Feeder for winter fishing: all the rules for choosing, using and making a feeder with your own hands (for fishing in the current)

The principle of operation of bait devices

The main task of feeders is to deliver complementary food to its destination. When the structure is lowered to the bottom, the strength of the current and the depth of the area must be taken into account. As the food sinks, it should not wash out.

The operating method of winter feeders is as follows:

• They put complementary foods in them and close the devices.
• Before immersing the bait, measure the depth of the reservoir.
• 30 centimeters to the bottom, shake the feeder sharply. In this case, the lid comes off and the complementary food is distributed along the bottom in an even layer.

When using feeders while fishing in winter, fishermen adhere to certain rules:

• If the feeder is lowered directly to the bottom of the reservoir, then it is not necessary to make additional holes.
• To ensure uniform leaching of complementary food from the feeder, large holes are made at frequent intervals.
• To prevent premature leaching of complementary foods, weights are used to position the structure vertically.
• In a place where the current increases, a bait hole is drilled two meters from the workplace upstream.

How to choose a device?

The choice of winter feeder depends on the fishing conditions. The main thing is that the feeder fully performs its functions - delivering the feed as delicately as possible to the desired point in calm water, uniformly washing out the feed particles in the current.

1. As a rule, in calm waters, an inexpensive cone feeder with an opening lid is used for the first bulk feeding.
   The disadvantage of an iron feeder with a lock in the form of antennae is that opening the lid is accompanied by a clanging noise from the lock, which scares away the fish.

   Expert opinion

   Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

   Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

   It is strictly not recommended to use such a feeder in a place explored by an echo sounder, where there is a school of fish. It is better to use a feeder made of plastic.

   Another option is a homemade or purchased feeder with an opening lid with a lock in the form of a bracket.

   Opening the lid occurs almost silently due to the sharp jerking of the fishing line. You can slightly bend or straighten the bracket, thereby changing the locking force of the lock.

   Subsequent feedings are carried out in smaller volumes. You can use small sports cone feeders.

2. For live food, closed feeders with large diameter holes are used.
3. On the current, specialized winter mesh commercial feeders with lead loading are most often used, most often rectangular or triangular in shape to prevent rolling along the bottom, volumetric rectangular feeder lattice feeders.

What types of winter feeders are used?

The most common types are:

• Feeder feeders. This type of design is most effective when there is a rapid flow at a significant depth. Feeder feeders, due to their weight, are quickly delivered to the bottom of the reservoir, and are less likely to be carried away by the current. The bait is washed out evenly. They are good to use when catching roach or bream.
• Stationary feeders. They are used on familiar bodies of water, where the strength of the current and in which direction the water is moving are known. The feeding device is lowered into a prepared hole in the ice, drilled a few meters upstream from the working ice hole. The bait from the structure should be gradually evenly distributed towards the working hole. Such permanent fixtures are very difficult to use because the weight of the structure and the size of the holes made must match each other. If the proportions are not observed, the bait can be carried far to the side and then it will be useless. There is also the risk of losing the structure itself.
• Opening feeders. They are best used when fishing in still water or low currents. The self-opening design is equipped with a hinged bottom. This way the complementary food easily falls right to the bottom. On numerous photos of feeders for winter fishing on the Internet you can get acquainted with this device in more detail.

Feeders also vary in shape and material from which they are made. Winter feeders are:

• Cylindrical;
• Cone-shaped;
• Rectangular.

In low currents or in standing water, winter feeders of any shape can be used. And with a stronger current, it is best to take a rectangular feeder. This design, unlike a cylindrical device, will not move far from the desired feeding location.

• The material from which winter feed delivery devices are made also affects the fishing result.
• In extreme cold, for example, plastic feeders become brittle.
• Such a structure may collapse when exposed to low temperatures when it hits the bottom of a reservoir.
• Therefore, in winter, fishermen prefer metal products.

Experienced fishermen know where and when to use a certain type of feeder. Closed feeders are best used in heavy currents, and a dump truck is useful in stagnant water.

When there is a current, it is better to make the structure heavier, otherwise it will constantly be carried away from the feeding area.

Winter fishing technique

Working with winter feeder gear is in many ways similar to feeder fishing in open water with elements of fishing with other ice bottom gear. After the fishing location has been determined, the holes and bait have been prepared, we begin the process of fishing on the feeder from the ice.

1. We load the feeder with bait, and equip the hooks with a nozzle;
2. We lower the rig to the bottom and place the fishing rod on the stand, unwinding the excess fishing line until the nod of the fishing rod is in the alert position.
3. We wait for the bite, perform hooking and fishing. If there is no bite for five minutes or more, you should pull out the tackle and reload the feeder.

By analogy with summer feeder fishing, in winter you can also do a preliminary starting feeding of the hole - create a “feeding table”. To do this, the feeder with bait is lowered to the bottom and shaken out by sharply lifting the equipment. This is repeated several times. Instead, starting feeding can be done once, using a large winter feeder such as a dump truck. It is important that your feeder equipment is located in the “table” area.

