Pellet fishing with the pole by Mark Glossop
Pellet fishing on the pole can be quite simple, this article will tell of my own rigs and feeding methods which when used in the right conditions will hopefully catch you plenty of fish.
At Ravenfield pellet fishing is mainly successful from April, when water temperatures start to rise and fish appetites start to increase, until the end of September when temperatures start to fall.
LINE
Water clarity determines line size, MATCHTEAM 0.10mm – 0.12mm when relatively clear to 0.14mm when the water is coloured and the fish are feeding well.
FLOATS
I use mainly Preston Chianti and Bazerella which have quite a thick bristle.
It is essential when fishing the pellet at Ravenfield, that the float is weighted as low as possible in the water. There are lots of Crucian carp in the lakes whose bites are so delicate that not having the float set low will result in a lot of missed bites.
In calm weather I like to use a relatively light float i.e. 4 x 12 or 4 x 14. If the water is towing hard in strong winds then 4 x 16 or 4 x 18 would be used going with an even heavier float should conditions require it.
Shotting patterns vary, depending on the conditions on the day, but basically involve the bulk shot, 8's or 9's at 2/3 depth with 2 no. 10's or 11's either together or apart 15 to 18 inches from the hook. Shot can also be used 'shirt button' style if conditions are good and fish are taking on the drop.
HOOKS
Preston PR23 wide gape pellet hooks are used, they are strong but not as heavy as carp hooks.
ELASTICS
Because there are a good head of tench and crucians in Ravenfield, I prefer a reasonably strong elastic not forgetting there is also a good head of skimmers and bream so don’t go over the top as the skimmers / bream are soft mouthed.
I use 8 or 10 elastic through top three or alternatively doubled five again through top three. It is important not set elastics too tight.
FEEDING
Early in the season I like to use a small sized bait dropper so that I know that the bait is on the bottom. For the fish to feed they must go down onto the bait. Using a small bait dropper will make it harder to overfeed which must be avoided at all costs.
During April I would start with one or two bait droppers full of 4mm expander pellets, the same pellet as the hook bait. If bites are coming well I would avoid adding any further feed, only adding extra feed if bites dry up.
Micro or feed pellets are sometimes used for baiting up but I prefer using the same pellet as the hook bait.
As the weather warms up and fish start to feed more aggressively I start the session by baiting up with ground bait and pellets. The ground bait comprises of 50% fishmeal with 50% brown crumb adding a handful of micro pellets.
Start with two average sized balls of ground bait and roughly thirty 4mm expander pellets. Use a small bait dropper to add extra expanders if bites start to dry up.
The expanders I use are good quality, preferring V. D. Eynde RS Elites or Ringers, which don’t break up and go mushy quickly as is the case with cheaper pellets.
To prepare my expander pellets I use a pellet pump ensuring I don’t leave the pellets in the pump too long.
Prepare the pellets as follows
- Put the dry pellets in the pump.
- Fill the pump with water not quite to the top.
- Replace lid and pump the pellets. Release valve after 3 or 4 pumps.
- Repeat until all pellets have sunk to the bottom..
- Drain off water leaving pellets covered by about ½ inch of water.
- Leave to stand for three or four minutes then drain off any remaining water.
- Place pellets in an airtight container until ready for use.
Any pellets remaining after a session can be frozen and used for feeding next time.
Water drained off when preparing pellets can be used to prepare groundbait.
Copyright 2009 Mark Glossop