Catch More On The Pellet Waggler - FOOLING WARY CARP - Match Masterclass

As with all pellet waggler fishing its important to be feeding steadily with the catapult to get the fish competing in the swim. Instead of casting directly into the loose feed, I’ll cast two or three metres beyond it. Once the float’s settled, I’ll  wind the rig back so that the hookbait sits perfectly amongst the feed.

The timing here is everything. Pellets from the catapult sink quicker than your hookbait, which is slowed by the line, so you’ve got to judge things carefully. Feed too soon or too late and your hookbait won’t be presented naturally with the freebies. It's well worth playing around with this and experimenting during each session because the ideal timing can change throughout the day.

After missing a couple of early bites, I spotted a few carp flicking their tails near the surface so I decided to start fishing a little shallower. on my next cast I immediately hooked into my first fish. Ironically after bigging up the size of the fish in the lake, it turned out to be one of the smallest carp I’ve ever caught from barford, but it showed that the method was working.

Once again, I cast just beyond the feed and soon found myself into a stronger fish around the 8lb mark and extremely lively, still smaller than some of Barford’s lumps, but great sport on the waggler.

One of the great things about pellet waggler fishing is that, whether you’re going for the all-out “carnage” style or the more patient approach, the tackle setup stays the same. 

 I use a Matrix Aquos Ultra C 11ft waggler rod, which is ideal for handling fish of all sizes on the waggler, and paired it with a 300-size Aquos reel spooled with 8lb line. Normally I’d fish lighter, around 6lb, but with carp in Barford well into the upper doubles, 8lb mainline was essential here.

The float is attached using a Matrix waggler attachment with three float rubbers below and one above, this keeps everything secure and adjustable so I could easily alter the depth. I opted for a 6g foam pellet waggler connected via a quick-change adapter, which makes it simple to swap floats and below that, just a 12-inch hooklength and a size 14 hook with a baitband.

For Bait, it doesn’t get much simpler, I used fishery pellets. At Barford it’s 6mm or 8mm, and since we’re after bigger carp, I went with the 8mms.

The quality of fishery pellets can vary from venue to venue and the pellets can have varying sink rates. To fix this I coat them with one of the dynamite oils. This gives the pellets a consistent sink rate, adds attraction, and creates a scent trail through the water that draws in carp. 

One extra little tip I’d recommend is always using a rod rest when fishing the pellet waggler. It gives you the freedom to feed while the rig is working and helps keep the rod tip just under the surface. That way you can sink the line between rod and float, reducing the effect of the wind and keeping your presentation as neat as possible.

As the session went on a pattern began to emerge. The ideal timing seemed for me to be to feed first, then cast two to three meeters past my spot, reel the bait over the loose feed and then feed again on top of the float. Doing this seemed to place my hookbait right in the middle of the freebie pellets and I was regularly getting bites with 15 seconds or so of the hookbait settling, suspended in the water. 

The last fish of the day was a chunky 8lb mirror carp, a fitting way to wrap up what had been a great demonstration of just how effective this style of pellet waggler fishing can be.

The pellet waggler is one of the most exciting and effective methods in match fishing, and learning when to use the patient style can really give you an edge. It’s all aboutthe rythm of ,feeding short, casting past, reeling over the bait, and then feeding again over the float. Get that timing right, and you’ll find the wiser, warier fish suddenly become a lot more catchable.