If fishing is carried out on two fishing rods at the same time, one of them can be equipped not with a feeder feeder, but with an ordinary sinker, the weight of which is slightly less than the weight of loading the feeder.

Buy or make your own

Most fishing trips do not like to waste their time and buy all their gear in stores. True, there is a risk of buying a low-quality product. That’s why professional fishermen prefer winter feeders made by themselves.

You also need to understand that during the winter fishing season, even experienced fish catchers often lose their feeding equipment forever. Therefore, homemade feeders that do not require significant costs are not so bad to lose.

What is better - buy or make it yourself?

In fishing stores there are feeders of various designs, made of various materials, and of various sizes.

• The first reason why you have to make a feeder yourself is the lack of the required feeder suitable for the given fishing conditions. The variety of conditions requires such a number of different types of feeders that it is almost impossible to provide.
  Expert opinion

  Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

  Read also:  How to make a spider for fishing and what types exist

  Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am interested in fishing at a professional level.

  Sometimes you come across feeders of poor quality that do not perform their functions properly. Such feeders have to be “brought to mind.”

• The second reason is economic. Feeders are consumables. One feeder is inexpensive, less than 100 rubles, only mesh feeders cost from 300 rubles, but during the winter period you may need several types of feeders, because they fish in more than one specific body of water. From time to time, feeders can get lost and become unusable, which increases costs.
• The third reason is research. You can bring your idea to life only with your own hands.

Feeders made from scrap materials

When an angler decides to make feeders on his own, the question often arises: “What is needed and where to start?”

First you need to decide on the type of structure being manufactured. Next, draw a drawing of a winter feeder for fishing on a paper sheet. Then find the necessary materials and get to work.

Wire mesh

A do-it-yourself triangular fishing feeder is created from wire mesh. This option is only suitable for ponds with standing water. In this case, a light sinker is used, with which the structure sinks quietly into the water, and the triangular shape firmly holds the system in one place.

Wire mesh

Micro feeder with magnetic latch

This type of complementary feeding device has a simple structure and execution technique.

To create you need to take:

1. 20 ml syringe.
2. A metal washer with a diameter of 18 mm.
3. Lead weight.
4. Epoxy glue-plasticine.
5. Magnet, 6 mm in diameter (such as are used in headphones for telephones).

This device weighs approximately 20 grams. It sinks almost immediately and fills easily with water. To open the bait, shake it with a sharp movement of the hand after it reaches the bottom of the reservoir.

The process of making a feeder with your own hands

Self-opening at the bottom

When it reaches the bottom, it opens itself, leaving bait at the bottom. Such a feeder does not require an additional cable to control the opening of the feeder.

This design is very popular among fishermen due to its functionality. This not only simplifies the process of delivering bait to the fishing point, but also helps save valuable time.

How to make a feeder:

1. First, you should take a cable, the length of which should correspond (or be greater) to the depth of the reservoir at the fishing spot.
2. The end of the cable is attached to the lid of the feeder, on the opposite side of the hinge. The lid should open and close freely.
3. The cable is threaded through the two upper loops and through one, which is located on the hinge.
4. After this, the load is attached.
5. Under the influence of the load, the feeder will always be in a closed state. As soon as the load falls to the bottom, the feeder will immediately open and the bait will remain on the bottom.

Micro feeder with magnetic latch

Making such a feeder is not at all difficult. To make it you will need the following parts:

• A 20 ml syringe, although a larger volume will do. Metal washer, about 18 mm in diameter.
• A weight made of lead, the size of the bottom of a syringe.
• Magnet, 6 mm thick, from headphones.
• Epoxy plasticine (epoxyline), type “Moment”.

Such a feeder weighs about 20 grams, so it sinks into the water immediately. The opening force is about 50 grams and can be adjusted by a non-magnetic gasket, which is installed on the magnet side. Usually one layer of electrical tape is enough. The existing stopper prevents the lid from opening while it is immersed in water. The action of the stopper should be adjusted immediately after making the feeder.

This feeder is instantly filled with water; it only needs to sink to a depth of 30-40 cm. When it is in the water, it will not be able to open spontaneously. To open it, you need to shake it.

This is not the only magnetic design, but this option may be of interest to anglers due to its ease of use and storage. During storage, both a rope and a small reel can be placed inside the feeder.

Self-opening feeder

At places where fishing tackle is sold, you can purchase self-opening feeders of any shape. But you can also make them yourself.

The tipper feeder for winter fishing has gained particular popularity among anglers. It is very functional and does not require the installation of an additional cable. This significantly saves time in the process of delivering complementary foods to the destination.

For a homemade design you need to take:

• Scissors and marker;
• Drill and drill bits of different diameters;
• Nail;
• Steel line and wire;
• Lead plate or washer and steel;
• Sheet of galvanized sheet;
• Glue.

