Cold Start
I was itching to try out Edge Tackle’s Adjustable Loaded Pellet Wagglers, only trouble being it was January, which isn’t an ideal time for this method. Not expecting carp to chase about shallow in freezing cold conditions, I set up to fish a banded pellet just touching bottom, a few feet away from the island on the top lake at Manea Fisheries. The old cabin cruiser parked on the feature is now home to a white rabbit, which sensibly retreated inside when a chilly breeze picked up. I had only brought along half a bag of 6mm pellets, with a few maggots in reserve, just in case things got desperate. It was midweek and the site was deserted, perfect for trying something different without any fear of making a fool of myself. I wasn’t over-confident taking such a bold approach, at a time when most local big weight venues were struggling.
Linked Up
I set up a Cadence CR10 12ft Match 3# two-piece rod and a CS10 4000 reel, loaded with 6lb Edge Sinking Mono. A Edge Link Swivel, which would allow floats to be switched about, was trapped on the main line with some of the new Edge Line Stops. I started the traditional way with one rubber anchor above and three below. The reasoning there is if anything is going to slip it will be under the float, because that’s where the full force of striking buffers against the rig. My initial choice was an Edge 7g Loaded Pellet Waggler. I also had 5g, 6g and 8g sizes with me, offering orange or yellow tip options. They are all fully weighted, having swivel base units with adjustable brass discs. The cigar shaped bodies dot down well as they come, so if a strong surface ripple gets up, taking a disk off ensures the tips can ride the waves and stay highly visible.
Red and Orange
Pellet choice was Dynamite Robin Reds in 6mm. I prefer using dark baits in carp pools, which are invariably coloured. Apart from the visual aspect, I like the strong spicy scent this bait gives off. The plan was to feed half a dozen pellets regularly around the float to start with, possibly stepping up or slowing down, depending on how things progressed. As you can see here, I use a trusty old Drennan catapult, combined with one of the same stable’s newer plastic pouches. I favour orange Guru catty elastic for most of my waggler fishing, because while being fairly powerful, this hollow latex has a nice feel factor that gauges distances well. It has a thick bore, which helps to anchor securely onto the rotating pins in the frame of the catapult, also to the prongs on the pouch. This arrangement can withstand plenty of punishment.
Low Down
A swirling breeze was coming from the left, so I kept my catapult low, firing it upside-down to put a smattering of free pellets around the float as accurately as possible. Apart from the sound of a loaded waggler hitting the water, I think carp home in on pellets in similar fashion. That’s why it’s important to try and sink or control the line without moving the end tackle from where it landed. Edge Sinking Mono helps when doing this. I’m impressed by its robustness compared to other makes I’ve used in the past, which quickly began to grate through the rod rings after catching a few decent fish. The Edge product lasts longer and certainly takes a lot more punishment. As you can see here, I often grip the rod handle between my knees while feeding, also having a foam quiver rest as back up to create a more stable support, when needed.
Early Signs
It took two cups of coffee before anything happened. When the pellet waggler finally bobbed under, a 2oz rudd had somehow managed to engulf a banded 6mm pellet. Next cast I thought I saw the bright float tip bob again, so I struck and this small carp resulted. It was lip hooked, so it must have only been lightly mouthing the bait, not surprising because it felt like a block of ice as I returned it to the water. I kept feeding regularly and could see small rudd swirling on the surface, attracted by the tiny oil slicks the loose fed pellets were sending off. I would have to target the rudd here again soon, to find out if they have put on any weight. When it’s dire everywhere else in the depths of winter, it’s nice to have somewhere like this where you can get plenty of bites. I might even have another go at breaking my record rudd count.
Well Armed
I had a Cadence CR10 11ft Match 3# two-piece float rod in reserve, just in case things turned hectic. Sometimes a shorter rod is better when you’re bagging up, especially when it comes down to netting good-sized fish a bit faster. That seemed unlikely on this occasion, although there were some signs of things improving. I band up hard feed pellets with a metal pronged tool. I find it’s thin pointed ends slide out from underneath the latex smoothly, so it doesn’t tend to pull anything out of place. Medium Matrix bands grip 6mm pellets perfectly. In this instance I was using a small, wide gape size 18 barbless hook, which is strong and yet reasonably lightweight. I store my different size bait bands in old Stotz containers with their inner gates removed. They work perfectly, allowing small quantities to be neatly tipped out when required.
