Method feeder for carp

 Most people start off fishing as young children with a small rod and reel and some bobbers. Most combo sets or fishing kits offer this simple set up as an introduction to fishing. Somehow, I missed or completely forgot if I ever started fishing like that. As a youngster, I can remember using a simple setup with a small weight, and a foot or so above that, a hook. To be clear, my dad always had to rig this setup for me. Using worms or corn, this setup is great to start fishing as a kid, as you can catch numerous smaller fish with this approach.

In many highly pressured bodies of water, or for some bigger and often smarter fish, this hook and sinker style of fishing just won’t cut it. Any fish might eat that piece of nightcrawler if it so chooses, but often you need more to encourage a fish to do so. This is where fishing becomes more specialized and different setups present baits and lures in different ways to catch other species. Having hooks on the lake floor will catch different fish from a hook suspended six feet off of the floor.

I was sixteen when I finally learned to tie my own rigs. It was around this time that some friends and I regularly started fishing and I started using method feeders. Having my dad and uncle use them, I knew about it but was simply too young to care about learning a new way of fishing. But after having frequent success with this method, it soon became my go-to fishing style for the waters of South Africa. But it is never as simple as just changing a hook. This style of fishing requires different tackle and gear to be done effectively.

Method feeders come in all shapes and sizes, but I learned to use those like the one depicted above. The feeder sits between two swivels with a hook connected to each. Many people tie on multiple hooks, but I have always opted for only two; one above and one below the feeder. It is a regular occurrence to lose this setup, so I guess, two hooks just work out cheaper. A wide variety of pack-baits and regular baits can then be used to target carp with great effectiveness. The pack-bait draws fish in and starts a feeding frenzy, allowing the hooks to be suspended in this feeding zone. This is only a scratch on the surface compared to how deep the carp fishing rabbit-hole actually goes, but it has been working for me and is a good way to get some big fish for relatively little effort. Maybe one day when I am all grown up, I would have explored that hole a bit deeper.