TOP TIPS: Tommy Pickering explains Pellets, Groundbaits and Feeders

- [Tommy] You know, commercial feeder fishing is a massive part of what we do nowadays, but I always get asked the same questions. "Which feeder do I use? Do I use groundbait or do I use pellets?" Well hopefully, I've got the answers to your questions and I'm going to show you a few tips which I do which helps me catch loads of fish. First thing you do, when you go to a commercial fishery, you check the rules. Go on the website, have you got to take your own pellets? Have you got to use the fishery pellets? Find out what it's all about, the rule. What length of lines do I use? And everything. Get all the information before you get there. If you've got to use their pellets, what I always do when I get there, it's the first thing I do when I get to my pack, if you haven't got to use their pellets and you've got pellets at home, you can prepare them at home. The first thing I do when I get to the fishery, get some pellets. Usually, in the feeder, usually they are micro pellets or two mils. And all I do to prepare them is quite very simple, I'm just gonna contain it to the size that I think we're gonna use. So that's half a pint container. All I'll do, I'll get some feed pellets, and I fill that container right to the top. And then when I get to the top, just spread them out so it fills and covers the top. Then, I get some water and I cover them pellets so it's just under, not quite to the top, but very, very close. I just get a lid that's got no holes in so no water can seep through, and all I do, put the lid on. And then all I do then, I just keep turning it over two minutes, do it again for two minutes, and just keep doing that two or three times while you're preparing your other bait. And all that does, the water seeps through and keeps seeping through to the pellets so you get a sort of a nice mixture. And that's all that you do, and then just leave them, just put them to one side, and usually, that takes about half an hour. But of course, I've got some prepared. Once their prepared, you can pick them up and you can feel that they're nice and soft and spongy. You'd expect them to stick together. And also, because they swelled out fractionally, you'll find out that the top is actually bulging. So, will I use them straight from like that? No I won't, and the reason for that is usually, because in pellets nowadays, there's not as much oil as there used to be, they won't stick on the feeder so good. They'll go on the feeder, but what happens is, when they hit the water, they'll come off. And one of the most important things about feeder fishing, is you want to get the feeder to the bottom in one piece before the pellets start breaking up. Now that's very important. So how do I make them more sticky so they're gonna stick on my feeder? It's very simple. All I do, I get a tub, usually I don't do them all in one go, I usually do half and save the other half in case I need them for later in the match. So what I do, I take half the pellets out, put them to one side, and I get what we call sticky pellet. Now the idea of sticky pellets is exactly what it says on the tin, it's gonna stick the pellets together. We stick the pellets together so they'll stick on the feeder And usually, I just get a spoonful like that and spread it evenly over the pellets. Then, all you have to do is mix them. Now this procedure, I usually do five minutes before I start fishing. And I really just... like that, just spread it around so it becomes an even spread. You'll find out the sticky pellets absorbs into the pellet so that when you go like that, you can see it made them very, very sticky. And this is as quick as that and as simple as that. Now like I said, I do that five minutes before I start fishing, and what you find out is that's the perfect bait.

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