Tiny Pellet Power – Mike Holly

Pellets are a deadly addition to any mix of bait. The research and investment that gets ploughed into the pellet industry is probably unrivalled in the fish feed arena. We’re talking millions and millions of pounds over the years I’m sure and the research is ever evolving. When you look at the purpose of a “pellet feed” it is to ignite feeding triggers in captive, stock pond breed fish of all species. It replaces the need for natural food in stock ponds and helps promote growth and great health.

The spin off to this is they’ve become widely used in recreational fishing too. All species love them and of course we know how deadly they are for carp in the right situation.

I’ve recently been using a lot of pellets during my sessions but some recent observations have also reminded me that at times carp can certainly get preoccupied on the tiny food items. This in turn can make them tricky to tempt on a larger hook bait over the top.

Now fishing boilies etc over small items of food catch loads of carp but I’ve found that scaling down the size of the hook bait has recently enhanced my results. Not only have I been getting some incredibly quick bites but I’ve also observed pellet feeding carp suck in my tiny hook bait presentations with gusto and confidence.

A presentation that I first used back in the 90’s when the pellet boom hit the carp scene has been my rig of choice. It simply involves me typing on 2 x 6mm Atlantic Heat pellets, with bait floss, to my normal rig presentation.

The pellets last around 4-6 hours on the bottom before they breakdown fully but with my short session fishing it’s worked a treat.

If I’ve needed to fish for longer periods I’ve been trimming down an EDGE pellet hook bait to a quarter of it’s size and again this has also been a winner.

As for the PVA bag approach that I combine it with, I tie my mesh bags to the lead. It’s a method I’ve used a lot and you may have seen it on both the Castle video and the Whelford Pools winter vlog video also.

I’ve delved into this approach in a lot more detail in this months Total Carp also, if it’s something you’d like to add to your armoury then take a look as I go through the rig, step by step and also the products I use in the bags.

Give it a go, as tiny hook baits in the right situation can transform your results. IT-WORKS!