Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
BOOST YOUR MAGGOTS
This easy trick will see your catch rate soar!
The glugged maggot trick
Ade’s bait preparation starts well before he gets to the bank. A pint of dead maggots and a bottle of liquid flavouring are the two essential ingredients. “The idea is to saturate my hookbait in a pungent and colourful attractant that helps the fish find the hookbait the moment they arrive in the swim. “I pour a quarter of a bottle of Bait-Tech Predator Plus liquid over a pint of dead maggots inside a food bag and then shake it to evenly distribute the flavour.” Although this makes them instantly more effective, Ade freezes the flavoured grubs so that they soak it all up and then defrosts them the night before his session. This causes the liquid to cling to the maggots for longer once underwater. The juiced-up offerings are only used on the hook as this makes them much more noticeable than if they were among a bed of bait that had been coated in the same manner. “A pint of dead maggots can last for months on end and I will have no hesitation freezing them again and again to keep them as fresh as possible.”
Unmissable hookbaits
Take a look at the size of a carp’s mouth and it’s clear that they will have no trouble inhaling a sizeable meal. With that in mind Ade likes to use a big bunch of maggots on the hook. This also increases their visibility and the amount of flavour in the water. “I put up to a dozen maggots on a size 12 hook because I don’t believe the fish are particularly tackle shy at this time of year. “They are too busy trying to beat other fish to the food so they are feeding with minimal caution and that is why you can get away with a big hook.” There are no prisoners taken with the rest of the kit. Elastic is a 12-16 MAP TKS Twin Core while the rig incorporates a 4x14 MAP MF1 float, 0.20mm mainline and a hooklength of the same to a size 12 VMC 7009b hook.
Clattering bait in
Boosted maggots will produce bites from a wide variety of species from any area of your peg. But Ade has undoubtedly enjoyed most success in the margins. Before a baited hook enters the water he meticulously plumbs up to find the required depth of water. “At this time of year you want to find around one foot. This is enough for them to feed in confidently but they will also stay on the deck where they are easier to catch. “In deeper margins the fish can rise up off the deck to intercept loosefeed falling through the water, making them harder to catch.” Pinning your float against the bank is also important to prevent carp from getting around the back of your rig and brushing against the line. When fish are able to get around the rig they are more likely to give you line bites, dipping the float as they swim around and catch the mainline. When feeding, Ade adopts a little trick to steal fish from other pegs. Rather than ship the pole down the margins and cup in his bait from a few inches above the water, he hoists the pole high before dropping the freebies over the zone. “Carp in commercials associate noise with food entering the water and this trick helps make a real racket that attracts the attention of more fish.” Maggots may be on the hook but it is 4mm pellets that are loosefed. In order to keep all the bait in exactly the same spot where he introduced it, Ade uses Bait-Tech Sticky Method Pellets. “Once dampened they can be easily formed into a ball which makes them sink quicker. They are also heavier than a traditional coarse pellet which helps them stay in the same place, even when carp are wafting their tails over the top.” Give your hookbaits an edge this month and you’ll soon lose track of how many big carp you put in the net each time you get on the bank.