A carp feeder is one of the most interesting, simple and productive methods of hunting for this large and always desirable fish. The simplicity of installations, the variety in the choice of equipment and the many specialized ponds for fishing constantly attract more and more fishing enthusiasts to the ranks of carp fishermen. Catching carp on a feeder is not technically difficult, but quite spectacular and effective. Even novice fishermen, having become familiar with the features of carp bait and equipment, already on their first fishing trips, on paid reservoirs, achieve good results and significant trophies in the standings.
Some secrets of organizing a feeder for carp fishing will be discussed in the article presented to the reader below.
Carp fishing gear
Feeder fishing for large carp begins with the selection of reliable equipment capable of catching and landing powerful and heavy fish. Manufacturers produce specialized lines of rods, reels, stands and other auxiliary equipment for carp feeder equipment. Understanding the concept of fishing, you can easily assemble a kit that meets the necessary fishing criteria. We will talk about the features of selection in continuation of the material, delving more thoroughly into the essence of the necessary accessories.
Carp feeder
For reliability, manufacturers produce heavy and super heavy plug-type fishing rods. As a rule, for long-distance casting of massive feeder rigs, blanks 3.5-4 meters long are used with tests from 90 grams and higher in the media structure of the blank.
Important! Reinforced stands of large winding rings, replaceable quivertypes, a worm-type clamping mechanism for attaching the reel, nuances that must be paid attention to when selecting gear.
The composite materials from which fishing rods are made, despite their massive appearance, make the blank light and flexible.
Coil
Feeder tackle for carp is equipped with an inertia-free reel with a high traction force, the same gear ratio of the mechanism and a capacious spool capable of storing thick cords in its volume, starting with a diameter of 0.3 mm in lengths of up to 150 meters.
Important! Among the functions in the mechanism there should be an adjustable clutch and a baitrunner.
On the butt of the rod, it is desirable to have a factory-made one, securely integrated into the handle of the tackle, and the presence of a fastening carabiner, which insures the rod from being pulled into the reservoir by powerful fish.
fishing line
Tackle for catching carp on a feeder at short distances is carried out on monofilaments ranging from 0.3 mm in diameter and above, which have the properties of self-immersion in water and low memory, which facilitates the straightening of the cord after leaving the spool. For long distances, equipment for carp fishing on a feeder is mounted on braided cords of 0.25 mm in diameter. The color of the cords is selected to match the tone of the water in the fished reservoir.
Important! As a rule, dark green and gray colors of threads are taken as the standard, which are less noticeable in stagnant waters of carp forests and especially during periods of rapid growth of algae in the summer.
Hooks
Depending on the bait used, hooks for carp are selected in numbers from 6 to 8 ranks.
Important! For animal baits, hooks with a long shank are used. For plant baits and hair rigs, hooks with a short shank and wide bend radii are used.
The color is also chosen according to the color of the bait, trying to select an accessory that differs little from the delicacy served to the fish. It is advisable to take hooks with a fastening ring for tying to the cord. This element makes the connection more reliable and much easier to knit.
Feeders
Feeders for carp fishing are selected based on the structure of the bottom of the reservoir and the planned fishing tactics. On hard soils, springs, metal mesh with weights and method feeders are used. For muddy bottoms, lightweight plastic nets with a fine mesh are used, as well as nipple feeders. Carp feeders are distinguished by their large volumes and, accordingly, their total masses .
All forms of feeders are suitable for the conditions of a standing reservoir. To suit the currents, choose a rectangular-shaped accessory that is better able to stay on the bottom of the reservoir, despite the forces from the movement of water.
Fishing on ponds and lakes
Carp is an unpretentious fish, but its main habitats are ponds and lakes. In artificial reservoirs, the depth is usually the same throughout the entire water area and usually does not exceed several meters. There are no holes, navels, or snags here. Therefore, you need to look for carp at any, even the most insignificant differences in depth. The quarry can also be classified as an artificially created reservoir. But initially it was not intended for fishing, and its characteristic topography is a bottom with sharp vertical changes in depth. Here you should look for carp at the “navels” - the exit from the depths to shallow areas.
In natural bodies of water, it stays close to some kind of shelter - reeds, water lilies, snags, trees fallen into the water. Despite its size, this fish is very careful. If there are no such shelters, then you should also look for it on the edges, for example, in a dammed section of the river this will be the riverbed area.
On an unfamiliar body of water, the easiest way to correctly determine where carp are staying is to look at the surface of the water. Carp usually make their presence known by splashes or air bubbles.
Feeder equipment for carp
The rigs are tied depending on the activity of the fish. For passive and cautious fish, an asymmetrical loop, inline installation, and hair rigs are used. For active fish, paternoster tying, the flat method, a rocker, nipples and springs loaded with food and hooks are used. For the convenience of casting and reeling out rigs, as well as quickly replacing equipment, swivels and fasteners are used. Buffer beads are placed in front of the knots to prevent deformation of the knitting material. Leashes are made from monofilaments that are an order of magnitude thinner than the main cord itself. Depending on the type of equipment, their length can vary from 7 to 30 centimeters.
