clint4782
Well-known member
My catapult broke. Again. The pouch has torn apart rendering it useless, so I’ve had to purchase another. I have little doubt that the situation is familiar to all anglers, maybe with a little variation such as substituting pouch with elastic or frame, but they fail, either through use or age and I’ve yet to find one which will stand up to the rigours of everything I want it to do. Maybe I ask too much, I want to be able to fire out particles, maggots, boilies AND balls of groundbait, but is there really anything on the market that will cope??
In previous years, I’ve looked at a variety of catapults which do the job, but ONLY for a short time; a bit too much pressure and something starts to break, so, as I’m getting a little fed up with replacing either complete ‘pults of endless bits which are long since out of date, I’ve chosen to take a gamble on the FOX Mega Method catapult.
As I’ve said, cost is a big factor for most anglers, so replacing bits or buying new can work out expensive. The old adage “buy cheap buy twice” certainly appears to be true for many similar products currently on the market, so at around £15 for this offering, it’s definitely not at the budget end of the market.
What do you get for your money then? The first noticeable thing is the fact that the frame is a pretty chunky affair and has a soft grip finish; a very solid plastic handle with an attached knuckle guard. I like the knuckle guard. I am one of those anglers who often tries to use a catapult beyond its realistic capabilities and end up with a stinging smack across my hand as the elastic whips back and gives me a proper whack!! As with all the other parts of this product, it is a replaceable part which clips solidly to the handle and protects delicate fingers very well.
The elastics are comprised of hollow latex secured by a sturdy tab within the screw fittings at the ends of the frame. The elastics initially feel quite ‘tight’ and it requires a fair effort to stretch them to full extent; over time, as the elastics are ‘worked’ the flexibility improves and the effort needed is considerably less. Attached to the pouch by a similar tab fixing, the latex will take a lot of ‘grunt’ and still deliver without risk of failure.
The pouch is a one piece injection moulded lattice, so there are no seams, joints or anything else to split or degrade and it holds a good amount of bait. FOX recommend that balls of groundbait are no more than 50mm across (do you measure yours? No, me neither!) which I would guess is a rough guide....
If you are using the Mega Method catapult for groundbait, then obviously a stiffer mix will be more aerodynamic and fly further than a fluffy, lighter mix and this should be considered. The closeness of the latticing means that maggot and other small baits will not escape from the rear of the pouch prior to launch! Fitted with a finger strop to reduce the chance of slippage when pulled back, it also helps to maintain accuracy and avoid bait being misplaced throughout the swim.
I’ve found it relatively simple to get heavier baits out to around 50-60 yards with little effort; I have no idea what FOX claim to be an effective range, but I would think most anglers baiting up any further out would chose another method. Lighter baits are given quite a push by the strong elastics, but don’t expect 50 yards!
The Fox Mega Method Catapult has worked well so far; the soft grip finish means it is easy to use when wet, the wide frame means that larger balls of groundbait do not hit the uprights and break up, and the large capacity pouch means a lot of bait can be put out with minimum disturbance. Parts are interchangeable, which I’ve already stated I’m not keen on, but if I’ve paid £15 out, I’d rather pay a fiver next time for a pouch or elastics I know will last a considerable time instead of getting something else. The ONLY issue I’ve had so far, which is more an irritant than a fault, is occasional ‘cross over’ of the elastic because of the way it is secured to the pouch, meaning that it must be untangled to load with baits. Supplied in a natty plastic display box, the card insert comes with full instructions (if you need them!) and all details of the features I’ve already mentioned.
Available at all good stockists, find out more at Welcome to FOX - Fox International are suppliers and manufacturers of carp, pike, predator, specialist and match angling equipment and fishing tackle.
In previous years, I’ve looked at a variety of catapults which do the job, but ONLY for a short time; a bit too much pressure and something starts to break, so, as I’m getting a little fed up with replacing either complete ‘pults of endless bits which are long since out of date, I’ve chosen to take a gamble on the FOX Mega Method catapult.
As I’ve said, cost is a big factor for most anglers, so replacing bits or buying new can work out expensive. The old adage “buy cheap buy twice” certainly appears to be true for many similar products currently on the market, so at around £15 for this offering, it’s definitely not at the budget end of the market.
What do you get for your money then? The first noticeable thing is the fact that the frame is a pretty chunky affair and has a soft grip finish; a very solid plastic handle with an attached knuckle guard. I like the knuckle guard. I am one of those anglers who often tries to use a catapult beyond its realistic capabilities and end up with a stinging smack across my hand as the elastic whips back and gives me a proper whack!! As with all the other parts of this product, it is a replaceable part which clips solidly to the handle and protects delicate fingers very well.
The elastics are comprised of hollow latex secured by a sturdy tab within the screw fittings at the ends of the frame. The elastics initially feel quite ‘tight’ and it requires a fair effort to stretch them to full extent; over time, as the elastics are ‘worked’ the flexibility improves and the effort needed is considerably less. Attached to the pouch by a similar tab fixing, the latex will take a lot of ‘grunt’ and still deliver without risk of failure.
The pouch is a one piece injection moulded lattice, so there are no seams, joints or anything else to split or degrade and it holds a good amount of bait. FOX recommend that balls of groundbait are no more than 50mm across (do you measure yours? No, me neither!) which I would guess is a rough guide....
If you are using the Mega Method catapult for groundbait, then obviously a stiffer mix will be more aerodynamic and fly further than a fluffy, lighter mix and this should be considered. The closeness of the latticing means that maggot and other small baits will not escape from the rear of the pouch prior to launch! Fitted with a finger strop to reduce the chance of slippage when pulled back, it also helps to maintain accuracy and avoid bait being misplaced throughout the swim.
I’ve found it relatively simple to get heavier baits out to around 50-60 yards with little effort; I have no idea what FOX claim to be an effective range, but I would think most anglers baiting up any further out would chose another method. Lighter baits are given quite a push by the strong elastics, but don’t expect 50 yards!
The Fox Mega Method Catapult has worked well so far; the soft grip finish means it is easy to use when wet, the wide frame means that larger balls of groundbait do not hit the uprights and break up, and the large capacity pouch means a lot of bait can be put out with minimum disturbance. Parts are interchangeable, which I’ve already stated I’m not keen on, but if I’ve paid £15 out, I’d rather pay a fiver next time for a pouch or elastics I know will last a considerable time instead of getting something else. The ONLY issue I’ve had so far, which is more an irritant than a fault, is occasional ‘cross over’ of the elastic because of the way it is secured to the pouch, meaning that it must be untangled to load with baits. Supplied in a natty plastic display box, the card insert comes with full instructions (if you need them!) and all details of the features I’ve already mentioned.
Available at all good stockists, find out more at Welcome to FOX - Fox International are suppliers and manufacturers of carp, pike, predator, specialist and match angling equipment and fishing tackle.
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