This Small Fish Feeder Tactic Is Winning Matches Everywhere

Catching small fish on a feeder isn’t the easiest method to master, but over the last few years, it’s a tactic that has become increasingly popular in matches. It leads to success in even the biggest events in this genre of angling, like the Feedermasters Final at Tamar Lakes. It’s a tactic I’ve focused on perfecting in recent years, and today I’ve come to practice for the Guru Feeder Cup at Ulley Reservoir, a venue ideal for demonstrating it.

Why So Difficult?

Catching small fish on a feeder can be tricky, simply because of the way that they feed. Small silvers are scatty and blow the bait in and out quickly. They also don’t move far after intercepting the hookbait, and all of this leads to small bites and a LOT of missed bites.

You also have the challenge of finding out where the fish are – what depth and distance? And then you need to find the best way of catching them, feeding, and bait-wise. It can be a maze of problems, but there are a few tricks in all areas of the attack to help you get it perfect!

The Rig

I have spent a long time trying lots of different rigs for this kind of fishing, and off the back of fishing the Hallcroft Feeder Pairs with Steve Ringer, and being a part of the Guru Underwater filming, we’ve come up with what I believe is the ultimate rig.

Firstly, it needs to be free-running. This allows fish to pull the line freely to register a bite on the tip, so as an angler, you can read it. Secondly, it means that when you pick up a bite, you are lifting into the fish, not into a feeder or other rig components.

The next important thing, alongside this, is a weightless rig. By this, I mean minimal beads and stops on the rig itself. I combine the weightlessness with a boom and Super Fine Feeder Link, too, to reduce tangles. Simply place a Super Fine Feeder Link onto your braid, and tie in a length of 0.22mm Pure Fluorocarbon using a four-turn water knot.

The diamond eye on the Feeder link will buffer against this knot, and I then measure 25cm below the knot and tie a loop, so I have a 25cm boom of 0.22mm Fluorocarbon. This is stiff and kicks out, preventing tangles, and I can then attach my hooklength to this.

I love a 50cm hooklength for this style of fishing, and store these in a Rig Case 15 inches long, so they stay nice and straight. I can always chop these down in seconds if I want shorter, but the feeder link, 25cm boom and 15-inch hooklength gives me a clear 50cm drop below the feeder.

For the hook, I use either a Pole Special or Match Special. I have both tied for this fishing. For single and smaller baits like single maggot or caster, I like a Pole Special. For things like double caster or a worm head that is a fatter, wider bait, I like the wider gape of a Match Special. Anything from a size 14 to a size 18, to 0.10mm, 0.12mm or 0.14mm Super Natural Line.

Why Use A Link?

A Feeder Link is by far the most important part of my rig, as it creates separation between the mainline and the feeder. This increases movement when a small fish takes the bait, which, in turn, means there is less resistance when a fish takes it.

For small fish, this is essential, and the less resistance they feel, the longer and more confidently they will hold on to the hookbait! Using a link buys you this time and means more hookups, fewer dropped baits, and fewer missed bites. The soft, flexible braided links also make this rig completely tangle-free.

Main-Braid And Hardware

Using a braided mainline is essential wherever allowed for this style of angling. You see more bites, and you are in direct connection to the feeder. This means you can control it, move it, empty it, and pick up quickly and directly onto bites. I use 0.08mm Pulse-8 Braid, and if it were banned, I’d use 0.20mm (4lb) Drag Line.

Alongside the braided mainline, you need the right rod and tip combo. A soft-actioned rod is essential not to bump off and pull the hook out of the fish. I use a 10ft Aventus Steve Ringer, but any soft-actioned short rod is great. Too stiff, and you’ll feel the fish for a second after picking up, and they will come off.

The tip you use is imperative to the setup. I like a 0.5oz Aventus Carbon tip, literally the softest and lightest you can get. Firstly, this means you can see the smallest of tremors and movements – great for reading fish in the swim. Secondly, though, a softer tip means the fish feel less resistance, and just like with the link and weightless rig, they hang onto the hookbait better, meaning you hit more bites.

Posture = Poised!