Important! The more active the fish, the shorter the leash and vice versa.
Up to seven leashes can be used simultaneously on rocker arms, springs and nipples. Among the auxiliary equipment, various kinds of bite alarms and rod stands in the form of tripods and rod pods help to catch carp on a feeder much more comfortably.
Where to look for carp for feeder fishing
Today, carp fishing with a feeder is mostly carried out on specialized artificial ponds, equipped with bridges for placing gear and convenient shorelines for comfortable fishing for the trophy. Also, acclimatized carp can populate lakes and rivers, inhabiting quiet backwaters and backwaters with a slow current and shores and bottoms rich in vegetation.
In natural conditions, they look for flat bottom plateaus, while simultaneously inspecting a shore suitable for installation, with the possibility of unhindered casting of gear and a free, gentle and shallow exit from the water. The fish does not like strong currents and avoids such places. As a rule, individuals of the same size stay in a small flock, combing places in the waters of the reservoir in search of food along a permanent path. Having noted the movement trajectories of the carp, and it is more reliable to find out this information from local fishermen, they install the installation of feeder gear on them.
Nozzles
The following baits can be used for catching carp using sports feeder rigs:
- Corn.
- Boiled potatoes.
- Steamed peas.
- Steamed pearl barley.
- Dough.
Well, the best animal bait is a worm. It has been noticed that carp bite better not on white earthworms, but on red dung worms. They behave more actively on the hook and emit a persistent, strong odor. In principle, carp can also be caught using maggots, but it is better not to use this equipment because it is too compact. There will be no end to the bites of any “pot-bellied little things”.
Promising fishing areas
I consider flat bottom areas with small anomalies in the form of underwater holes and bushes of sparse vegetation to be promising areas for feeder fishing for carp, where cautious fish can find temporary shelter. Also, good results are obtained by supplying baits to places where clean water borders with the walls of coastal reed thickets. Overhanging crowns of trees over the backwater, gently sloping underwater slopes towards dams and embankments with a gradual increase in depth are also considered promising points when choosing a place for fishing.
The bottom soils where this powerful fish lives can be either hard clay or silted. Often fish are successfully caught in shallows with shell rock, feeding on this mollusk. Carp can be found in the morning and evening hours in shallow water heated by the sun, where the fish can splash around fearlessly, turning their sides as they rise to the very surface of the reservoir. When feeding on algae, fish make a distinct slurping sound.
Groundbait and bait
Carp are omnivores, but their food preferences vary at different times of the year. This depends on the availability and accessibility of a certain type of food in the reservoir. Plant and animal baits are not exotic and are similar to standard bait options for catching most of our local peaceful fish. The method itself, which allows you to catch carp on a feeder, is based on the use of bait for fishing, which attracts fish to the fishing site. We will discuss effective baits, bait mixtures and their compositions in more detail, focusing on the nuances of the use and preparation of these main components of fishing.
Groundbait recipe
Groundbait is prepared on a base of fish feed, adding binding plastic elements in the form of unstrained pearl barley or millet porridge. Auxiliary ingredients are added to the mixed composition in the form of crushed sweet canned corn, boiled crushed potatoes, powdered milk and breadcrumbs, which create a muddy effect for the bait. As attractants, molasses, vanilla, and sweet strawberry or banana jams are added to mixed drinks. In some reservoirs, carp are attracted to the smell of garlic. Before placing food in the feeders, it is possible to add animal ingredients in the form of small bloodworms, maggots and chopped worms. Soil is not added to the feed; pure feed is provided. They try not to over-wet the bait.
Important! The mixture should pour out of the feeder freely and relatively quickly, creating a dense feeding spot.
Carp baits
Of the animal species, maggots and worms are considered the fat man’s favorite delicacy. The fish also picks up a panicle from a large bloodworm quite well. Any sandwich combination of these three options will undoubtedly attract the attention of carp. Among vegetable baits, sweet corn and bread are considered classic carp dishes. But fish can also be caught using various types of flavored dough, in particular, boilies are one of its dried varieties. Boiled young potatoes strung on a hook in the form of a small tuber, grains of steamed cereals and peas position themselves relatively well as carp bait.
Feeding
Feeding is carried out according to the principle of initially forming an abundant feeding table, subsequently feeding bait into the fishing zone in small portions in the form of balls the size of a walnut, delivering it to the point by direct casting or using a slingshot.
Important! The intensity of feeding by casting is adjusted depending on the intensity of bites. If there are frequent bites, complementary food is delivered only with a feeder. If there is no reaction to the bait for a long time, the frequency of feeding is increased.
Feeder bait for carp should crumble after hitting the surface of the water, creating sedimentary turbidity and covering a large area of the bottom.
Classification of feeder rods
Gear for feeder fishing is often divided into classes depending on the power of the form and the weight of the equipment:
- Extra light or “picker”. Reaches a length of 3 meters. Maximum load weight – 40 g.
