Gold Medal Floats

Groundbait Feeder Waggler

THE GROUNDBAIT FEEDER WAGGLER

🐉 GROUNDER FEEDER FLOAT

(Concept by Rodney Hill – Swindon)

The idea of combining an open-ended groundbait feeder with a float was the brainchild of the late Rodney Hill of Swindon — a much-respected and admired thinking match angler.

Rodney was one of those competitors who was always first at the draw bag. When I asked him why, he smiled and said,

“All the numbers are in the bag — including the flyers.”

On one memorable occasion, just before the all-in, I spotted a strange-looking float sitting on top of his open tackle box. When I asked him about it, he grinned and said:

“That’s a grounder feeder float.”

This clever piece of thinking inspired me to develop my own Maggot Feeder Float years later. But credit for this original concept belongs to Rodney.

🧰 Design & Function

  • Base Float: Plastic crystal waggler

  • Feeder: Open-ended plastic groundbait feeder (weight removed)

  • Join: Feeder glued securely to the base of the waggler

  • Tip: Optional antenna for better bite registration

The float is shotted like a normal waggler, with just the antenna tip showing. The feeder is filled with a dryish groundbait mix, which helps it sink initially.

After a second or two underwater, the groundbait begins to expand and release from the feeder, allowing the float to reset naturally in the swim. This ensures the bait and float land in the same place, giving pinpoint accuracy and creating an attractive cloud where the hook bait is.

🌊 Why It Works

  • 🧭 Accurate feeding and presentation in one cast.

  • 🪣 Groundbait explodes on impact, creating a feeding zone around your hookbait.

  • 🪝 Perfect for species like carp, bream, skimmers, and even roach on punched bread.

  • 🧠 Simple to make with basic tackle components.

  • 🎯 Excellent for long-range fishing on stillwaters and canals.

Rodney’s concept solved a long-standing match angling problem: how to get the bait, feed, and float to land together accurately at distance.

🏆 How to Construct

  1. Take an open-ended plastic feeder and remove the weight.

  2. Super glue the base of a plastic crystal waggler inside the feeder.

  3. Fit an antenna to the top if required for better visibility.

  4. Shot the float as normal.

  5. Fill the feeder with a dry, expanding groundbait mix (bread punch is ideal).

  6. Cast accurately, and the groundbait will explode into the swim moments after impact.

📌 Pro Tip: Make three sizes — small, medium, and large — to match different venues and conditions.

🧭 Fishing Tip

  • Use minimal shotting below the float.

  • Keep the groundbait mix dryish, so it expands on impact.

  • Ideal for distance casting, where normal balling in is impractical.

  • Watch for the float to settle after a brief delay — bites will follow shortly after the feed is released.

🕰️ 🎣 Innovation Tribute: Rodney Hill – Swindon

“A true thinking angler whose clever float-feeder idea inspired generations. Simple, elegant, and deadly effective.”

🎨 Illustration Box:

  • 🧔 Inventor: Rodney Hill (inspiration for the maggot feeder float)

  • 🪶 Float Type: Grounder Feeder Float (crystal waggler + open-ended feeder)

  • 🌊 Best Use: Stillwaters, canals, distance fishing

  • 🐟 Target Species: Carp, bream, skimmers, roach

  • 🪝 Bait: Groundbait, bread punch, loose particles

  • 📏 Range: 30–60 yards

  • 🧪 Key Feature: Groundbait and float land together — creating an instant feeding zone

📘 For construction diagrams and step-by-step build guides, see Clive Branson’s Float Fishing Manual (Paperback & PDF Download).

 

 

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