Manufacturing process:

1. A 30x30 cm square is marked on a sheet of galvanized sheet.
2. Mark future holes with a marker.
3. Using a drill and a drill, make holes. Then cut out the intended square.
4. The cut fabric is rolled into a cone shape. The edges are wrapped with rivets or overlapped.
5. A well-finished steel loop is attached to the top of the cone.
6. On the remaining piece, trace the bottom of the cone with a marker or pencil.
7. Next, draw a smaller circle for the loop on the latch.
8. Make a mounting hole. Cut out the bottom with a loop and process it well.
9. Drill holes on the back of the bottom, then drill a hinge. Attach the lead weight to the outside with glue.
10. Make holes for fastening at the bottom of the cone. The bottom is secured with wire so that it can open independently.
11. A latch is made from wire.
12. The lace is passed through the ring and attached to the latch ring.

The dump truck feeder is made. All that remains is to load it with bait and test it.

Feeder

Feeder feeders for ice fishing differ from their summer counterparts in being smaller in size and weight. Depending on the strength of the current, they can weigh from ten to forty grams; more is usually not required.

If the store doesn’t have feeders with the parameters necessary for winter fishing, you can easily make them yourself.

There are several manufacturing methods, but the simplest of them are two:

• made of metal mesh;
• from a plastic tube or curler.

Metal mesh feeders

To make this feeder we will need:

• metal grid;
• wire;
• lead;
• plaster or other form.

Here is a description of the manufacturing process:

1. Cut out the required piece from the mesh.
2. We fold it in the form of a square or triangle in cross-section, and tie the free edges with thin wire.
3. We tie a loop for fastening to the equipment.
4. We make a hole in the mold for filling. In addition to gypsum, ordinary clay is also suitable, because the pouring will be done from above.
5. We wait for the wife to leave the house and put a container of lead on the stove.
6. We pour the molten lead into the mold and immediately insert the mesh there, with its edges connected into the metal.

Plastic tube feeders

This method of making a feeder with your own hands is safer; you can also work with your household.

1. From a plastic tube, or HDPE, of small diameter, 15-20 millimeters, cut off a piece of 3-4 centimeters.
2. From a lead plate (it can be purchased at the radio market) we cut a strip slightly longer than the tube.
3. In the upper and lower edges of the tube on one side we cut out grooves as wide as a lead plate.
4. We press the plate against the tube and bend its ends inward through the grooves.
5. Using an awl, we make a hole in the lead plate and tube.
6. We attach a wire loop for fishing line to the hole.

Simple homemade winter feeders

Very often there are cases when fishing in winter when delivery structures break off and float away. In order not to be left completely without a catch, it would not hurt anglers to learn about alternative homemade devices for bait.

Many fishermen ask the question: “How to make a feeder for winter fishing from simple materials, without leaving the biting place?” There are several simple ways.

Paper feeder

Wrap a piece of paper in the shape of a cone (a bag for seeds). A fishing line is attached to the top. Load the food and fold the edges inside the sheet. When lowering the disposable device to a depth, the water will gradually saturate the paper, and the paper cone will retain its shape.

When the disposable feeder goes down to depth, you need to shake it vigorously and bend the edges. Then the food will fall to the bottom.

Homemade design from a bottle

For winter complementary feeding, you can build a simple winter feeder from an ordinary plastic bottle.

You need to have on hand:

• 1.5 liter plastic bottle;
• Steel weight or simple nut;
• Fishing line;
• Nail.

In the bottle, holes are made with a nail on the walls and bottom. The bottom is equipped with a weight. Complementary food is placed in a bottle and, using a fishing line, the homemade product is immersed in the hole. The plastic is transparent, so this device will not scare away the fish. The simplest sports feeder for winter fishing is ready.

Alternative manufacturing methods

While fishing, the line on the feeder can break and it will remain at the bottom. The feeder may get firmly caught on a snag. You can just forget it at home. Then you can quickly and on the spot make a dump truck feeder from available materials.

From paper

A sheet of paper is rolled up into a ball. A fishing line is tied to its top. The bait is loaded inside, and the edges are tucked in. While sinking to the bottom, the water, on the one hand, prevents the paper from unfolding, and on the other hand, it saturates it. When such an improvised feeder touches the bottom, you should make a sharp jerk so that the edges straighten and the bait falls out. This type of feeder will not last long. Most likely, no more than once. But in a difficult situation it will help out.

From a polyethylene bag

To make this type of dump truck feeder, you will need not only a plastic bag, but also a bolt. The bag must be cut so that it forms a cone. A bolt is attached to the very corner using a thread or fishing line - thread down, head up. The fishing line, by which the feeder will be lowered into the hole, is tied to the head of the bolt. The design should be obtained when the bolt is inside the bag. Bait is placed inside, and the feeder is carefully lowered into the hole. The water will support the edges. You should make a jerk near the bottom. The plastic bag will simply turn out and the bait will end up at the bottom.

Photo of a feeder for winter fishing