- Light or "Light". Length – 3-3.6 m. Makes it possible to use loads weighing up to 60 g.
- Average or “medium”. The rod reaches a length of 3.6 meters. The maximum weight of the load used is 100 g, the minimum is 80 g.
- Heavy or “heavy”. Maximum length – 3.9 meters, load weight – from 100 to 120 g.
- Extra heavy or “Extra Heavy”. The length of the rod reaches from 4.2 to 5 meters, and the weight of the maximum load is 300 g.
How to catch carp on a feeder in spring, summer and autumn
Catching carp with a feeder is possible when the water warms up above 10 degrees, when the fish begins to feed more intensively and move through the reservoir. The water warms up to this temperature by the beginning of April and remains at this level until November. In principle, this is the time of the feeder season, during which the bite is present with varying frequencies of its level, depending purely on the factors of weather changes. Let's consider the main periods of the season according to the time of the calendar year.
Spring
From the beginning of April, a full-fledged feeder season for carp begins, which is searched for on warm shallows, in clean areas of water. Small individuals are the first to respond to a bite. Large ones are waiting for warmer waters. In cold water, fish feed on the animal component, which the fisherman needs to take into account when using purely animal baits, worms, maggots and bloodworms as bait. The bait also includes animal supplements, chopped worms, crushed bloodworms and canned maggots. Immobilized components cause less concern to the fish and keep them on the feeding spot longer. They are caught in the spring throughout the daylight hours. Sunny weather has a particularly favorable effect on the bite.
Summer carp fishing
With the strong warming of the water, the fish become more active and the season, in the summer, enters a stable biting phase. Having gained good condition, the carp begin to pick and choose, sorting through the food. The fish switches to a plant diet and often ignores worms and maggots, switching to corn and pearl barley. The feeder installation for carp is refined and made more sensitive, because there is plenty of food and any alarming little thing will scare the trophy away from the fishing point.
The fish tries to stay at long distances, at medium depths, up to two meters. They fish in the morning and evening, switching to night fishing in particularly hot weather. Any cold snap reduces the bite. In cloudy weather with drizzling light rain, the bite may not stop even during the day.
Catching carp in autumn on a feeder
With cold weather, fish move to deeper parts of the reservoir, staying on the edges of holes and underwater ravines. The secrets of catching carp in the fall on a feeder lie in the angler’s transition to hunting in the depths. Bites become less confident, the fish savors the bait longer. The exits themselves are shifted to lunchtime and evening hours. On cold mornings there may be no bite at all.
Fishing for carp on a feeder in the fall switches back to the use of animal baits. The bait is made more viscous by concentrating the supply on the smallest point possible. On sunny days, especially in the evening, fish may approach the heated water in the shallows.
Fishing on a paysite
So, the fisherman collected his gear, prepared bait, and bought a ticket to a paid pond where large carp are found. And so he comes to the shore, examines the bottom, finds a promising area with harder soil, feeds it, casts a fishing rod and waits for a bite. But she’s not there.
You can sit for an hour, or two, or three. You can even see the desired carp right near the shore, in the reeds. He does not react in any way to attempts to throw bait or bait under his nose. If you hit him on the forehead with a feeder, he reluctantly turns around and leaves. Many people leave in despair, others even try to catch such fish with a summer jig. When the owner of the paysite is away, you can climb into the water and catch it with a net. Why did this happen?
The fact is that on the paysite the fish are overfed. The owners, taking care of the weight gain of the fish, give it enough feed for growth and development. Visiting fishermen throw tens of kilograms of purchased bait, cereals, bloodworms and maggots into the pond. The fish ceases to show interest in food, because there is already so much of it at hand, and is more concerned about peace of mind.
What to do in such a situation? The first rule is to come fishing long before dawn and expect fish by dusk. Carp are diurnal creatures and usually sleep at night. Moreover, at night the water is usually cool and little saturated with oxygen, which plants consume from the water during photosynthesis in the dark. With the first rays of the sun, they begin to release oxygen rather than consume it. The water warms up a little, everything becomes clearly visible. The fish wants to eat and it goes to its usual feeding areas. Find them and success in fishing is guaranteed.
Victoria Leshchenko
I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.
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But this does not always happen. It's quite rare that lucky fishermen who buy a ticket are given the chance to catch a trophy this morning. Most of them sit without biting or start catching small things, if there are any. This is the point of casting several fishing rods when carp fishing - in order to immediately hit several feeding points that may lie in the path of the fish. If you do this with a feeder, it will turn into carp fishing.
There is a way out here. In the evening, feed several points where carp can be found. The main thing is to remember the landmarks along which the feeders were thrown, or better yet, write down and sketch them. Before dawn they are fed a little with animal ingredients. After this, they begin to catch and move from one place to another. Of course, this way there is less chance of catching a fish than if the bait was constantly on each of the points. But there is a greater chance of catching at least something if you move from one place to another, because it is not a fact that the area of interest for fishing is generally in the path of the fish.
