Feed pellets:

[davedave]

Hello all,

 

I'm off fishing tomorrow on the canal. Going to set up one rod for carp with a bite alarm and bobbin set up. The other rod for a light float rig for anything that takes. For the carp rod i've got some 4mm feed pellets to use as loose feed and i've used them before but never really thought much about it-Which way is best to prepare feed pellets; by doing them whilst you are setting up or the night before?

 

Thanks, and best of luck to anyone fishing this weekend

[tony tinca]

Hello all,

 

I'm off fishing tomorrow on the canal. Going to set up one rod for carp with a bite alarm and bobbin set up. The other rod for a light float rig for anything that takes. For the carp rod i've got some 4mm feed pellets to use as loose feed and i've used them before but never really thought much about it-Which way is best to prepare feed pellets; by doing them whilst you are setting up or the night before?

 

Thanks, and best of luck to anyone fishing this weekend

 

when u say feed pellets do you mean expanders or normal hard pellets because if they are hard pellets you can just catupault them out as they are , if they are expanders that you want to feed then you need a pellet pump and you need to prepare them on the bank using the water from the canal and never from the tap at home .

You can feed softened hard pellets by putting the required amount in a bait tub and filling to cover with the canal water and then draining after 2 minutes and stir them and leave for 15 minutes to soften and then stir again to loosen , i only really bother softening them if im gonna use them on a method feeder.

Hope this helps

[Andy Macfarlane]

I never soften feed pellets. I catty them as is or just add them to my groundbait mix before I add water but they remain quite hard. Just gummy enough to bind with the rest of my method mix.

 

I need some more actually. I like the 4mm jobs. Nice dispersal from the catty, cover, drop-rate, noise on entering and the results seem to be better than with 6mm or bigger, although I would tend to use 6mm on the band, fishing the waggler.

 

Oh aye...the 1mm and 2mm Dynamite micro pellets are good for method mixes and they stay whole after dampening your feed. Last quite a while too.

[davedave]

Thanks andy. I decided to prepare them and leave them overnight, this got them to the perfect texture so i will do this from now on. They are only cheap ones so they float if you catapult them out without being prepared, do you not get this problem?

[Steve Walker]

The pellets I get sink like a stone!

[Andy Macfarlane]

So do mine.

 

You sure they aren't expanders??

[tony tinca]

Thanks andy. I decided to prepare them and leave them overnight, this got them to the perfect texture so i will do this from now on. They are only cheap ones so they float if you catapult them out without being prepared, do you not get this problem?

 

I used to prepare them the night before but a couple of years ago steve gardner told me that the fish are aware of the chemicals in our tap water ie chlorine , flouride etc and that it will put them off unless they really want to feed .

I always use the water from the venue im fishing and make it the 1st thing i do on the bank as they take 20 minutes to reach perfect consistency .

As andy says the pellets that float must be expanders although i have had some normal pellets in the past that have sat on the surface for a few seconds before sinking , these were the fisheries own pellets so probably very cheap ones as their not worried about how they perform as long as the fish get fed

[davedave]

Oh yeh they probably are expanders. Sorry i don't really use pellets much so don't know a great deal about them

[RUDD]

I used to prepare them the night before but a couple of years ago steve gardner told me that the fish are aware of the chemicals in our tap water ie chlorine , flouride etc and that it will put them off unless they really want to feed .

I always use the water from the venue im fishing and make it the 1st thing i do on the bank as they take 20 minutes to reach perfect consistency .

As andy says the pellets that float must be expanders although i have had some normal pellets in the past that have sat on the surface for a few seconds before sinking , these were the fisheries own pellets so probably very cheap ones as their not worried about how they perform as long as the fish get fed

 

I use a jug that is filled with tap water and left for a couple of hours before pumping expanders and making up groundbait.

You could also boil the water then wait for it to cool to make up pellets.

If fishing up in the water I use hard pellets, if fishing on the deck I like to soften them - the guide is simple 1 minute for every millimetre of pellet EG 4mm pellets should soak for 4 mins then be drained.

I use skettering coarse pellets in 2.3mm, 4mm, 6mm and 8mm.

I also soak feed pellets with lake water.

[Roobz]

the guide is simple 1 minute for every millimetre of pellet EG 4mm pellets should soak for 4 mins then be drained.

I use skettering coarse pellets in 2.3mm, 4mm, 6mm and 8mm.

I also soak feed pellets with lake water.

 

i have found this 'rule' no good. in my experience it has just left me with pellets that turn to paste as soon as you try to get them onto a method feeder or into a cage feeder., there just to wet.

All i do is get a standard bait box. add as many pellets as i think im going to use (its never enough) then add water from the lake/river until the pellets are covered,, swish them about with my finger then drain all the water off them using the lid of the bait box. i leave them to 'soak' for seconds not minutes and they are perfect 5 mins later.

this is with 4mm Skrettins put i have tried with a few different brands as well.