Waking Up
Suddenly the peg had a different feel to it. The float tip bobbed in similar fashion to the way it had when rudd were attacking a banded pellet, but this time a proper rod bender resulted. This carp was sluggish to begin with, but as I increased pressure, it became jet propelled. Those big bristling fins, combined with its muscular body, tested my 0.14mm Premium hook length to its limits. The carefully balanced power of the Cadence 12ft CR10 Match Rod, helped to tame this fine-looking fish, cushioning all its attempts to break free. It was looking like the pellet waggler was worth bringing into play a lot earlier in the year than I had ever imagined. I always thought of this method as a summer thing, when carp are active and cruising near the surface. Fishing shallow in deeper water might not produce, but having an island swim was making a difference.
Same Again
I did try casting further away from the feature, leaving my hook bait suspended, but only small rudd were prepared to chase around for a meal out there. It was just the one spot that worked. I needed to aim the waggler so a banded pellet was lightly sitting on the shelf, a few feet away from the island, where more of those strange bobbing indications would occur. It looked like small fish attention, but often turned into something completely different. The carp were feeding, but in a far gentler manner than normal. I tried not putting in any free pellets for a while, but that didn’t work. Casting and catapulting performed better, keeping the rudd interested, which appeared to be making the carp want to compete for what little grub was out there. Another trick that induced some interest was occasionally twitching the hook bait.
Tweaking It
Something wasn’t quite right with my rig, because on the cast it was veering off course slightly. To get bites it was essential to hit the hotspot by the island and I suddenly realised it wasn’t the float that was causing the problem, but the group of rubber line stops below it. They were creating a stiff boom effect, which influenced the way the tackle landed. I use a size 14 Edge Swivel to attach the main line to the hook length, so I snipped the mono above it and removed two of the rubber stops, before reknotting everything. Edge Line and Float Stops anchor well, so I wanted to find out if just one either side of the float would be enough. It quickly became apparent the extra buffers were not required and getting rid of them made casting far more accurate. That resulted in some of the best action of the day, with carp queuing up.
Getting There
It only takes a few seconds to make rig adjustments, which can completely change a session, as was the case here. It could be to do with hook size, line diameter, a shotting arrangement, or simply the depth of a float rig. In this instance depth was crucial, presenting a banded pellet just off the island, in an area where the carp must have been balled up. If a bait was put to them, they would have a go, while they were not at all inclined to chase around out in open water. Small things like this fascinate me, which is why if I’m not catching, I keep striving to find another way. Often it can be down to something as simple as a switch of baits, or searching around more. Feeding is another important factor when conditions are tough. The little and often approach was paying off, but sometimes in winter all you need is what’s on the hook.
Simple Science
This was the rig I ended up bagging up with. Basic but it worked a treat. I now have total faith in the new Edge Line and Float Stops, which are made from a long-life synthetic material. One either side of a loaded waggler was enough, keeping everything nicely balanced and tangle free, with no slippage. Although there are quite a few new style line stops that grip better than original soft rubber ones used to, some tend to be a bit too severe, where moving them causes the line to stress and want to coil. Another aspect I liked concerned the Edge Loaded Pellet Wagglers being interchangeable, with or without a swivel link. At one stage the wind and light conditions altered, making it tricky to see a well-dotted down orange tipped float. I switched to yellow and it stood out like a beacon. That was a big surprise for such a diehard orange float tip fan.
Making it Happen
It was a bit of a shock to end up catching so well and the carp got bigger, on a method I would never normally consider using on a cold winter’s day. Just goes to show how it can pay to keep an open mind, rather than relying on preconceived ideas all the time. It was also pleasing to sort out a better and simpler way of anchoring fully loaded pellet wagglers, so they performed to their full potential. I always try to load normal wagglers as evenly as possible with locking shot, so doing similar with float stops for loaded versions made sense in the end. You get clear braking discs with the Edge floats I used, but I didn’t need to use them. I was feathering the rig down to keep it accurate, which was stopping the end tackle from diving. All I have to do now is have a serious think about converting some of my other favourite floats to yellow tips.
