We recently joined England Freestyle Feeder team member Nick Speed on a feeder only event at Barston Lakes so watch how he approached it and how the match progressed for him.
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Well good morning and welcome to Boston Lakes but more importantly this is the third and final round of the Aero ler Cup qualifier so we’ve already had two qualifiers one at lindome Lakes sellout one at uh hulkoff Lakes which is also a sellout and of course this is a sellout
As well and what a better you can’t think of a better venue to host this kind of event for those of you that haven’t fished it the arrow lger cup is basically based around feder fishing but with a little bit of a twist and it all comes back from the lindome league that
We run in the winter time where you can fish a feed you can fish a bomb you can feed with a catapult you can feed by hand and from a feeder angle point of view that’s a great idea because you can keep and spin plates while you actually
Fish in the line feed other lines at the same time uh and I think this is why it’s so hugely popular especially on commercials you can make that noise on your other swims and get fish coming into it so here today I’ve actually drawn a really good Peg I’d say it’s the
Best Peg I’ve ever drawn at Bon lakes or on paper anyway um you’d always want to be 16 to 22 and I’ve drawn Peg 19 and very near me we’ve also got my teammate Glen Reynolds on 20 what you on five 25 another great area as well um but today
Is simply about I want to run through everything that I’m doing regarding my bait preparation I’m going to run through that I’m going to talk about what bait I’ve been using what hook bait I’m using and more importantly this actual swim management so throughout the video I’m going to talk about how I’m
Going to be starting the match what’s going through my head how I’m going to make those changes to put the extra few fish in my net and hopefully end up with a great day uh a great net of fish and a great day fishing let’s see what happens
At the end we’ve had a lot of cold water coming into this uh Lake recently like across the country it’s just been floods Galore so I think that’s really going to change the venue today and a lot of people especially after the International Event of the weekend when
It fish really well I don’t think it’s going to fish that well at all so I’m going to take it very steady and that’s why I think it will be an interesting day regarding what I’m thinking about and how I’m going to catch my fish hopefully my main aim is to get five
Carp if we get anything more than five car I’ll be happy but let’s see what happens um so let’s get everything sorted with about 10 minutes left I need to get my Nets in just find chea bait and get fish in so hopefully see what happens right let’s talk about bait really nice
And simple uh I’d say this is my go-to bait regardless of where I go especially when it comes to Method flatbed method and hybrid work um confidence is a big thing um and this is why I like to stick to what I believe is the right approach in
My head with additives so I’ve got a mixture as you can see of three mil uh Green swim steam pellets and also the 2 mil swim steam pellets as well and you can see see how it just adds a little those green Flex in those pellets I
Believe make a big difference but more importantly uh I’ve always I always prepare my bait the day before the night before with complex tea and pelet soak uh I like even with the brown pellets the two Mills as you can see I like to darken them off so
They got a little tinge of green as you can see but I’m a big blue in that complex tea I think it makes a big difference in my head especially on these Open Water venues is where you are today where I am today uh I really do
Believe in myself that that helps draw fish to my focal point to My Method feeder um and so that’s it basically I’m going to be using that in the feeder I’m going to be using uh just a medium hybrid feeder to start with I’m not going to go with a
Big one at the start medium hybrid feeder with uh 7 mil Speedy washers my go-to hook bait as well uh I might be changing hook baits throughout the day but let’s see what happens but nicely nicely to start off with an and and steady away maybe 10 15
Minute cast but when it comes to preparing your pellets always do the night before when it comes to that winter time to give them that time to absorb that moisture and then you end up with a consistent pellet throughout the whole of the day rather than what you’ll
Find is if you do them on the bank especially when that air temperature starts to cool like what we are now coming into the autumnal time of the year your p will affecting changing consistency as the day progresses so always doing the night before and you end up with a more there’s more
Continuity to your bait if you do them the night before especially in the winter months so that’s my bait nice and simple I’ve also got some eight more pellets as well and I’m going to be pinging them over my let’s say 25 M line
Later on in a day if I feel that that is the right approach good area here loads of carp in this area and that is the line where you can actually turn your swim around turn your match around from Catching two or three fish to getting a
Late run of fish late on which can often win the match because the fish are so used to feeding on that line where the pellets go in so that is literally pinging two or three pellets at a time not blading it like what you do in the summer time water temperatures cool now
