How do you fish a bait dropper?

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Jon Math
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How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Jon Math »

I have always treated it as a type of swim feeder. I let it run free on the main line with a swivel and shock bead and small length of silicon tube to give the hook trace some body to prevent it tangling on the cast. It frequently does tangle, and often does not open, leading me to think I’m all wrong in the rigging of it.
My type keeps showing up in the wrong places; usually clutching a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other…so it's not catch me if you can, it's catch me if you dare.

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MaggotDrowner
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by MaggotDrowner »

Fish a bait dropper? One of these?

Image

You don't.

You attach it to the hook, cast it in and reel it back in empty - having deposited your bait on the bottom of the river. You then cast with a ledger weight or a feeder to the baited spot.

:fishing1:
"I'd rather be fishing!"

MD

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MaggotDrowner
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by MaggotDrowner »

"I'd rather be fishing!"

MD

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Jon Math
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Jon Math »

MaggotDrowner wrote:Fish a bait dropper? One of these?

Image

You don't.

You attach it to the hook, cast it in and reel it back in empty - having deposited your bait on the bottom of the river. You then cast with a ledger weight or a feeder to the baited spot.

:fishing1:
Well that explains why I have so much trouble with it. Thank you for the assistance.
My type keeps showing up in the wrong places; usually clutching a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other…so it's not catch me if you can, it's catch me if you dare.

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Lea Dweller
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Lea Dweller »

Jon Math wrote:
MaggotDrowner wrote:Fish a bait dropper? One of these?

Image

You don't.

You attach it to the hook, cast it in and reel it back in empty - having deposited your bait on the bottom of the river. You then cast with a ledger weight or a feeder to the baited spot.

:fishing1:
Well that explains why I have so much trouble with it. Thank you for the assistance.

These droppers are still very effective at depositing particle baits and maggots into a small area. Many times I used to use one to put droppers of maggots onto small area's of gravel close in on the Hampshire Avon and Dorset Stour. Fred Crouch showed me the technique first, he would wander off and use his dropper then call me perhaps forty five minutes or so later to see the results. I have seen everything from dace and Roach to Barbel and Perch feeding on the gravel patches. Still a great method for close in baiting up of swims.

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Mushy
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Mushy »

A full one puts a a fair old bend in me stick :Confused:
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Jon Math
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Jon Math »

They are very rare here, I have only seen the one I own, and it is very small. If I loaded mine with lead shot I don’t think it would bend my rod tip I assume they come in different sizes?
My type keeps showing up in the wrong places; usually clutching a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other…so it's not catch me if you can, it's catch me if you dare.

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Tengisgol
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Tengisgol »

MaggotDrowner wrote:Fish a bait dropper? One of these?

Image

You don't.

You attach it to the hook, cast it in and reel it back in empty - having deposited your bait on the bottom of the river. You then cast with a ledger weight or a feeder to the baited spot.

:fishing1:

The bait dropper is very useful for depositing feed on the bottom in a very specific place (how for example Fred Crouch would have used it when placing a legered bait over the top) or for feeding the bottom in deeper water when you then place or trot a float fished bait through/over.

Many sizes are options from shop bought as per the photo to home made versions made out of tea strainers, sives or tins! The intention is for the lid to open, and the bait to be deposited, as the weighted rod hits the bottom.
Where the willows meet the water...

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Santiago
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Santiago »

I've a homemade one made from an army mess tin. It can hold about a pint of hemp and I use it to bait up gravel bars from my punt. I just anchor over a gravel bar and lower the loaded megger dropper down using parachord and bounce it up and down a few times. Works a treat.

Another trick is using a plastic drain pipe with a weight on one end and placing the weighted end on the gravel bar with the other end tied to the side of the punt. Just trickle maggots down the tube instead of throwing them in, this way they attract fish closer to the start of the trot.

With the smaller droppers ones one can make good use of a modern carp carbon rod and reel , simply tie the dropper on the line and use for baiting up, instead of using the rod one is fishing with. This reduces the risk of blunting the hook when pushing into the composite cork.
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Match Aerial
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Re: How do you fish a bait dropper?

Post by Match Aerial »

I fix a snap swivel to the bait dropper permanently. This just clips on to the loop to loop part of you line were you fit your hook length. Its much faster than putting the hook into the cork on the dropper and you don't blunt the hook. Bait the swim and then unclip and your ready to trot the river again

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Eagle-Claw-08 ... Sw14xWKDKC

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