13 juni, 2022 | Match & Coarse | Angler Blogs | Articles | News

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Margin Fishing with the NEW Swim Stim Margin Mix

June is a fantastic month for margin fishing. The carp have just finished spawning, they’re looking to pack on the pounds and they start patrolling the margins in search of food! One angler who’s become a master of this tactic over the years is Alex Dockerty. We recently joined him on the banks of Laurels Lake at Lindholme Lakes to put our new Swim Stim Margin Mix to the test. Below, he’ll review how the session went, reveal how easy it is to mix the new Margin Mix and share his top five margin fishing tips!

Alex says…

It’s that time of year again when the fish are really starting to have a chew and it’s those latter stages of the match that can make or break your session.

Targeting the edges with groundbait has been done for a while now, but the new Swim Stim Margin Mix is definitely one that’ll be finding it’s way into my bait bag!

The new Swim Stim Margin Mix.

The beauty of the mix is it’s versatility in terms of mixing it. Due to the consistency and the particles being quite large this prevents it being too susceptible to being wafted all over the peg. Also, the relatively coarse nature of the mix means the fish are picking up particles as opposed to kicking a fine groundbait all over the place!

The other beauty is it will hold additional baits quite well as it’s sticky. Should you choose to add dead maggots, corn or micros, the mix will easily accommodate it.

Tailor made for margin fishing!

Today we’ve fished on the Laurels Lake for a couple of hours looking to catch some of the lake’s larger residents. Luckily for us they’ve been obliging with it being noticeable how quickly the fish were on the groundbait.

First drop has resulted in a large mirror and most drops after that I’ve had a fish or missed a bite. It’s been remarkable how quick the fish have found and settled on the bait…even with professional sky liners (camera man) in the peg!

: A monster mirror first put in!

: You just can’t beat catching them down the edge.

: Even the barbel got in on the action.

The potency of the mix and it’s heavy nature have cemented the margin mix’s place in my armoury and when large fish are the target I’ll be definitely mixing some of this up!

For catching bigger fish, margin fishing is the absolute one!

Alex Dockerty’s Margin tips

1) Look for the correct depth! Do not get preoccupied with feeding groundbait. If the depth isn’t right you’ll only create issues for yourself in terms of liners and foul hooked fish. Anything from around 15 inches to 2.5ft would be my preferred depth to feed groundbait for carp in the edge.

15 inches to 2.5ft is an ideal depth for margin fishing.

2) Fish positively when feeding groundbait – large hookbaits that standout amongst a large volume of groundbait are a must. Double corn, worms and large bunches of maggots always score well for me!

: Worms and corn are excellent margin baits.

: Double corn or…

: A whole, strung out dendra.

3) Take no prisoners! When you’re targeting these fish in the edge ensure your kit is up to the job. Strong reliable and durable tackle is essential. And I won’t hesitate to use 0.19 hooklengths and a size 10 or 12 hook! If you’re hooking these big fish in the edge you want to make sure you get them in.

No messing around. 0.19 to a size 10 is Alex’s preferred hook length for edge fishing.

4) This is a tip that I stole from my old mate Nick Speed… Feed sandcastles rather then balls! This will stop the bait rolling down the slope and will instead cover the lake bed providing an area for the fish to graze over.

: A groundbait sandcastle!

: Simply pad your groundbait into your pole cup to form the groundbait mould.

: The groundbait sandcastle will come out solid but slowly disperse as it sinks through the water.

5) Be quick to get back out once you’ve fed. The speed the fish are over the groundbait is remarkable. The quicker you’re back over the bait the cleaner the bite and also the quicker the bite will come. To maximise my time on the bait I always bait my hook and have my rig ready to go before I feed the peg. So if you see me shipping out rapidly like a mad man…they’ve arrived in the edge!

As soon as you’ve fed, make sure you get straight back out there!

Hopefully you’ll be able to put these margin tips to use soon! Tight lines for when you’re next on the bank.

Just part of Alex’s 100lb-plus bag of carp and F1s, taken in around two hours of fishing!

How to mix our Swim Stim Margin Mix

1. Add desired amount of mix to a round mixing bowl

2. Then add your water. You don’t need any special flavourings – just plain lake water will do! Alex likes to fish with an over wetted mix.

3. Give the mix a good stir with your hand or whisk to evenly spread the water. Leave to stand for at least half an hour for the groundbait to soak up the water.