With a catapult just pinging over the top and chucking a maybe a large method feeder over the top of that a great focal point for them to home in on so the noise is getting them into the swim method feeders homing them in onto my hook bait let’s see what happens sounds
Great and hopefully it’ll work but let’s see how the day Unfolds right we’re 20 minutes in and uh it’s evident to see like what I said in the intro this cold water has definitely had an effect for now but this is be about this place all of a sudden the car can just switch on as far as my eye can see
I’ve seen one car CT Johnny Marshall two downs just had one I’ve had a little skimmer I’ve started at 55 M um and that’s more or less the line where everyone else is fishing and what I don’t want to do is go guns blazing go further out until
I’ve kind of like got a reading for what’s happening and that’s often the case when you do go longer when you realize what you need to do that you get a response but I’ve also got a baiting rod with me to for me to feed this line that’s why I’ve marked
My main line so I can refer back to the distance where I’m going baiting up with a baiting Rod which hopefully might draw some fishing if it needs if I need to go down that route but without the venues fishing for now bit I ain’t got a lot of confidence on
That line yet great area for carp there’s so much color in the water the temperature the water temperature must have dropped quite a bit because of the cold water and I just feel as if it’s a plugging away day at moment I just don’t want to go guns
Blazing putting a load of bait out uh when the fish might not be feeding as what they have been over the last few weeks on this particular venue what I do feel I need to do is progress my way out so I’m fishing to a clip at 55 but
Like I said I think I’m going to venture further out maybe next cast just go that little bit further and this is often the case on here that it’s about setting a trap for one fish at a time rather than creating a bed of bait and it takes maybe I don’t know an
Hour and a half for you to figure that out and you can often do your peg more harm by actually just attacking it when it’s not the right kind of day The problem with Baston which in a way is a good thing is it’s very shallow so it’s so sensitive to the air pressure and the water temperature and the air temperature all those little elements that especially during the Autumn months affect this venue in particular so
Much and today is a perfect example of that that you look across the lake and there is literally zero signs of fish there’s yod one coming out but it’s evident to see that they’re not in a feeding mode because this is the area this is a great area for
Catching carp and you’d think by now there’ be at least two or three people that have had a carp so let’s see what happens the next half hour is going to be a a good good guideline on how the venue is going to be fishing for at least for
The first two and a half hours right so I’m on my right skimmer yeah I’m on my fourth cast now it’s time to make that change I’m just going to go mark my line again it’s really important to mty line you’ve always got that reference point especially on these kind of venues where
You might get a a really powerful fish that you might have to take the clip off cuz I’ve got another Mark further down the line taken I’m going go two Rod lengths further out just beyond where I’ve had four cast this is often the case on this
Venue that it’s not about fishing to a clip about actually just working your way out so 55 m one skimmer for cast nothing special I need to try and catch my first carp if possible just that extra bit of distance fresh air area unfed area just on the perimeter where those feeders are
Landing would be all the difference well I’ve made the decision I’ve got to go along whatever fish are coming up a further out and with how it’s fishing just one two car c now for 40 minutes in it’s just screaming out for them Fish Feeding further out so haven’t clipped up I’m clipped
Up about 85 M I reckon not too far but just beyond everywhere everyone else cuz I honestly believe that is where they are let’s see what happens now so I’ve marked my line although I’m fishing at a distance now I still want to do it neat build up an area at that
Range so now I’ve s to a 13 ft just so I can do it properly and also it enables me to go that bit further out if I need to it just shows you third Chuck on that long line and I’m into my first proper
Car so it just goes to show that cold water no wind pressure on the lake let’s definitely definitely push them fish further out and it’s took me 40 minutes to make that decision to go further out we’re just saying to Dave Wesson I don’t think it’s cost me anything
Really I had to give that 55 M line to go at least for half an hour cuz if it was going to fish well that would be the distance I’d catch them at so now I’m I say I’m fishing a 13t rod you might get a liner
Mate uh oh it’s all right you won’t just making everything easier fishing a 13t rod shot leader 06 Mainline nice thin line that enables me if I need to just to go that bit further out if I feel that I want to go to 90 100 m I can do
With this setup quite easily that bike come within 30 seconds yeah nice cop oh you pull out of here then look at that that’s a lucky one can I must be my lucky day now a nice car I’m not going to lift him up try and catch his dad it’s a 7 mil
