Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Lassoed maggots – Glen Picton
Lassoing hookbaits is one presentation that doesn’t get enough air time, insists big fan Glen Picton
YOU could spend hours on end painstakingly tying what you deem to be the perfect rigs but get it wrong at the business end and all that effort will have been pointless. Terminal tackle and float choice, shotting patterns and bait selection are all important parts of being a successful angler, but without doubt the most vital element is properly presenting your hookbait.
There are several ways to achieve this, with hair rigging, banding and directly hooking your bait the most common methods. They all play an essential part in any commercial angler’s armoury but Glen Picton believes another method should get a lot more use than it does. A lasso may be something that was used in the Wild West but it is also a clever way of fooling fish that have seen every trick in the book. “I have been using a lasso for a couple of years and I am convinced that the way it presents a bait helps me put more fish in the net,” explained the Garbolino and Spotted Fin-backed angler. “A lasso is basically a hair rig with a knot or small bead that slides so that you can place a bait in the middle of it and then tighten the loop to secure. Whether you are fishing for carp, F1s or big silverfish on the pole or rod and line this spring, you definitely need to use it.”
Perfect presentation
One of the most important elements of getting your hookbait presentation right is the balance between concealing enough of the hook so that the fish don’t spot the trap but keeping enough of the point showing so that you get a good hook-hold upon striking. The lasso strikes that balance perfectly. “The whole of the hook is on show but the actual hookbait is an inch or two away from it. It looks very similar to a hair rig but there is no
need for a baiting needle and you can have baits such as corn, pellets and maggots trapped in the lasso within seconds. “At a time of year when you are likely to be catching plenty of fish, you need to get the rig back in quickly and not having to fiddle around with a baiting needle speeds things up.” Almost every fish hooked while using this style will be nailed in the top lip and this is due to the mechanics of the lasso. “The fish suck in the hookbait which is attached to the lasso and the hook trails behind. It will catch the mouth on the way in and nine times out of 10 that will be in the top lip.”
Best baits to lasso
A lasso will present pretty much any bait you fancy but at this time of year Glen tends to stick to three offerings that cover every scenario. “Maggot, pellets and corn will catch pretty much every species you’ll come across on commercials and I find each one has a part to play when I am on the bank in spring.” MAGGOTS – “If you are fishing for F1s or quality silvers such as tench and skimmers then maggots are unbeatable. I always use dead maggots as live ones can wriggle out of the lasso. Use two maggots to start with, switching to three or even four if small fish are a problem.” PELLETS – “On waters where you can’t get through the silvers no matter how many maggots you use, hard pellets are my alternative. I will also use pellets when carp are the main target in open water on either the pole, waggler or bomb. Use a 6mm lassoed pellet for carp to 5lb, stepping up to an 8mm for bigger fish.” CORN – “The margins have started to come alive and corn is a fantastic bait, especially for big carp and F1s. Start with a single kernel, stepping up to a brace to pick out the bigger specimens.”
Conversion rate
Worcestershire’s Manor Farm Leisure is a typical mixed fishery where one drop can produce a chunky skimmer and the next a double-figure carp. Windmill Lake is one of Glen’s favourites and that is where he tackled up for IYCF cameras. “I’m going to cup in a few maggots and then use double lassoed maggot over the top.” Fishing at 13m, regularly lifting and dropping the rig helped create some movement and within 15 minutes the first bite was registered, with a 1lb F1 fooled. Over the course of the next hour another 10 fish were banked, each and every one impaled by the size 16 hook in the top lip. Switching to pellets when small fish invaded helped reinvigorate the peg, with a brace of carp around 6lb the pick of the bunch on the day. “I’ve hit almost every single bite today and landed every single one of them. A lasso gives fantastic presentation that will lead to more fish going into the net, no matter what species you are chasing. You really must give it a try,” he concluded.