Now you know all about the setup and rig, to make the most of it, you need to sit comfortably and be in an effective fishing position. For fast, small-fish work, I always hold the rod and use a long front XL Reaper Rest. Casting in, I can let the feeder hit the deck with the rod pointing straight in front, and then quickly tighten up any excess braid by pulling the rod onto the rest, which is always on my left, so I’m fishing with the rod across me.

I look for a 45-degree angle and position the tip just millimetres off the water, so it’s as stable as possible. The key to getting effective quickly is to tighten down to the feeder as tight as possible without moving it so there is no slack in the rig, and then slacken off so there is just a tiny little bend in the tip – and I mean TINY! It’s basically tight to the feeder without a bend.

Work on this technique, and if you can master casting in, getting set, and getting into this effective position as soon as possible, you can become very effective and efficient quickly.

What To Strike At

Now this is the million-dollar question. And really, there are no hard-and-fast rules. Personally, I prefer to be a little more patient and wait for a series of rattles or movements. Two or three consistent jabs or rattling motion tells me it’s in the fish’s mouth, and at that point I will pick up quickly and smoothly.

It’s not a ‘strike’, just a lift to move the feeder and connect with the fish, then a smooth wind and swing-in that gets you into a great rhythm!

Another great little trick when there are lots of fish is to keep moving the feeder, especially on calm days when there is no tow. On some days, I’ll move the feeder two or three times per cast. Firstly, I think this attracts fish, plumes up the groundbait around the feeder and empties it enticingly. But secondly, it straightens out the hooklength, meaning when a fish does touch the hookbait, everything is tight, you see a bite, and it’s hard to eject – FISH ON!

Bait And Feeding

I always like to set a little bed of groundbait when starting on venues like this. On big lakes, I think the noise of three or four big Bait-Up Feeders is good, and also the initial burst of baits brings in fish and sets a bed. You’re looking to gather a lot of fish, so having a nice area to start is great.

I use a 50/50 Mix of Supernatural Dark and Natural, and feed four x 5-hole Bait-Ups with a pinch of maggots and casters in each. The key is NOT to feed too many particles to small fish. Groundbait is attractive, and a few particles keep fish there, but too many mean fish have lots of choice and have less reason to pick out your hookbait!

When fishing, I use a very small feeder – either the smallest Slimline X-Change Cage for fast bait release and attraction, or the smallest Caged Window for keeping fish on the deck a bit longer.

Changing between the two to get these different effects is key. Anything from 15g to 30g can be the best weight-wise. Have a play and see what seems more effective for hitting bites. On really rough days, even when fishing close in, a 20g or 30g can be better – more noise and somehow better bite-to-fish ratios.

Depth And Distance

As a general rule, on big natural waters, smaller fish live closer in, in a sensible depth of water. I can’t sit here and give you a depth that will work, as you need to work it out on a given venue and day. Today is a good example. At Ulley, the lake slopes away here to around 25ft at 50m out, but at 16m I have a depth of 12ft, and a nice smooth bottom and slope that I have distinguished by casting and dragging a 1oz bomb around.

Now this distance and depth seem great for catching a mix of fish, and it’s also close enough to be very efficient. Anything longer than 20m, hitting bites, and being efficient becomes a problem with little fish. Finding a sensible depth where you can get bites and KEEP GETTING BITES, at a distance you can be efficient is key.

A Great Day Working Hard

Today has been a brilliant day, with the fishing being hard but also allowing me to demonstrate the work rate needed to keep catching. A good burst of fish came after the initial feed, and then action tailed off. Loading the small cage ‘softly’ was the key to bringing fish back, with a few casters and maggots in each one.

When the fish came back, cutting out the feed led to a run of quick bites, bursts of 4 to 5 fish, before upping the feed and making the feed softer in the feeder meant they kept coming. I also had a good little run at the end, adding 1m to my distance, a great trick for the final hour of a session, especially fishing a venue like this that slopes away from you.

Adding that bit more distance takes you to the back end of the feed and brings a fresh run of bites. Casting every 2 to 3 minutes has been best today, and to be honest, that is the upper end of how long I would leave it in for this style of fishing.

It’s been lovely fishing, ending with 100 fish for 7lb or so in a few hours, which on this venue is a great weight in winter matches. Hopefully, I can use what I’ve learned in one of the qualifiers coming up here for the £10,000 Guru Feeder Cup – wish me luck!