Washer that is definitely the range where the fish are at and further I reckon but if I can catch them at that range I can do it nice and neat build up an area and this is the Bea about it if you’re not a the area where the fish are you have to
Work your way out but once you find where they are you can build the bed up it reminds me very similar to how a fish wbra choose the right distance and you can actually build the swim up to a clip because you’re in the vicinity where the fish are feeding
Um and it’s amazing at the start of the match I was expecting 10 12 14 carp and it still might happen but now my guesstimation has dwindled down to five six fish I reckon five or six carp if I managed five or six carp in the first four
Hours I’m happy because what will be interesting is what happens in that last hour will the fish come on to that line that pellet line where I’m going to be loose feeding pellets later on will they come onto that lo line will they come to that
Noise or will they stay out at that distance and this is a problem with this kind of lay when there’s no wind on the fish back away from movement whereas when there’s a wind on they you can often catch them really short on the pole line but now we’re coming into that
Winter mode the fish know this they back away in that safe Zone that untouched expansive of water but at least in me head now I know that I’m fishing the right distance the right area the right zone for the carp what I am going to try though next cast is a bunch of
Maggots cuz especially in the winter months this is deadly very buoyant up bait so easy for him to suck in and something a little bit different as well rather than just fishing a A wafter or a washer so I don’t get Buy in the next 8 minutes I’m going to CH with this
Well we’re exactly 2 hours in and uh as the matches unfolded it is so evident to see that it’s fishing absolutely rock hard all down from the amount of water coming in like we said earlier so 55 M I started at got a little skimmer I then ventured to uh 80
M and got a carp on my third chook which was a good sign to be honest with you third Cas in car about5 45 um and then no more bites then I’ve had a little skimmer out at Blue and as bizarre as it sounds I was
Really in back my feeder uh and now i’ actually ventured out to 92 M just gone searching for the odd bite not had another bite really maeder back and I’ve actually spooked a carp on the surface right where I initially started which is about 55
M so I’ve picked my 12T Rod up chucked it out I’ve had no signs on that particular cast and then after maybe 8 minutes of it being in it’s gone round and i’ I’ve just landed one about 7B so that’s a good sign I’m so I’m back
On this 55 M line which I’d say is the line is the distance that if you’re going to catch a weight of fish it’s going to be 55 M and shorter so um hopefully if I get another bite on this happy days so what I’m
Going to do is I’m going to have two more casts on this line and then rest it again you know I have come with the intentions to bait quite heavily over the top but it’s it’s just not that day it’s a proper winter day it’s in comparison to how it’s been fishing
Today is night and day um there’s very few fish getting caught from people walking around um literally very occasional small skimmer very few carp and not even this is the this is like the the main area where you catch the car there’s not even car
Showing so I think if I rest this line and occasionally drop on it I might get rewarded and I’m going to do exactly the same same on the 30 m line that I’m actually not going to feed it rather than feeding pellets on it I’m just
Going to Chuck a big method on it and cast it out and leave it for 25 20 25 30 minutes just for one bite that’s that’s all it is today so I’ve got two carpon inette got a little skimmer um I think if all right what we got here
What we got here what we got here got a skimmer if if I end up with five carp I think that’ll be I think that’ll be good point and I’ve just lifted my line up then and I’ve seen a carp bow wave out from the 25 M line where I’ve not fed
Anything that’s really interesting so it’s evident to see that the carpet just cruising around underneath the surface no intentions of feeding whatsoever but you just don’t know what it’s Bas that last hour they could just switch on the only negative point to maybe that not happening is the amount
Of color in the water and the massive droing water temperature as well so let’s just see what happens it’s just plug away feel your way along fish for one fish at a time that is literally what the day is going to be only a small skimmer but they all
Count they all count hello mate you’re cold you’re cold mate M that let’s have another Chuck on that line but that was interested I lifted the line up and I say I saw a c bow wave off at 30 m and I I think if I wouldn’t
Have seen that carp that as I was reeling back from a long Chuck I wouldn’t have chucked out on this line I was going to Chuck out on it sooner or later but that initially made me think I’ve got to give it a cast and I think that’s why I
Caught that fish really there might have been two or three there and one of them might have followed the feeder down so let’s give it another go one more cast and then I’m going to rest it if I don’t get to B this Chuck I’m going to
