ESP Particlepult Catapult

How well is it built?

The pouch is the heart of the Particlepult. It's a wide-gape, perforated design with a finger loop at the base, and it's sized to take a big scoop of particles rather than a few boilies, and the holes should let water and bait juice drain away.

The handle has a camo-patterned, shaped grip that runs up into an open frame.

Twin-walled natural latex supplies the power. Natural latex has plenty of stretch and punch, but it's not the longest-lasting material, so it needs replacing regularly. Keeping it out of prolonged sunlight and away from the weather will help it last longer.

The frame and pouch are solid, but it's a straightforward design next to the Korda Katapult, with its ball-bearing swivels and welded rings, and the latex is a regular replacement job. Spare pouches and latex are easy to get, though, and I think 8.0 is a fair build score.

Accuracy & Range

How far can you fire particles? Realistically, beyond 15 to 20 metres most particle baits start to scatter or fall short, and the Particlepult is built to push that limit while keeping the spread down.

The long, soft action of the 38cm latex should accelerate a full pouch smoothly rather than jerking it, which helps a load of hemp or pellets stay together in flight.

The wide-gape pouch matters for accuracy too. It should release a big load cleanly, giving a more even carpet of bait over your spot instead of a narrow line.

For me, the 8.5 reflects what it's built for. It isn't a long-range boilie pult, and if you need to group boilies at 40 metres, the ESP Boiliepult is the one to look at. For particles at short to medium range, though, it's well suited, and I think the score is fair.

Ease of Use

Loading is quick, as the wide-gape pouch takes a good scoop of bait at a time, and that's the whole point of a particle pult. You can get a lot of bait out in a few pulls, which is handy when you're building up a bed of hemp and corn before casting out.

The long draw of the 38cm latex suits a smooth, steady pull, and the finger loop gives you a firm hold on the pouch. The camo-patterned handle is shaped to fit the palm, which helps when you're feeding steadily through a session.

With particles, it's worth keeping each load and pull similar, so the bait lands in the same area every time.

Upkeep is simple but regular. Check the latex, replace it before it perishes and store the pult out of the sun between trips. It's easy to use for the job it's made for, and 8.5 feels right.

Is it good value for money?

Is it worth it? It costs the same as the ESP Boiliepult, a little less than the Trakker Mega Pult and a few pounds more than the Gardner UltraPult with its Particle pouch.

For a dedicated particle pult with quality latex, that's fair, and the spare pouches and latex keep running costs down.

Next to the Trakker Mega Pult, which is a more general feeder for mixed baits, the Particlepult is built around the long, soft latex action for particles.

Against the Gardner UltraPult, you get a pult designed purely for particle work, while the UltraPult is the cheaper all-rounder.

Overall, I'd recommend the ESP Particlepult to carp and tench anglers who feed hemp, corn, pellets and tigernuts at short to medium range and want plenty of bait out quickly. If you mainly fire boilies, the ESP Boiliepult is the better match.