Hookbait choice can make a huge difference to your Method feeder catches.
Some score best with bigger fish, while others will win you extra bites on tough days. Here’s my pick of the bunch...
Picking the right hookbait can get extra bites on the method feeder
FAKE BAITS
Artificial casters will pick off bigger fish than the real thing, and are great when there are a lot of nuisance fish around. Most packs contains different colours, so see which one the fish prefer on the day.
Dark baits often score in summer, but the off-white ones can bring bonus fish when the going gets tough.
Best for: Tench, crucians and carp
PUNCHED MEAT
Easy to use, and with a distinctive taste that carp love, punched meat is one of my favourite Method hookbaits for larger carp.
Cut the meat into 10mm-thick slices and use a bait punch to produce perfect 6mm hookbaits, stepping up to 10mm when they are feeding well.
Best for: Big carp
DEAD MAGGOTS
A bunch of four dead red maggots is very effective, especially in the cold, when small fish are less active. I like to use maggots that have been frozen.
They have a soft, stretched appearance, but are still quite tough. Use a bunch on a size 12 hook.
Best for: Bream, tench and carp
PELLETS
For Method fishing I like an 8mm tough hooker pellet. The consistency is ideal for hair rigs, and I use them with a Quick Stop to make baiting-up simple.
In summer go for savoury flavours, while in winter, sweeter flavours work better.
Best for: Carp, tench, bream and F1s
WAFTERS
These slightly buoyant hookbait boilies only just sink, and hover just above the bottom. Being semi-buoyant, they are easy for larger fish to suck up, giving more bites and better hookholds too.
Wafters are tough baits, so you can often catch several fish on the same one. Hair-rig them using a boilie spike for best results.
Best for: Carp and bream