Rest it have two or three more Chucks long I might even just have a Chuck short now this got a bit of wind coming this way now which could actually trigger a few fish getting them into moving hopefully fingers crossed well we’re into the third hour now and I’ve just managed
To walk my third fish and I tell you what the way it’s fishing every fish is crucial today Sun’s come up definitely picked up in temperature so I started pinging some eight more pellets on that 30 m line but at the moment every bite is crucial and now I’m fishing just short
Of 100 m to where maybe I think there’s a few more cut because it’s quieter water but also warmer water cuz the Sun’s shining now you might get a line of mate now he is literally plugging away setting a trap for one fish at a time the interesting thing is every fish that
I’ve had has come within 2 minutes of the feeder hitting the bottom I wish i’ have put my shorts on there just got to lift my rod up here because I’ve been told by Craig O’Brien there’s a snag on the shore so I want to keep that fish up seen on the surface
There you can tell how little the fish are moving cuz that took my tip literally a CM I could just tell tell it was sat there with it in its mouth good fish welcome always want to come up where the Sun’s shining he’s a feisty
One not even managed to get his head up yet little feisty one obviously seen Dave Wesson’s face they’re the ones you want hopefully few more of them tell from Yorkshire cuz I always like to use the same up bait put that back on the o always check the O looks nice and
Sharp give the bait a spray a new wower liquid that we brought out give it a added boost I’ve just doing that because of the amount of color in the water where I’m casting now I can actually see Fish moving let’s hopefully get another one say all the bites have come very
Quick so they’re homing in on that feeder in seconds and that’s why I’m really packing that bait into the feeder to refrain the bait from escaping so the fish have less choice and hopefully that gets me a b light quicker angler next to me he’s got one things will’ll be picking up now
Sun’s coming out fish might be on the Move quarter past two just keep feeding that 30 m line with the odd pellet don’t want to make a bed I Just Want to Make Some Noise two pellets at a time is ample right we’ve got an hour remaining now it’s
3:00 the wind’s dropped the Sun’s beautiful but unfortunately the fishing hasn’t improved and like what I said earlier when I started to read that the venue was fishing hard if I had four C with an hour remaining that I’d be quite happy with that well actually I’ve got five which
In the area where I am that’s Mega now I’m still feeling this 30 m line cuz I still think there might be a chance of getting just a quick bite on it even if it’s the last 15 minutes I might get one bite on it so it’s not about creating a
Bed it’s about making constant noise with one and two 8 mil pellets because the fish is so used to feeding on this line and then when I do want to go on it I’m going to fish a big hybrid feeder for them to home in on the big
Feeder now where I’ve had the majority of my fish apart from one I’ve had one carp of 55 M and I’ve had all the rest between 90 and 100 m but the interesting thing is what I’m having to do is I’m having to rest it I cannot keep casting although I’m not
Having short casts on it I’m having let’s say 10 12 15 minute casts on it on this line I can get away with two or three cast and if I don’t get a bite I’ve got to come off it and every time I’ve come
Off it and Chu back out I’ve had a carp or nearly every time so it shows how spooky they are um and I’ve just got to keep going through the motions and rotating so my next AIM now is if I don’t get a bite on this line on this
Particular cast I’m then going to have a Chuck on my 55 M line just to see if I can get one out at Blue have a Chu on my 30 m line see if I get one out at Blue so let’s say that’s 25 minutes gone by
And then Chu back out on that long line and that’s that’s been the process of the day really resting a line to actually get a bite off it later on uh proper winter fishing but in know in in the same way you have to really think about where you’re going to get
Your next bite from and at what time you going to get your bik from now as it has been all day all my cart bikes have come within a minute of the feed hit in the bottom so it just goes to show that they’re homing in on the noise
Of the feeder the feeder hit in the bottom and they’re on the bait straight away um and this cast has been in 10 minutes I think I might have one more cast on this line but then again I’m not quite sure and I’ve got to give these
Other two lines ago the clock’s tick in and I just feel as if I need to rest this line now but on the other side I just also feel that this is the only Line This distance that I’m fishing now where I’m where I’ve got a really good chance of getting a
Bite so let’s bring it in have a on this 55 minute line see what happens well there’s literally 5 minutes remaining and I was open to get a late flurry of fish um but it’s not happened I’ve pulled out of a little car last sh and I
Mean a little car one of these new stocky carp but just said no bites I said earlier every B I’ve had has been within a minute so I’ve literally got 5 minutes hopefully get one more bite um word has it Rob won’s caught quite well on the other
Bank but looking around this areaa it’s live and considering um actually how warm it is now it’s fished quite hard and uh it is evident to see like what I said earlier without a shadow of a doubt this long line has been the only line that I’ve been able to rely upon
