Any fishing, as you know, should be accompanied by feeding the place. For winter, this rule should be observed all the more. Firstly, if there is fish in the place where you are going to drill the holes, it will remain there for the whole time of fishing. Secondly, if you did not accurately determine the parking location, bait in any case will attract it. Thirdly, as they say, you will not spoil porridge butter.
But if everything is simple in the summer: kneaded and abandoned, then winter fishing requires the use of feeders that are most invisible to the fish or capable of accurately delivering the bait mixture to the bottom and carefully unloading it.
For these purposes, special winter designs are used. They are freely sold in any fishing store, however we’ll talk about home-made models, and also consider how to make a winter fishing trough for your own hands.
Types of winter feeders
Winter feeders, unlike summer ones, cannot boast of a variety of designs. There are only two of their varieties:
1. Stationary feeder designed for fishing on the course. She is lowered to the bottom with a fishing line, where she stays the whole time fishing. The fishing troughs for fishing along the course usually have a perforated body so that the water flow can freely wash out the bait mixture, spreading it over the bottom space.
2. Opening feeder? or "dump truck"? It is used for fishing in conditions of stagnant water or in a small current. Typically, this design has a movable lid that the fisherman opens only when it is submerged to the bottom.
Stationary Feeder Requirements
A stationary feeding trough for winter fishing during the course must meet the following requirements:
- be invisible to fish;
- have sufficient weight to withstand the flow and stay in a certain place;
- its volume and the size of the holes in the housing must correspond to the flow force.
Stationary plastic bottle feeder
Let's see how a simple stationary winter feeding trough for do-it-yourself fishing is made. Taking into account the first requirement, it is easiest to make it from a regular transparent plastic bottle. In water, such plastic is practically invisible, and the form of the bait itself will not particularly embarrass the fish.
A bottle feeder is very simple. It is enough to calculate the size and number of holes for perforation, make them in the walls and bottom, load the feeder and attach to it a piece of strong fishing line, sufficient in length to immerse it on the bottom at the deepest part of the catch.
However, there are also requirements. Firstly, during an intensive course, the bait is washed out faster, therefore, its volume should be larger (1-1.5 liter bottle). Secondly, the size of the holes for a strong water flow is not more than 0.5-0.8 mm. Thirdly, if the feeder is installed directly on the bottom surface, the bottom of the bottle is not perforated. If it is planned to suspend it, the bottom will still have to be perforated.
As for loading, the bottle feeder should have vertical stability, despite the strength of the current. It is achieved by placing cargo on the bottom of the feeder. In its quality, you can use nuts, bolts, lead weights, etc.
The simplest disposable paper feeder
Homemade feeding trough for winter fishing, imagine, it can be disposable. A similar design can be made directly at the place of fishing. The main thing is to have a sheet of paper at hand, some kind of load and, in fact, bait.
A cone of the right size is made of paper. From the side of its top, a fishing line of sufficient length and strength is tied. Further, our "bag" is clogged with bait. This can be a feed bloodworm, and plant mixtures, and their mixes. At the end is the load. The lower edges of the cone are tightly bent inward so that the bait and sinker do not fall out.
When lowering such a feeder into the hole, the paper gets wet, and the angler, upon reaching the bottom, will only have to make a sharp, but accurate jerk for the fishing line. At this time, the bait will fall to the bottom in the right place.
Of course, such a home-made feeding trough for winter fishing is not the best means for feeding, but still has the right to exist.
Plastic bag feeder
The following design is also very simple, but working. To make it we need:
- a small plastic bag;
- cargo in the form of a large bolt;
- kapron thread;
- fishing line.
From a plastic bag we form a cone (you can cut its angle). At its top, with the help of a kapron thread, we fix the bolt with the head up. We tie the line for the head of the bolt. That's all, a homemade winter fishing trough from the package is ready.
The principle of its use is simple, as well as the design. Turn the cone upside down. Fill it with bait and lower it into the hole. When immersed, the water will squeeze the package, and the bait will not spill out. And when the feeder reaches the bottom, the fisherman will only need to jerk sharply at the fishing line. As a result, the package will turn inside out, the bait will fall to the bottom.
DIY winter-made DIY fishing trough
Now let's talk about how to make a reliable reusable model from tin. The design that we are trying to make is used by fishers for a long time and everywhere. In addition, due to its simplicity, she has earned an excellent reputation. A tin winter feeding trough for do-it-yourself fishing is a simple matter, but quite troublesome. There is nothing complicated in the manufacturing process itself. The only thing is that the manufacture of a tin for winter fishing from tin requires elementary skills in working with metal.
But let's get it in order.
To make a feeder we need:
- galvanized sheet;
- scissors for metal;
- marker;
- drill with a set of drills;
- thin steel wire;
- lead washer or plate.
On paper, we make a drawing of our future feeding trough. We draw a square of 30x30 cm. Now we transfer the “pattern” to the tin and cut it out. Next, put the points with the marker where the holes will be drilled, and drill them.
Now we need to roll the tin sheet so that we get a cone. It is important to correctly connect its edges. You can overlap one another and fasten them with rivets, or bend and rivet the edge of the edges. In the upper part of the cone, it is necessary to provide a loop of wire through which the fishing line will pass.
When the cone is ready, proceed to the manufacture of the cover. We put the feeder base on paper and outline it. Next, on the "pattern" of the bottom, you need to draw a loop for the lock. To do this, anywhere in the resulting circle with a marker we draw a small rounded protrusion. Transfer the drawing to tin and cut out the lid. We grind the edges to avoid further hooks of the fishing line. Now in the loop for the lock we drill a hole with a diameter of 0.8-1 cm and we clean its inner surface.
You need to think about how the lid will be attached to the bottom of the cone. Usually it has a single point mount. To do this, we again drill a small hole in the lid on the opposite side of the hinge. We perform the same operation with the lower edge of the feeder. Next, using a winding ring or ordinary wire, we fix the cover to the case.
The lid must be loaded with lead, for which we fasten a weight of 10-15 g to its outer side using self-tapping screws or glue.
Lock for opening trough
The lock for the truck-tipper is the most important element, so it must be not only properly manufactured, but also configured.
From a thin steel wire we make a latch-antennae. To do this, bend its length of about 8 cm in half in the form of the letter V. We attach the fishing line to the top of our makeshift castle and pass through the loop in the upper part of the cone. Done!
As you can see, the do-it-yourself opening winter feeding trough for fishing is made quite simply. Now it needs to be tested. Put any bait inside the cone, close the lid, insert the “antennae” into the loop loop 1/4 of the length, turn the feeder over and, holding the fishing line, lower it into water. When reaching the bottom, just make a sharp jerk with your hand up. In this case, the "antennae" will slip out of the loop, the lid will open, unloading the bait. If the latch does not work or opens ahead of time, it must either be bent or, conversely, bent.