Loose feeding

[Dick Dastardly]

On rivers I have always used "angles" to guesstimate where my loose feed will hit bottom or where it needs to be put to hit bottom in a required spot rather than working on sinking speeds.I simply watch the maggots sink (obviously when the water is clear enough. you only need to see down a little way)note the downwards angle at which they are travelling.Taking into account the known depth in my minds eye I then get a good enough idea of "the angles" which will let me know where the bait will end up.Man that all sounds a bit mystical doesnt it! But do you see what Im saying? With experience it becomes easy.

 

Rudds comments about different baits sinking rates are very valid.How many times have you seen (or indeed done yourself) some one throwing in a handfull of maggotts and hemp? No chance they would end up in the same place.

[Vagabond]

poledark:

feeding to the same spot and then searching until you find the fish

Yes, I should have added, (for the benefit of newcomers - Rudd will know this already) do NOT keep fishing at the same depth and place and experiment with where you loose feed. That way you will disperse the fish.

 

Feeding to the same spot will concentrate the fish SOMEWHERE, even if it's not exactly where you first guessed - its then up to you to find that spot.

[Casey]

Rudd,

thinking i might have been ripped off,i emptied my maggot container onto the garden table, i am still trying to get the maggots to slow down while i count them.

[ratchet]

anybody know where i can buy weak maggots from.the maggots im buying recently are such strong swimmers they keep pulling my float down every time

[fenboy]

A very simple issue is being over-complicated here.

If the water is very fast-flowing and you're float fishing, then you'll be long troting no doubt andyou want bait to travel downstream to pull fish back upstream.

If you want the bait to hit bottom first, then break up, use a groundbait mix as a carrier that will explode when it hits bottom.

If you're legering, use a bait dropper or a feeder.

[RUDD]

lardvader:

Did you pick up/learn that because of match fishing rudd, or is it something you've always done?

 

I'm still tring to learn the value of regularly loose feeding, but apart from throwing the stuff in upstream of where I have my bait I'm a novice, especially when it comes to the using a float/waggler on a river. Just seems to wizz past me like an express train    

Unfortunatly I have had to learn mostly the hard way by myself.

My father never coarse fished and my mates got me into it when I was 9 / 10.

Trouble was they did not have much of a clue either!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have learnt by reading ALOT and trying to put into practice. If fishing a new venue I quiz anglers on the bank and the tackle shop owners/venue owners who sell the tickets etc.

At the end of club matches I always give the anglers who framed in the top three and the section winners a good grilling to ween out info.

The first place I ever fished was Kirton Rudd pond.

It only contained rudd and eels.

I soon learnt that if I fished shallow and keep't feed going in that I could catch more fish than the others.

This and the fact that my surname is Judd is how my nickname of Rudd came about.

The only three venues I fished until I was 16 contained only rudd and eels.

At the age of 16 I could fish trimley carp ponds as I was old enough to go on my own.

Here I caught rudd, roach, crucians and small carp.

Here fishing up in the water and very regular feeding made me the top angler out of 20 odd mates from school.

 

When I first joined a club at the age of 20 I found that I was struggling to catch while other anglers were catching.

 

After a month of struggling I approached the angler in the peg next door who came and sat with me for 15 mins.

After this I became a pest (and still am).

As I had the confidence to approach other anglers I did.

I have learnt more from other anglers than any book / video could ever teach.

 

I have learnt plenty from match fishing.

In a match no other angler will help you.

It is a competition and all are out to win it.

You have to be ruthless and aggresive.

Last year I advised a new member how to fish a peg he had drawn, I then drew the peg opposite.

On my advice he won the section, I came second in the section which was not enough to frame (win any money).