Photos: Drennan · supplied retailer imagery
Feeders · Pellet feeders · Our take
Drennan Pellet Method Feeders
Mini, Small, Large and XL
A mould-free pellet feeder with a weight-forward body, useful bait-retaining walls and a quick-change hooklength connection. Proper practical kit for keeping a small helping of feed right beside your hookbait.
- Four sizes: Mini, Small, Large and XL, with weights spanning 15g to 55g.
- Weight-forward body with curved walls and internal bait-retaining teeth.
- Heavily vented, open-ended design lets water reach the feed and bait flush through.
- Thumb loading needs no mould; a two-way stop bead allows quick hooklength changes.
Make sure it’s the right one. This review covers the curved-wall, open-ended Drennan Pellet Feeder sold under the Pellet Method Feeders name, rather than a conventional flatbed Method feeder.
Tackle Index Score
Tackle Index score
Provisional design-based scores, not bank-test results; the value score reflects practical features and mould-free loading rather than a verified selling price.
- Product Quality8.8/10
- Performance8.9/10
- Impact on Fish Catching8.4/10
- Ease of Use9.2/10
- Value for Money8.6/10
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Who it suits
Is it right for you?
Great for
- Commercial carp and mixed-fish anglers. It offers a compact helping of pellets or groundbait close to the hookbait, with sizes to suit different feeding approaches.
- Anglers who want to leave the mould at home. You can load it directly by thumb and change hooklengths using the supplied two-way stop bead.
Maybe skip if
- Anglers committed to moulded flatbed presentations. This is a different loading system and won't give you that same neatly shaped bait parcel straight from a mould.
- Anglers needing very heavy feeders. The listed range tops out at 55g, so heavier-duty work calls for something else.
The lowdown
Introducing the Drennan Pellet Method Feeders
A mould-free pellet feeder with a weight-forward body, useful bait-retaining walls and a quick-change hooklength connection. Proper practical kit for keeping a small helping of feed right beside your hookbait.
- Four sizes: Mini, Small, Large and XL, with weights spanning 15g to 55g.
- Weight-forward body with curved walls and internal bait-retaining teeth.
- Heavily vented, open-ended design lets water reach the feed and bait flush through.
- Thumb loading needs no mould; a two-way stop bead allows quick hooklength changes.
Quick verdict
Less mould faff, more time fishing
The appeal is dead simple: press in your feed with your thumb, keep the hookbait close and get back on the spot. The weight-forward body, retaining teeth and ribbed base all have a clear job, rather than just looking clever on the tackle-shop shelf.
It looks a sensible option for commercial carp and mixed coarse fishing, especially if you prefer loading by hand. We haven't tested it on the bank, though, and getting your pellets or groundbait right will matter more than any clever bit of feeder design.
Provisional design-based scores, not bank-test results; the value score reflects practical features and mould-free loading rather than a verified selling price.
- Product Quality
- 8.8/10
- Performance
- 8.9/10
- Impact on Fish Catching
- 8.4/10
- Ease of Use
- 9.2/10
- Value for Money
- 8.6/10
The purposeful body layout and ribbed base suggest a well-considered feeder, although long-term durability hasn't been checked.
Weight-forward casting geometry and a vented, bait-retaining body offer a sensible balance of delivery and release.
Keeping a controlled helping of feed near the hookbait can support an effective approach, but placement and bait preparation remain crucial.
Thumb loading and quick hooklength changes simplify the routine, with a little practice needed for consistent compression.
Mould-free loading and the included stop bead give it practical value, though the actual deal depends on the price you find.
Head to head
How it stacks up
Side by side with the closest kit we've reviewed. This updates as we add more reviews.
Top scorer
Top scorer
Scores are our own, out of 10. Best in each row is in green. Prices change, so check the latest before you buy.
The full rundown
Everything you'll want to know about the Drennan Pellet Method Feeders
Some feeder designs make a simple job feel like a tackle-box project. This one goes the other way. The Drennan Pellet Method Feeder gives you a curved body to hold your feed, a weighted base and a loading routine that doesn't need a separate mould. Press the bait in with your thumb and you're away. For commercial carp fishing, or a mixed session where you're trying to keep a little dinner beside the hookbait, that's a useful starting point. Less kit to rummage for when you ought to be watching the tip.
