Updated September 2026.
Getting bait to the right spot does not always need a rod. A catapult, a throwing stick or a baiting spoon each cover a different range and a different bait, and carrying the right one for the situation matters more than owning the most expensive version of any of them.
Range and Accuracy Compared
Throwing sticks generally give the greatest range for boilies and hookbait-sized items, catapults suit small to medium particles and pellets at short to medium range with good accuracy, and baiting spoons cover very short, precise, close-in feeding where pinpoint accuracy matters more than distance.
Throwing Sticks
A throwing stick launches single or small groups of boilies a long way with practice, making it the tool of choice for reaching baiting areas beyond a comfortable catapult range. Stick length and cup size vary between models, with longer sticks generally giving more range at some cost to close-range accuracy while learning.
Catapults
A catapult suits feeding smaller items, particles, pellets and mixed feed, in a tight group at a repeatable range once you have learned its elastic and pouch combination. Elastic strength should match what is being fed: heavier elastic for boilies and larger pellets, lighter elastic for small particles that a strong pull could scatter too widely.
Baiting Spoons and Pouches
A baiting spoon or pole-mounted pouch delivers bait with total accuracy at short range, ideal for feeding margins, near-bank swims, or topping up a spot too close to risk disturbing with a catapult or throwing stick. These tools trade range entirely for precision and are often the best option on tight, pressured waters.
Feeding Particles Versus Boilies
Particles scatter more easily than solid boilies and need a gentler, more controlled delivery to avoid spreading feed too thinly, favouring a catapult or spoon over a throwing stick for this bait type. Boilies hold together and travel further and straighter, making them the natural choice for stick-fed distance work.
Technique for Distance
Consistent range with any of these tools comes from a repeatable technique, whether that is elastic tension and release point on a catapult or arm swing and release angle on a throwing stick, practised enough times at home that it becomes automatic on the bank. Rushing technique under pressure, particularly at range, is the most common cause of scattered, inaccurate feeding.
What to Carry
A mid-range catapult for particles and pellets, a throwing stick for boilies at distance, and a simple baiting spoon for close-in work cover almost every feeding situation without needing more than three pieces of kit in a rucksack.
For the bait these tools deliver, see our guide to carp fishing with particles, and for building feeding into a wider plan, our guide to carp baiting strategy.
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Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Shane Stanford
Shane Stanford has fished for carp for over twenty years, in the UK and in France, and currently fishes a private syndicate water in West Sussex. He writes Fishing Again to put the things he learned the hard way into plain language: location and watercraft first, then bait, rigs and gear. He is straight about which kit he has actually fished and which he has assessed on specification, and says so on the page.
