bigger fish and a couple of questions

i have just started fishing again after 25 years and would like some feedback and advice i will try to be brief. i have been fishing a pond for the last three weeks(one day a week)and my biggest fish are a 7 pound ghost carp and a 3 pound tench i know there are fish upto about 17 pound which i intend to fish for next week i have been float fishing but intend to ledger for them with a quiver tip this next week.
my plan it to put out a carpet of ground bait so question one is should i put loads in and fish over that all day or put some in and top up the swim through the day(im not sure if groundbait is allowed at this pond so may only get the chance to put one lot in).question two groundbait mix i will be preping my mix the day before i go can i use breadcrumb or mashed up dog biscuits to fill out the ground bait or is there another cheap way to do this.question three my rig will be a hair rig hook length to a swivel with a semi fixed ledger on the main line(loop of line through eye on ledger and over top)how far from the hook to the ledger should it be or is ther a different way that it should be done.question four i intend to make the hair rigs myself can mono line be used for this or will i need to use braid and why and how long should i leave the hook length and the hair.
thankyou for reading this any help would be appreciated.

Q1. "Little and often" tactic works well, you could use a cage feeder to put out small parcels of bait throughout the day without overdoing the feed. Gradually, a carpet of bait will build up and hopefully pull the fish in to feed.

Q2. Crushed or whole pellet can be used as this will brake down over time under the water.

Q3. As stated, a cage feeder would be an appropriate set-up to use with groundbait.

Q4. Both braid and mono can be used to make a hair rig depending on the lake bed you intend to fish.

If you're fishing over a bed of silt a green coloured braid would blend in and be camouflaged whereas in clearer water or over a gravel bed, clear mono may be best.

I would personally use a hooklength of around 4 1/2 to 6 inches long and would tie the hair depending on the size of bait you will be using.

This link may help: http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article.asp?SP=&v=3&UAN=2176