Swimfeeders – Beginners guide to Swimfeeders

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Swimfeeders – Beginners guide to Swimfeeders



Swimfeeders are a device for depositing your loose feed next to your hook bait whilst ledger fishing. The advantages of using a swimfeeder over the basic ledge method of fishing is that it is an accurate way of getting loose feed out at distance accurately and right next to your hook bait

Swimfeeders what are they ?
Swimfeeders are cages (made of plastic) with holes in them. There are lots of types of Swimfeeders on the market and below are a few images of the different types of Swimfeeders available



Most Swimfeeders incorporate the lead weight within the feeder

Open swimfeeder
Used with ground bait
Closed Swimfeeders
Used with loose feed baits like maggots
Frame Swimfeeders
Used with ground bait

Using Swimfeeders ?
As discussed above a swimfeeder is a way of getting your loose feed next to your hook bait when ledgering

Below is a basic swimfeeder rig



When you first start your swimfeeder fishing session it is always advisable to build up your swim. So what you need to do is cast out your loaded swimfeeder (loaded meaning the swimfeeder is full of ground bait or your loose feed) Let it settle the give two sharp tugs with your rod tip so that the contents are emptied on the river/lake bed . Then refill your swimfeeder and cast out again and repeat the process of giving it two sharp tugs to release the contents of the feeder

Accuracy is the key when swimfeeding as this enables you to build up the ground bait on the river/lake bed (this attracts the fish and keeps them in your swim)

Do this about 5 – 10 times then cast out and wait for the bits to happen

Always keep a steady supply going so sometime is great to re bait and cast out every 5 mins or so

A little tip when using ground bait in your swimfeeder is not to compact it to much into the feeder as if it is compacted to hard it will take ages to brake down in the water

So any tips or advice on using swimfeeders then please post below

[Norfolkboy]

Cracking post

Love using a light closed swimfeeders filled with pinkines and 2 maggots as hookbait.

Have caught some cracking rudd to 2.5lb on that, great fun

[Old Smoothound]

Great Post Richard Its a nice way to fish as well, and you usually catch a few.

[Twinkle]

Good post Richard, it all help with my understanding, you can never learn to much

[HOLCROFT92]

cheers for that one mate... it has cleared a few things up for my first session fishing the feeder later on today

[new fisher]

great post richard i understand more now

[matie69]

Excellent post. just one question how do you get accuracy on the cast? Some people clip the line and others say that if you get a bite then you'll end up with snapped line. so do you clip line, cast out several times for baiting area then unclip when fishing.Clip up again before reeling in for refeed.

did that make sense.

[rob@home]

I got the answer to that one if you go to your local tackle shop they sell whats called 'bait floss' fox do it in pink the brighter the better to be honest. Now set up in your swim & cast out now this is the clever bit snip off a foot or so of this bait floss. Tie this using a kind of uni type knot onto your main line just in front of your rod tip (you make a loop next to your main line & whip the floss round the loop & your main line then moisten the knot & pull it tight so it goes down really small & doesn't move on the line unless you deliberately slide it). It should now be attached to your main line if you've got it right. Snip the end of the floss not to tight but leave about 1cm either side. Now when you cast out you can see this bait floss as it goes thru the rings so you know your casting to the same point everytime. Hows that?hope that helps?

Rob.

[minibarrow]

many thanks great info, ready to set up and go fishing

[Kirk]

Once you have emptied out your contents of the feeder (say maggots), if your hook length is say 200mm then should you drag your hook over the top of your bait that you have emptied?

Does that make sense?