Let's clear up the name before you buy the wrong thing, mate. Although you'll see these sold as Pellet Method Feeders, the design here is Drennan's open-ended Pellet Feeder, with curved retaining walls and internal teeth. It isn't the usual flatbed feeder carrying a mould-shaped mound of bait. That difference matters because it changes how you load it and how the feed is exposed to water. Neither approach automatically catches more fish. This one's appeal is a contained, thumb-loaded helping of pellets or groundbait without another accessory in the bait bag.
The clever bit is the balance between keeping bait aboard and letting it leave. Those curved walls and internal teeth help retain the load, while the heavily vented body and open ends give water access and allow bait to flush through. That's the intended job, anyway; we haven't tested these on the bank. Your bait preparation still has a massive say. Pellets that won't bind can come away too readily, while an overly sticky mix squeezed rock-hard can hang about longer than you want. The feeder isn't a shortcut around getting that right.
Loading by thumb should appeal if you like a straightforward routine. You can adjust the helping as you go, and there's no matching mould to leave in the garage. The trade-off is that consistency comes from your hands rather than a fixed mould shape. Try to keep the amount and pressure similar while you're working out a swim. Otherwise, one cast might deliver a loose helping and the next a much tighter parcel. A quick release check in clear water at the edge, where it's safe and practical, can save plenty of head-scratching.
There's a useful spread of sizes, too. Mini comes in 15g and 25g, Small in 25g and 35g, Large in 35g and 45g, and XL in 45g and 55g. Don't just reach for the heaviest and hope for the best. Think about how much bait you want to introduce each cast, then choose enough weight for the distance and conditions. The shared weights between neighbouring sizes are particularly handy. You can move from Small to Large at 35g, for instance, when you want a bigger helping rather than simply more lead.
The body is weight-forward and aerodynamic, which is a sensible layout for casting. Underneath, the stepped, ribbed base weight is there to provide extra grip. Useful features, but they're not a promise of miracle distance or a feeder that stays put on every slope. Match the loaded feeder to your rod's casting capability, allow for the bait's extra weight and keep your casting controlled. Once you're clipped up, repeatable direction and a tidy landing are usually more useful than giving it the big heave and scattering your efforts around the swim.
At the business end, the included two-way stop bead allows quick hooklength changes. That's dead handy when a hook needs replacing or you want to alter the hookbait presentation without rebuilding everything. For this style of fishing, a short hooklength is a common starting point, keeping the hookbait near the feed, but follow your venue's rules rather than treating any rig recipe as gospel. Check hooklength condition regularly, especially after carp have taken you across rough ground. And make sure your finished setup meets any fishery requirements for a free-running feeder arrangement.
So who should be having a look? Anglers who want a compact feeding approach and don't fancy mould faff are the obvious crowd. Smaller portions can make sense when bites are scarce; a bigger body gives you room to step things up when fish are properly on the munch. Neither is a fixed seasonal rule, so let the swim tell you. This is an informed look at the design, not a catch report. On paper, the attraction is practical flexibility: several feed sizes, sensible loading features and a connection that keeps routine hooklength swaps simple.
Specifications
The nuts and bolts
- Mini weights
- 15g and 25g
- Small weights
- 25g and 35g
- Large weights
- 35g and 45g
- XL weights
- 45g and 55g
- Body and base
- Weight-forward, heavily vented body; curved walls, internal teeth and a stepped, ribbed base weight
- Loading and connection
- Thumb-compressed pellets or groundbait; two-way stop bead included for quick hooklength changes
Specs checked with Drennan, Oct 2026.
Spot a model or spec change?
Our take
Pick your feed portion first
Don't choose purely by the weight stamped on the feeder. Body size determines the helping of bait you're introducing, while the weight helps you deliver it and keep the feeder settled.
The overlapping weights are dead handy: a Small and a Large both come in 35g, for example. That gives you a way to change the feed portion without automatically changing the stated feeder weight.
Design and loading
A bait-retaining body without the mould
What you're buying is an open-ended pellet feeder with curved walls, internal teeth and plenty of venting. The walls and teeth help keep the bait aboard; the openings let water reach it. You can use pellets or groundbait, pressing the load into place with your thumb rather than shaping it in a separate mould.
The weight-forward layout is intended to help casting, while the stepped, ribbed base adds grip. Those are useful design choices, but we can't put a tested distance, release time or holding limit on them. Bottom conditions, bait preparation and the way you cast all play their part.
