywhere I went in fear of scaring fish when balling but on my local I was observing a guy who'd always ball groundbait even though he has a perfectly good cup sitting directly beside him, I'd never asked him why but decided to give it a go myself and I haven't gone back to cupping since. I'm not sure if this is just placebo effect but since I've been balling I've noticed I've been getting a lot more activity in my swims.

Obviously this is on a deeper pond and I wouldn't ball in groundbait on shallow ponds (?)

I'm aware that fish on commercials are stimulated by sound but this isn't a commercial and the fish are very wild.

Thoughts, opinions & personal preference on feeding groundbait?

Depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Are you making a cloud for fish to feed in or a bed for them to feed on?
What is the depth? In deep water its generally best to get a bed down at the start, any balls afterwards will cause fish to rise up from the bottom and will drop back down as bait settles.
I dont think many species are spooked by the sound of groundbait going in, theymay back off but soon home in onthe freebies.
Heres Mr Scotthorn, its a video on slider fishing with a good section at start about grounbait.
Whole video well worth a watch

 

[ukzero1]

Not for me. I just cannot see the point in me, taking 5 or 6 buckets, 6 bags of groundbait, a cordless drill and whisk and a riddle with me down to our club waters. It's far too much to carry with the rest of my gear. I have to walk down and back, besides, by the time I've mixed the groundbait, it'll be time for me to go home.
Now, I can hear most of you saying things like...Well this is what you've got to do. All I'll say to that is ..you walk down to the bank-side carrying all that, cos I ain't.

 

[RedRidingHood]

Thank you all, Some really informative replies here I've taken into account. I'd have replied sooner but I got logged out and the forum wouldn't send me a password reset until now!

 

[RedRidingHood]

Depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Are you making a cloud for fish to feed in or a bed for them to feed on?
What is the depth? In deep water its generally best to get a bed down at the start, any balls afterwards will cause fish to rise up from the bottom and will drop back down as bait settles.
I dont think many species are spooked by the sound of groundbait going in, theymay back off but soon home in onthe freebies.
Heres Mr Scotthorn, its a video on slider fishing with a good section at start about grounbait.
Whole video well worth a watch

Usually fishing deeper water, 6-10ft So I'd always just ball it in thinking it wouldn't spook the fish. When I fish shallow(er) commercials I'm usually cupping though as to not make much noise. Ideally I'm aiming to make a bed of groundbait for the fish (usually bream) to root around for. I usually really compact my balls to make sure they don't just explode upon hitting the water to stop fish from rising up in the water.

I'll give the video a watch now, Thanks!