An interesting experiment

[Kappa]

Just got back after my first trotting session in ages.

The pellets failed to produce the same response that they did in town but I still caught fish - and didn't miss a single bite!

I suspect that the town fish (which are virtually pets) are much more used to being fed floating food so they responded instantly to the new food source which simply didn't happen on the more natural stretch that I fished tonight.

I ended up with a nice cock dace and half a dozen chub to about a pound.

 

A proportion of the pellets do seem to sink which is presumably what was getting the barbel so excited at lunchtime and there were a few swirls right at the bottom of the run which might indicate that the fish can be turned onto what is certainly a very cheap bait.

Oh, and I discovered that they can be hooked if you don't over dampen them although my fish actually fell to breadflake and meat.

 

Rich. Are you usng a specific brand and price aside, what have your results been like ?

 

Ken, I'll have to check the brand, the last lot were from pets at home 'expensive' at 9 quid. I've used them to bulk out trout pellets etc on gravel pits. I've done pretty well with a very good bream and plenty of tench.

 

I like them as they sink well and once on the bottom they breakdown very quickly creating a nice carpet of food similar to groundbait. Although the ones I've used sink well they are quite active and cloud up from the bottom and send little bits up in the water column.

 

Rich

[Phone]

Ken,

 

OK, I've thought about this - just for a bit. You know, I could be lying. I'm not positive sunflower seeds are sinking like cereal grains.

 

Does anyone know offhand? I don't have any and don't believe I ever used sunflower seeds (or pulp) on purpose. - maybe?

 

Anyway sounds like you had a good enought time.

 

Phone

[viney]

Ken,

 

OK, I've thought about this - just for a bit. You know, I could be lying. I'm not positive sunflower seeds are sinking like cereal grains.

 

Does anyone know offhand? I don't have any and don't believe I ever used sunflower seeds (or pulp) on purpose. - maybe?

 

Anyway sounds like you had a good enought time.

 

Phone

 

i used birdseed to make a spod mix and the black and white seeds (which i think are sunflower seeds) and a few other seeds floated when tested in the margins but worked with devestating effect when fishing one bait on the bottom and a zigged piece of black foam 10 feet apart with the mix spodded over the general area, i picked up bream, tench and the odd carp off the bottom and plenty of carp off the zig on a warm afternoon

[Ken L]

Hi Kappa.

The ones I used were the loose pellets from pets at home.

As they're so cheap and the spot where I was fishing is so accessable (and yet underfished), I just might start taking a small box of pellets to work with me and dropping them in each night.

The results next weekend might be very different.

 

Actually, as I rather enjoyed myself with my trip down memory lane, I might even go wild and crazy and buy a pint of maggots for next week.

Mind you, a 13' match rod feels weired after so long with spinning rods.

[Nicepix]

Can't you use the dry pellets with a bait band to keep them on the hook? Floating or trotted down sinking they should catch if fish are interested in your groundbait. I'm certainly going to try some - thanks for the tip.

[Ken L]

Probably not. They're very soft once they get wet.

[RUDD]

just wondering if a pellet pump may help them sink ?

A few pumps in a pellet pump should do the trick - it works for me with dog mixers, floating trout/koi pellets and expander pellets.

All a bait pump does is extracts the trapped air pockets in the pellet - water then replaces the air making the pellet expand and go rubbery - if over pumped they can go very soft.

[Barry C]

Just bought 2kg of growers pellets from my local farm shop for £1.50p. Popped some in water and sank like a stone.

Think they are their own stuff that they buy in bulk and repack in smaller sizes.

[lyn]

Dear Ken,

 

I've been using layers pellets for some time now as the are only 6 quid for 20 kilos. However the ones I've used sink very well.

 

Rich

 

that's cheap, we have to pay nearer £10 a sack for the chickens, what part of the uk do you live? I think I may take a few in the morning when I go fishing!!!