Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Robbie Griffiths
It may be a traditional tactic, but Robbie Griffiths shows it can still cut it on modern commercials
Wag & mag to the rescue
THE versatility of waggler fishing is what makes it a popular choice for many commercial anglers. Whether you are fishing corn on the deck for fickle- feeding carp and skimmers in winter, or chucking a pellet waggler to fool big fish that are sat shallow in summer, it can pull you out of trouble when all else fails.
But for some unknown reason, very few anglers rely on arguably the most traditional style of the lot – waggler and maggot. It is the tactic responsible for giving thousands of anglers their first taste of fishing and a lifelong passion.
Despite this, most anglers don’t feel wag and mag has the attributes to outscore other tactics on their local commercial – but Robbie Griffiths thinks they need to quickly reconsider that opinion.
In an age where most fisheries are dedicated to a mixed stocking policy of carp, F1s and silverfish, the Preston Innovations-backed star reckons wag and mag should play a big part in your angling.
“I see a lot of anglers fishing the waggler with pellets and, while this is certainly a great tactic, they are missing out on the chance of a stunning mixed bag,” said Robbie.
“Ide, big roach and even chub don’t have the biggest appetite for pellets and will often ignore them.
“If you fish with maggots, these silverfish will keep the float going under while you wait for the carp and F1s. The end result is almost certainly a much bigger catch than you anticipated.”
Catch through the column
Different species will mix together in a swim, but they’ll often choose to sit at different depths.
Use a rig that forces the hookbait to the bottom quickly and there is every chance you will miss out on the chance to catch certain species.
“Ide, roach and chub often prefer to sit mid- water and if you use a rig with a lot of shot down the line, the hookbait will bomb past their faces and give them hardly any chance of taking it.
“The answer is to use a lightly shotted rig,” explained Robbie.
“I use a semi- loaded float and then place 90 per cent of my shot around the base.
“A couple of dropper shot are placed between there and the hooklength knot to keep a little tension in the mainline, improving the number of fast bites you hit.
“I also connect my mainline to the hooklength with a small swivel that acts like another small shot,” confirmed Robbie. His tactics make sure the hookbait falls at a slow pace, enabling fish at all depths to snap at it.
If tiny silverfish are proving a nuisance in the upper layers, add a few more shot down the line to increase the pace of the fall ever
so slightly.
Keep on catapulting
There’s no hiding from the fact that you need to be willing to put in the work to catch consistently on the waggler.
Simply casting and leaving it in place for a long period won’t cut the mustard.
“It’s a tactic that requires you to keep busy to make the most of it, and feeding regularly with a catapult is key,” said Robbie.
“I fire in 20 maggots every couple of minutes and that trickle of bait going through the water column triggers a frenzy.
“Maggots have a low food content and don’t fill fish up quickly, so you can afford to put in three or four pints a session without problems.”
Fishing within 25m of the bank is also important because firing maggots beyond that range with a catapult will prove impossible in most scenarios.
“I’ll cast every two to three minutes and more often than not I’ll get a bite”
Regular casting is equally important as a stationary hookbait is unlikely to be the first thing the fish go for – especially when there are lots of freebies constantly raining down.
“I cast every two to three minutes and more often than not I’ll get a bite either as the hookbait sinks or just as it touches the deck.”
Hit every bite
Get a bite on the feeder and it’s often unmissable. But it’s a completely different ball game on the waggler. Indications from even the biggest of fish can be subtle, but you can stack the odds in your favour by applying a few principles.
“Fish hook themselves against the weight of the feeder when you’re on the tip but you don’t have that luxury with this approach.
“Sinking the line is the first thing you’ll aim to do on the feeder, but you want to keep it floating when on the waggler.
“This means it takes a split second less to connect on the strike. It sounds like a small thing, but it makes a massive difference to the number of bites you hit.”
An 11ft or 12ft rod also aids the process, picking up the line quickly to set the hook before a fish has a chance to reject the bait.
Shropshire’s Monkhall Fishery is a typical modern commercial offering a mix of carp, F1s, ide, bream and tench. Setting up on Hawk Pool, Robbie began firing maggots just shy of the island into 4ft of water. Having plumbed up, he set the rig to dead depth and began piling in maggots. It was clear fish were present from the off and a lightning- fast bite was hit minutes after starting. An ide was the culprit and that, along with the occasional skimmer, set the tone for the early stages of the session.
Most bites came within 30 seconds of the float plopping in, leading to Robbie casting every minute to prevent wasting time with a dormant bait on the deck. But, as predicted, the carp and F1s couldn’t resist muscling in and fish to 5lb were soon being hooked alongside the silvers.
More than 70lb ended up in the keepnets, with three pints of maggots the only bait necessary for the catch.
“The carp and F1s weren’t interested to start with and, if I had fished pellets, I would have been biteless during that period. Wag and mag tactics have lost none of their effectiveness and should never be overlooked on mixed commercials,” he concluded.