Getting the odd bite um and I’ve just had to I just had to keep working at it because like I said the bikes have come very quick so one more cast let’s see what happens and then it’s most be the oil out let’s uh hopefully get a bite in the
Next minute 2 minutes like I say this is the little window that first minute when the feeter hits the surface makes that noise hopefully cou will home in on it very quickly rather than sitting there for 10 minutes not really feeling as if you’re going to
Get a buy I’d rather make the most of that little short time that little window of a few minutes left of creating another reaction that often induces a bite um but it’s been a really difficult day but I’ve quite enjoyed it in a weird kind of way cuz I’ve had to really think
About swapping lines resting that long line moving on to my 55 M line and often knowing that all the other lines I’m moving on to aren’t really going to create a response I’m not going to get a bite off them knowing in the back of me head by
Resting that longer line I might get a bite when I go back out long the only thing I do different is i’ had I’ve got the bait with me the the spod bait so to speak I should have really attacked it at 55 M 60 M and just kept feeding and feeding and
Feeding but when you you’ve got no fish showing around you and I’ve not been here for quite a while um it’s hard to have that confidence in such a positive approach and I think that’s why Rob’s done well because he’s been on the venue he one the event one his section every
Day he’s just so in tune with how the fish need feeding and that’s evident to see with what he’s had today he might have 50 60 70b which is me today so uh how long’s left 1 and A2 minutes left let’s see what happens hopefully the tip goes around now
Call me 398 looking at it 39 well the match has just finished just weighed in um I’ve had 398 which actually is very good in this area I think 26 was best up to me um I’m quite happy with that but also what I’m not happy about is maybe I could
Eyesight’s a great thing and this is why I suppose where every day you come you learned from it but Bon’s a strange place no signs of fish no liners should I have attacked it at that 50 m line spotting some bait out and fishing a method over top I had nothing to lose
Really I suppose I’m kicking myself for not doing it but I just it was evident to see where the fish were in this particular area they were well out and I’ve caught all my fish well out to the point where I’ve even had to take my
Clip off and from 85 M right up to 95 96 97 M work gradually in that area out because that’s where they were and that’s literally where I’ve had all my fish apart from one fish at 55 M um but you know what a great venue this is I
Absolutely love coming here because uh although it’s been hard fishing I’ve really had to think about how to get my next bite um and that’s been so evident to see with the timings and coming off that long line and resting it and chucking back out and getting a bite and
I love that style of fishing and this is why I enjoy these kind of waters WB Bon Open Water venues where you really got to think about your fishing so I hope I’ve given you some insight on how to approach these kind of venues especially at this time of the year thinking about
What you’re doing you got time to think about your next cast and where you’re going to get that next fish from so until next time tight lines
16 Comments
what a great angler and person nick speed is always very helpfull
Wish nick speed done more feeder vids for us all. By far the most enjoyable to watch.
Great video & good info see you on worsborough soon 👍🎣🎣
Smashing insight thank you
Cracking video Nick…and I don’t do this sort of fishing I’m a River Angler but I want to give you great credit and applaud your approach in your fishing and how well you give such time and details in your Angling and I will happily look forward to watching future videos.
great effort !m8 well done if I knew about em ide like to fish all these big matches but I never know about em till it's done and dusted and on u tube how do I get notified about they up coming matches
Could watch Nick all day 👌 he explains everything so well and a real talent
Cracking video!
excellent !! great to watch and well explained
Really informative video. Nick is great at explains his thinking and tactics.
More videos nick excellent insight to feeder fishing 🎣
Great video Nick. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing. Tight lines lad.🙂👍
I don't fish matches now, at 60 I stress too much, I could hold me own anywhere back in the day, if I had a tenner for every match that after the wiegh in, my head was full of I should of done this I should have done that, I wouldn't still be working hard at 60 😂
Great commentary whilst fishing the Match. Full respect for sharing your day with us. Only 1 other Angler is as graphic as you are, Jon Arthur. Well done Nick. Thanks
Great video Nick, thoughts, reasons, and insight to a match angler at the top of his game, which ends in a great result. Top job,… thanks Nick….👍
Nick, I hope you read these comments because not wishing to blow smoke up your doodaa, but your videos are excellent. Great filmed informative commentary, no annoying music, just what a fishing video needs to be, so thank you for all your efforts much appreciated. Keep them coming. Best of luck for the coming year m