I’ve just fished a two-day festival at mega bagging venue Newlands Hall near Chelsmford in Essex, and I managed a ton of carp on day one by using Sonubaits Fin Perfect 2mm feed pellets instead of groundbait in my Method feeder.

Everybody has different ways of preparing pellets but I soak mine in a very fine-meshed landing net, simply dunking it in the water and then tipping the pellets into a bait box where they take on water without becoming too mushy.
I like using the 2mm Fin Perfect pellets because they have an appealing fishmeal flavour, which carp can’t resist.

Because the Korum elasticated Carp Feeders have a dome shape, it means that some of the pellets stay inside the feeder’s rails even when the majority of the load has wafted off the frame or been eaten by fish.

On Day 1 at Newlands, I drew an island peg and fancied my chances casting to it with a Method feeder. I set up the new Preston Innovations 12 foot C Series rod, with 6lb Korum reel line and a small Carp Feeder, with a size 16 PR36 hook baited with an 8mm hair-rigged Sonubaits S Pellet.

It was quite snaggy tight to the island because of brambles, and I needed to try to get the fish away from the snags as swiftly as possible. To help me do this, I changed the solid elastic in the feeders, that they come supplied with as standard, for a piece of Preston 13H Hollo elastic. This stretches more and means there is less chance of a fish breaking you or coming off when the carp is at the netting stage.

Because of the snagginess, I lost several fish, but I still managed to win my section with 102lb. I reckon I netted around 50 fish so it was a busy old day.

On Day 2 I caught some more carp on the Method and also on paste on the pole - and was pipped on weight for the individual winner’s prize - but that’s another story for another day.

Try using soaked pellets inside the Method feeder in high summer - and don’t be afraid to doctor your Korum Carp Feeders with Hollo 13H Preston elastic. You’ll see your catches improve dramatically.