What am I doing wrong in the margins!?!

[AndyRathbone]

Ive been fishing a few opens around my local area and although i'm actually doing quite well [] through the first 2 or 3 hours, i always seem to get beaten in the last hour from the margins!
im pretty sure my feeding pattern just isnt right, i feed a 250ml pot at the whistle, then 125ml every 45 mins or so after until im going to move on the line when i might up it a little.
does this sound right to anyone, or am i doing something really wrong!?
any help would be great, thanks [][]

 

[WayneRichardson]

i fished the margin pole on and off today, seemed to get more carp in the swim by pinging pellets rather then just potting, maybe the noise does it for them!

 

[pole addict]

If potting in decent amounts isnt working I would agree with Wayne and try making some noise feeding by hand, thats what others may be doing [?]

 

[groundhog]

[] The noise of the feed going in, is like ringing the dinner gong to the fish keep sounding it.[:T]

 

[AndyRathbone]

cheers lads, do you mean keep feeding by hand constantly, or just when i see signs of fish?
how do you approach feeding a margin swim over a 5 hour match?

 

[Col7777]

Another theory as well, if the Carp are already there when you arrive you may spook them, but if they arrive after you then they are used to you being there and will/may feed more freely.
I've been banging around on a peg and many a time seen Carp swimming and feeding right under my nose, me being there doesn't seem to bother them.

 

[pauln]

In a match the margins come into play in the last hour.
These fish have hung off the feed all day and are waiting for you to give up and dump your bait and go home.
Some times getting a pint box and throwing it at the edge will get them feeding other times they will back off it.
Best way maybe to miss a match and watch the others []

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

Sorry, the last hour thing is a fallacy. I have won matches fishing the margins for 4-5 hours.

I find that a little and often feed pattern is best. 10-30 soaked 4mm pellets and some corn every five minutes, adjust as necessary. I would start from the off. Even if it takes a little while for the carp to arrive they will hoover up the feed very quickly. In my club I can feed as soon as I get to the peg. Once I have plumbed up and settled on my 2-3 margin spots I will feed immediately and keep going. I may start at the bottom of the shelf but will try the margin line within the first half hour. I normally find that one spot reacts best so will end up concentrating on that, but feed the others just in case of fish being spooked. I will try paste, corn, meat and pellet to see what the fish want on the day. The size of the pellet or meat cube can also be important.

I expect this to work on the lake I am fishing today and intend fishing the margins for most of the match. I'll let you know later how it goes.

 

[Genus9]

As a rule I keep feeding My inside lines by hand (one to the left and one to the right) and only cup a pot full in at the start, I then feed by hand all match and leave it alone till the last hour,

After feeding that length of time any fish that are on the loose feed have become confident and take the offerings without hesitation therefore when You drop the baited hook down the side they usually have it straight away,

The reason I do both sides is that more likely than not one of the swims will fish better than the other and then if I'm catching regularly I can concentrate on that swim,

But if the bites are hard I can usually steal a couple from right hand side and then go over to the to the left hand side to try for a couple and alternate between the swims,

 

[Jessebobs]

I will feed my margin lines by hand all day and although I agree with the "last hour" principle there's nothing to stop you having the odd look down there earlier in the match in case you are missing out on a shedload of feeding fish!
Keep your eye out for signs like swirls or bubbles. And bear in mind that on every lake certain pegs are margin fliers where the fish live (usually corner pegs or pegs with features like overhanging bushes or reed beds). Have a word after you've drawn with the owner or a venue regular to put you on the right track. Best of luck!

 

[lobwormking]

Even if you are only fishing 2 or 3 sections fire 5 or 6 pellets in with your catty the extra noise worked yesterday on Acorn (Whiteacres0 and earlier in the week at Bolingey [:T]

 

[paulod]

Are you feeding what they actually want? Sounds like you're giving them pellets....maybe they'd prefer corn, or meat etc.? have you asked the good regulars what they do? (I'd always speak to more than one also, just to compare responses, not that I'd ever suggest some might actually tell fibs.....). [:W]

 

[garethevans1986]

I feed two pots full one the whistle and keep chucking pellets and corn in every few minutes....it's the noise their attracted to.

GE

 

[Milo]

What you should remember is that carp, especcially at this time of year, are like Dysons. They will hoover up all that 1st pot of bait in a few seconds. Then they have nothing to stay for. Keep the food going in and don't just leave it till the last hour. Throw the bait in unless you need to feed to a feature. Try the paste as well as this self feeds the swim.

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

Well I had 'mare yesterday. Not only could I not catch in the margins but at the end of the match my keepnet decided to fall in and I lost 3/4 of the fish I had caught. The good news was that I didn't have enough to frame anyway.

Back to the drawing board.

 

[paulod]

Well then, as opposed to Neil, above, I won my match with eighty odd pounds, and I never had a touch in the margins! I was surprised, given the conditions, but there you go.
Something else occurred to me also, sometimes carp can be quite choosy about the size and type of pellet they want. I've been finding 6mm pellets as feed and on the hook are better this year, whereas last year it was 8mm's. I know some of the regulars are feeding softened pellets with an expander on the hook too. Then again, Craig, who runs the shop with his dad, feeds 8mm's and fishes 10mm's on the tip.
Unfortunately there's a bit more to it than just 'feeding pellet'. [:T]

 

[paulod]

Sorry, I was talking about Woodlands. []

 

[AndyRathbone]

Thanks a lot lads, really appreciate all the advice. I'm feeding pellet and corn on one venue, and hemp and corn on the other, both as advised by locals! im beginning to think that im just not meant to catch in the margins!!
The general idea seems to be to feed a big pot at the beginning and then to top up by hand through the match, and check it ev every so often but focus on the last hour.
cheers guys, i'll let you know how i get on next week!

 

[nobby478]

The margins have only just started to fish locally to me and we've had a heatwave for the last few days...perhaps it's just a bit early for your venue?

 

[Craigo]

if the fish are big and theres plenty of em, then perhaps 125m of food each 3/4 of an hour may not be enough - a single good sized carp could hoover most of that up in one go and more besides

perhaps try your margin swim a bit more regular - if you catch then you can assume that the fish have actually been moving in and clearing the bait up - catch what you can then gauge the feeding from there and top up more often

Margin lines can be spot on through most of summer - maybe leave it an hour before trying and keep having a quick look - if the fish are there, it's usually pretty instant so don't wait ages wondering if it's gonna work or not

tight lines