Commercial Fishing Tips| Six steps to November success with Tommy Pickering

WATCH THE CLOCK

I always keep an eye on my watch but timings aren’t set in stone. I’ll want to catch on the feeder and long pole for the first half of a session then, with three hours to go, move to the 6m line and then the margins.

FEEDER OR BOMB?

I’ll always begin on a small Hybrid feeder with micros cast to an island, to a distance where I can loosefeed pellets comfortably. If the feeder is slow I can then change to a bomb, and still feed the swim.

If the feeder is slow, switch to the bomb

DROP FEEDER SHORT

A Method feeder on the short pole line can be deadly when the lake is towing hard or if I’m getting liners from fish coming off the bottom. The rod you’ve used to cast to an island or open water will do nicely.

Don’t be afraid to drop the feeder short

ALWAYS USE A POT

Once I drop a rig in, I change from hand feeding to a small pole pot. This way I can line the fish up where I want them. Normally I’ll be feeding 4mm pellets, but micros also work if the peg is shallow.

BRIGHT HOOKBAITS

If I’m not catching well, my first action is to change to a bright hookbait. Fjuka Neeonz are brilliant and I’ll use yellow or white for clearer water, pink or orange for coloured lakes.

ACCURATE FEEDING

For accurate grouping, cup your hand with the feed almost on your fingertips. This way there’s no spread of bait – do it with a more open hand and it’ll go everywhere!