Method Feeder vs Cage Feeder: Which to Use and When
A method feeder puts your hookbait right in a ball of groundbait. A cage feeder builds a loose bed of feed. How to choose and set up each one.
Both feeders carry bait to the spot you cast to. A method feeder is a flat frame you press groundbait or pellets around, with the hookbait pushed into the ball; fish feed on the ball and hook themselves. A cage feeder is an open mesh tube that empties a cloud of groundbait on the bottom, and your hookbait sits nearby on a longer hook link.
Quick comparison
Method feeder | Cage feeder | |
|---|---|---|
Hook link | Short (7–10 cm) | Longer (30–100 cm) |
Hookbait position | In the feed | Near the feed |
Best for | Carp, F1s, big bream on commercial lakes | Bream, roach, skimmers, rivers and natural lakes |
Bite style | Self-hooking, rod pulls round | Taps on the tip |
Feeding | Tight, accurate | Builds a wider bed |
How to set up a method feeder
Fit an inline method feeder on the main line with a quick-change bead.
Tie a short hook link (7–10 cm) with a hair rig or a bait band; see the knotless knot.
Use a method mould: press damp pellets or method mix around the feeder with the hookbait inside.
Cast to the same spot every time (clip the line) and wait for the rod to pull round.
How to set up a cage feeder
Use a running or helicopter feeder rig with a longer hook link.
Fill the cage with damp groundbait and squeeze lightly so it empties on the bottom.
Cast regularly at first to build the swim, then less often.
Strike on positive bites on the quivertip.
Which to choose
Commercial fishery, carp and F1s: method feeder.
Rivers, natural lakes, bream and roach: cage feeder.
Cold water, finicky fish: smaller cage feeder or a pellet feeder with less bait.
See all feeders on the tackles page and find fisheries on the fishing map.
