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Q
What’s the best rig to use to target big carp with maggots? Nothing too fancy please, guys!
A
There are several different presentations that you could try, depending on how many maggots you want to use.
At this time of the year, a lot of carpers add a handful of maggots to their loosefeed, and then simply tie a small bunch of eight or 10 maggots to the boilie stop on top of their pop-up hookbaits using bait floss or fine mono to give the offering added visual attraction.
However, if you want to go for an all-out maggot attack, then the best choice is the legendary ‘Magaligner’ set-up. This involves a large PVA mesh bag of maggots being tied to the swivel below the lead before it is cast out, with the hookbait being nicked into the bag to prevent tangles. It’s best used with a helicopter set-up, as shown in the diagram, and an inline lead which allows you to use a large ring swivel for the bag to be tied to.
The real genius of the rig, however, is the fake maggot that’s used as a line-aligner over the eye of the hook. This helps it to flip over when the carp inhales the hookbait, dramatically improving the set-up’s hooking efficiency.
Being buoyant, the fake grub also partially balances out the weight of the hook, making the hookbait react more positively when mouthed.
The result is a massively appealing patch of maggots camouflaging the complete rig and a baited hook that blends in perfectly with the freebies.
Provided the spot you are fishing isn’t too weedy, then the mag-aligner is a sure-fire winner, especially in early spring, so give it a go this month!
Steve Stones, Carpfeed editor