Hemp Starters
When I first started using the waggler it was all about casting over to the far bank of canals, drains and smaller rivers. It’s a devastating method, which still works brilliantly, but more recent modifications make it even better. Firing out a good bed of hemp seed was always a good way to begin, following up with small and regular amounts of maggots or casters. Hemp used to be cheap, consistent in size and easy to cook. But gradually, the magic seeds as we used to call them, became tricky to prepare. They didn’t want to open and sprout white shoots, despite soaking and boiling for much longer. This forced me into switching to more convenient tinned stuff, but this had inconsistencies. The bait was often too small or overcooked, so I couldn’t get it to where I wanted. It was okay for spodding, but no good for firing any distance with a catapult.
Something Else
Experimenting with micro pellets, the 1 mm size was too small to propel out far enough. The 2 mm gauge was better, especially when slightly dampened. But unless the wind was from behind, distance and accuracy wasn’t great. Then I discovered 3 mm Dynamite Krill Pellets, which with the help of a light dose of water, catapulted out just like hemp. That meant they also travelled as far as casters and big red maggots, perfect for what I was looking for. I liked the dark orange colour too, which tied in nicely with the baits I was using. Next step was to find how effective my hemp replacement could be, targeting roach and skimmers on a hard fished day ticket venue. Using a 3AAA insert waggler at full stretch, several pouchfuls of micros were followed up by lighter amounts of casters, with soft krill-based hook pellets in reserve.
Surprise Bonus
I got bites straight away and was pretty sure the micro pellets helped this happen, previously finding it took longer to gain interest by only feeding maggots or casters. The most interesting aspect was how perch turned up first. It was a bit like I had put chopped worm in, but I hadn’t. Roach and skimmers were not far behind. Holding them was like it used to be with hemp seed, occasionally topping up a big pouchful of micros when the action slowed down. Otherwise, I fed casters, experimenting by firing them out before and after the waggler hit the water, to find out what worked best. If fish are active, feeding and then casting often works better to catch on-the-drop, while if everything is staying hard on the bottom, it doesn’t matter to cast and then put bait in. This big perch was an eye-opener, taken on a red maggot, dusted with krill groundbait.
Changing Tactics
Over the years I’ve used several rods for this type of fishing, one of my favourites being a 12ft Normark Microlite. These days I’ve moved on to the Cadence CR10 12ft Match #1, finding it even better. The big difference is it’s a 2-piece, making it lighter and a tad more responsive than the old 3-section format. I couple this blank with a Cadence CS10 3000 Match reel, giving me the perfect combination for short to medium range waggler work. I use Edge Sinking Mono for this type of fishing, often combined with their versatile Crystal Clear Insert Wagglers. The loaded version works fine in open water, taking the weight off and switching to big locking shot when fishing shallow or tight to far side cover. This helps to brake the end tackle as it hits the water, rather than letting it dive deep and risk missing bonus bites as the float settles.
Mini Spodding
Watching carp anglers spodding out bait gave me the idea of doing something similar, but with a small cage feeder and a light 10ft quiver tip rod. After casting my waggler rig the required distance, I sometimes plop a small cage out next to it and clip up the line. This provides me with the opportunity to give my swim an occasional boost with groundbait and a good helping of micro pellets. This is nearly as accurate as cupping in with a pole, getting plenty of 1 mm or 2 mm micros out on my waggler feed line, which help to hold fish like skimmers for ages. The Cadence CR10 10ft Feeder #2 is ideal for mini spodding, using a 15g Edge Plastic Cage Feeder. With the latter and a light mix I can empty the loading as it hits the water, or with a stiffer consistency group it tightly on the bottom. This works with plain groundbait too.
Bulging Keepnets
I quickly found my new micro pellet approach with the waggler opened a new world, particularly on venues with a big head of skimmers. Very often you have to go to extreme pole lengths to reach the bigger ones, which can be hard work. A waggler lets you go out even further, but with less effort. I was suddenly accumulating bigger catches, including bonus hybrids. Sometimes loose feed would be enough for most of a session, while mini spodding with some groundbait and smaller micros typically helped get things moving to begin with. Afterwards relying on loose fed 3 mm micro pellets to avoid too many small fish, which smaller particles and continual groundbait regularly pull in. Red maggots and then casters on the hook tended to score well early on, switching to directly hooked soft — or hard banded – 4 mm pellets to really bag up.
