In the run-up to the Angling Times Team Championships semi-final at Monk Lakes, I enjoyed a midweek second place on a match, weighing in 66lb 15oz of skimmers caught on pole in conjunction with Sonubaits Fin Perfect expander pellets and Sonubaits F1 groundbait.

The F1 groundbait, which has rapidly become a best-seller in the Sonubaits stable, was actually darkened off with 20 per cent of the mix being the new Sonubaits Match Method Mix dark, which is very fine.
I fed four balls of groundbait at the all-in on my 14.5 metre pole line, with the balls including some softened 2mm Sonubaits Fin Perfect feed pellets and 20 or so 4mm Sonubaits Fin Perfect expanders, so the fish were getting a few samples of the hookbait, too.
I then went on the Method feeder for 40 minutes while I allowed the skimmer line to settle, and when I went in on the pole, I had an indication straight away and caught my first skimmer five minutes later.
I then settled into a routine of catching five or six skimmers, then refeeding a  golf ball-sized nugget of groundbait, with a few 4mm expanders. I would leave the swim alone for five minutes to let the fish settle again, and then go back on it and catch five or six more.
The skimmers averaged between 12oz and a pound and a half and it was excellent fishing. Tacklewise, I used a doubled number three Preston Innovations Slip Original elastic through the top three, finished off with it coming through a Preston Puller Bung, in case a carp turned up.
Main line was .11mm Powerline, with a .10mm Preston Exceed precision hooklength and I used size 18 and 20s PR32 hooks, which are excellent pellet hooks. The float was a 4 x 14 Preston PB Inter 8 and the rig was set so the pellet was just touching bottom.