ADTV Match Masterclass - Long Distance Method Feeder Fishing

One of the most important parts of casting at distance is having the correct set up, because when using the correct tools for the job, casting at extreme range becomes much easier.

For today, I have rods set up to cover from 72 yards to 120 yards, and on all of these I am using 13ft distance style feeder rods as these have enough power in the butt section of the rod to allow me to transmit as much of the cast to the feeder as possible. To this, I have matched this with a large mini big pit style reel as the larger spool does not compress the line as much, allowing it to flow off much easier on the cast leading to less friction.

Line wise, when casting up to 88 yards, I am confident in using 8lb line straight through, but when casting distances in excess of 100 yards, I prefer to use a 12lb shockleader which is around 2x the length of the rod combined with 6lb line. This shockleader allows me to really punch the feeder on the cast with confidence, whereas the 6lb line as it is thinner will travel further than a heavier line.

Down at the business end, I have a hybrid style feeder as these are incredibly aerodynamic and will use a combination of the heavier 45g and 60g sizes as these allow me to compress the feeder rod on the cast. Lastly, I use a short 4” hooklength with a size 12 hook with a boilie spike hair rigged so I can easily attach a range of wafters and boilie style hook baits.

As we are only fishing for a handful of bites on a large venue like Boddingtons, it is always best to start short of your maximum casting distance and then slowly work your way out to the maximum.

When you start the session, the fish are more likely to be sat closer to the bank as there has been no pressure and as you start catching fish, or the sound of the feeder landing on the water, they will naturally back off, so by starting short you will be able to keep in touch with the fish throughout the session.

To do this, you can either have multiple rods set out at exact distances like I have today, or you can remove your clip if you do not get a bite and add distance in smaller 1m increments.

Fishing a method feeder may look simple, but if you have a quick look at my side tray you will see a range of bait tubs with different bait options. I like to give myself plenty of options, because sometimes the smallest differences can make a large difference in eeking out that match winning fish.

Not only do I have several different colours of hookbaits which I can rotate through depending on the clarity of the water, but as well as my normal pellets for the method feeder, I also have some groundbait and some boilie crumb which I can add in varying ratios to try and make my bait more attractive to the fish.

Although it may look like a gimmick, but using a stopwatch to time your casts is essential when fishing at long distances for big carp, because you need to make sure that you leave your feeder in the water long enough to get a bite, but also to help establish a pattern of bites, as you tend to find most bites will come at a certain time that the feeder has been in the water.

When last fishing here, this was 12 minutes with nearly all my fish coming at the magic mark. This exact time can vary depending on the day, but will give you a rough guide of how long you need to leave your feeder in the water.

In some instances, it can be best to wait up to 45 minutes between cast, so you need to make sure that you are confident in the placement and how your rig works in the water. Therefore, while waiting for a bite, I will always have another feeder on my side tray which I can load and place in a tub of water to see how my feeder will act when fishing.

This gives me the closest representation to see how quickly the bait around my feeder breakdowns in the swim, and gives me confidence that the consistency of my feed allows the feeder to get to the bottom in tact regardless of the depth. When casting, I will also make try and make sure that the feeder hits the clip and lands in the water with a nice plop so I can be confident that my feeder will be sat perfectly on the lakebed.

The action for todays session couldn’t be more different then the qualifier 10 days ago, but although the fishing has been a lot harder, the fishing has still followed the same pattern, with changes in distance and the addition of boilie crumb and groundbait to my feed pellets helping me to get a few bites off these wise Boddington carp when a lot of people may struggle to catch one.

Hopefully, this article shows you fishing the method feeder at distance for carp is not a method that you need to shy away from and is a must have tactic to have in your armoury as the principles of this method will help take your feeder fishing on all venues to another level!