Worth knowing. A heavier feeder doesn't necessarily mean a bigger bait portion. Mini and Small overlap at 25g, Small and Large at 35g, and Large and XL at 45g. Use that overlap to fine-tune your feeding rather than changing everything at once.
On the bank
For anglers who like a simple feeding routine
This makes sense for commercial carp and mixed coarse sessions where you want the hookbait close to a concentrated helping of feed. Start with a portion that suits the response you're getting, not the biggest body in the box. When bites are slow, repeatedly introducing a large load can be a poor bargain.
It also suits anyone who likes adjusting the load by hand. Once you've found a bait preparation and loading pressure that work, keep them consistent while you judge other changes. The supplied stop bead makes fresh hooklengths a straightforward swap, which is useful whether you're changing presentation or simply replacing a tired hook.
If you love a perfectly shaped moulded flatbed load, this won't be a straight replacement for that routine. Nor does the 55g maximum cover every heavy-feeder job. Buy it for the compact, hand-loaded approach, not because the Method name makes it sound like one feeder for absolutely everything.
Quick answers
The bits to sort before your first cast
Do you need a mould? No. Thumb compression is part of the design. Aim for a load secure enough to survive delivery without squeezing it into a solid lump. Different pellets and groundbaits behave differently, so don't assume one loading pressure works for every bait.
Which size should you choose? Mini offers 15g and 25g; Small 25g and 35g; Large 35g and 45g; XL 45g and 55g. Think feed portion first, then delivery. Your rod still needs to cope with the complete loaded feeder, not just the stated feeder weight.
Can you use groundbait? Yes, as well as pellets. The retaining walls and teeth accommodate both, but neither is guaranteed to release well just because it fits. Check the bait in water, adjust its preparation if needed and avoid changing several things at once. A little patience here beats spending half the session wondering why the tip's sitting still.
On paper
Pros & cons
What we like
- Loads by thumb, so there's no matching mould to remember or misplace.
- Overlapping weight options let you adjust feed volume without always changing feeder weight.
- Walls and internal teeth help retain pellets or groundbait.
- Two-way stop bead makes swapping hooklengths less of a faff.
- Stepped, ribbed base is designed to give extra grip.
Worth knowing
- Thumb loading takes a little practice to keep bait portions and compression consistent.
- The open, vented body still needs properly prepared bait; it can't rescue a mix that falls apart or stays glued in.
- Less suited to anglers who specifically want the repeatable shaped load of a moulded flatbed Method feeder.
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Your questions answered
What anglers want to know
The stuff you’d ask your mate on the next peg. Straight answers, no waffle.
01Do you need a mould?
Do you need a mould?
No. The feeder is designed so you can compress pellets or groundbait into the body with your thumb. Aim for enough pressure to secure the load without turning it into a stubborn plug.
02Which sizes and weights are available?
Which sizes and weights are available?
Mini comes in 15g and 25g, Small in 25g and 35g, Large in 35g and 45g, and XL in 45g and 55g. Choose the body size for your feed portion, then a suitable weight for the fishing.
03Can it carry groundbait as well as pellets?
Can it carry groundbait as well as pellets?
Yes. The curved walls and internal teeth are designed to retain either. Preparation still matters: check that your chosen feed stays put for delivery but releases once submerged.
What anglers say
The word from the bank
Our read: less mould faff, more time fishing. The strongest reasons to choose it are loads by thumb, so there's no matching mould to remember or misplace. and overlapping weight options let you adjust feed volume without always changing feeder weight.; the main trade-off is thumb loading takes a little practice to keep bait portions and compression consistent..
Our take on the feedback
Why it appeals
Checked Sept '26 — “Loads by thumb, so there's no matching mould to remember or misplace.”
Best fit
Checked Sept '26 — “Commercial carp and mixed-fish anglers: It offers a compact helping of pellets or groundbait close to the hookbait, with sizes to suit different feeding approaches.”
Worth knowing
Checked Sept '26 — “Thumb loading takes a little practice to keep bait portions and compression consistent.”
Tackle Index’s take from the product details and fishing fit we checked. We haven’t found enough independent public feedback to call this an angler consensus yet.
Angler score
What our readers rate Drennan Pellet Method Feeders
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