Another Option
When the weather turns colder and the first frosts knock colour out of the water, it can take longer to get waggler tackle working. Similar to my mini spodding idea, I tried setting up my light 10ft quiver tip rod but with a small pellet feeder, cramming it full of micros, using red maggots with a short hook length. Nailing everything hard on the bottom, this brought a response from skimmers much faster. After a while, I discovered if I started catapulting a few 3 mm pellets and casters over the top, more fish moved in. This prompted a change to the waggler, also switching back to a cage feeder on the now spare quiver tip rod, ready for spodding small amounts of groundbait and micros — if needed. It was a case of feeling a way in, sometimes requiring a positive attacking approach, sometimes having to take it much easier with feeding.
Gearing Up
When waggler fishing becomes more demanding on some wider venues I fish, I step up to a Cadence CR10 13ft Match #2 rod and a bigger Cadence CS10 4000 size reel. In this type of situation, 3 mm krill micros require longer soaking to take on more water and gain extra weight. This adds greater catapulting distance, but with 4 mm feed pellets in reserve, just in case. Micros tend to be better if skimmers and bream are the target. By putting down a good bed of them, instead of risking groundbait that can spook cagey fish on wider canals and fens, bigger bream will often switch on the feed. 4 mm pellets only come into play if the smaller ones can’t reach the mark. I also have 10 or Cadence CR10 11ft Feeder Rods in reserve, only this time kitted out with a simple bomb rig. That comes into play if the wind gets awkward, or heavy boat traffic spoils waggler presentation.
Carefully Does It
When using the lighter action Cadence 12ft CR10 Match #1 rod, I can get away with Edge 0.104 mm Premium Mono as a hook length. But with the more powerful Cadence 13ft CR10 Match #2, 0.12 mm gives a better balance. I mainly use 4 mm krill pellets for the hook, which closely tie in with the 3 mm size I’m feeding. Robin Reds make good all-rounders too, despite being designed for carp. It’s difficult to find decent small soft hooker pellets to combine with what I’m doing, so usually I simply band up harder feed versions. These are more robust and stay attached better. Natural coloured latex bands are applied with a fine metal pronged banding tool, which is easier to use with smaller 2 mm and 4 mm sizes. I only switch away from krill or Robin Red when waggler fishing shallow for rudd on the fens, preferring lighter, low fishmeal pellets for that.
Carp Cures
Anything to do with pellets is likely to pull in carp if they are present, but there are ways to try to avoid them when targeting other species. Bigger pellets make more noise as they hit the surface, which is a sure fire way of attracting these ever-hungry fish. However, the 3 mm size, along with maggots or casters, is much quieter when catapulted out in small quantities. Not putting down too big a bed of bait also helps to avoid pulling in the species you don’t want, particularly the F1 variety. I’ve also found carp are less likely to go for a single dark caster than they are for big red maggots or pellets on the hook, which can buy enough time to get through them. Targeting open water areas, keeping well away from overhanging cover and island features, also helps to keep silver fish sport ticking over without too many interruptions.
Still Evolving
Continuing my journey with the waggler and feeding krill micro pellets, discovering the way they attract perch is difficult to ignore. I’ve even caught these predators when using bigger sized krill pellets on the hook, which tells me they must be attracted to them. I certainly haven’t found my catches suffering since relying much less on hemp as an attractor, although I still bring the seeds back into play when quality roach are about. Even my favourite casters have sometimes taken a back seat behind pellets, in this instance switching away from them to get through small stuff. I was feeding 3 mm krills as a bed over to the far bank, topping up with casters, but bleak and small rudd were all over them. I replaced the shells with Mainline 4 mm feed pellets, which being light in colour attract bigger rudd and skimmers. Banding these on the hook did the rest.
Sorting It
It was interesting this hungry winter robin homed in on lively red maggots first, something I find fish tend to do as well when they are used on the hook. I often start waggler sessions with them for a faster response, regardless of what I’m feeding, before experimenting with inert baits like casters and pellets. Behind groundbait, micro pellets are the next best thing to wake up a swim, even quicker than old favourites like hemp seemed to manage. On hard frost affected venues, I’ve often bagged up by simply feeding 3 mm micros, using red maggots on the hook over the top, never having to put anything else in. Apart from the waggler, this bait combo also works wonders with small pellet feeders. Having such an effective starting point lets you work through other options as sessions progress, always looking for extra ways of catching more and bigger fish.
