10 ways with maggots

Even the most lethargic cold-water carp will find a bed of maggots hard to resist

IF YOU thought maggots were a bait for small fish, think again. Carp love them too. When you’re struggling for bites on other baits, a switch to these wrigglers can quickly turn a blank session into a memorable winter trip with several fish in the net. Some anglers are put off by the price of them, but as a gallon costs around £15, they’re not actually much more than a kilo of boilies. Because maggots mostly consist of water there’s no risk of them filling up a carp before they find your hookbait. This month we reveal 10 great tricks to get the most out these fantastic winter offerings...

PVA BAGS

Maggots can be fished in both solid and mesh PVA bags. This is a great way to get a small amount of feed right next to your hookbait. When filling a bag with maggots make sure you use a very fine mesh PVA so that they can’t escape. To attach your bag, tie a long tag end and nick this on to the hook. If you hook your rig into the side of the bag you might pierce one or two of the maggots which, as they are mainly made up of water, will melt your bag.

MAGALIGNER

A line aligner presentation helps the hook flip over in a carp’s mouth when it picks up the bait. The mag-aligner uses a fake maggot to achieve this and also helps to break up the outline of the hook. You simply add two maggots to the hookpoint to complete this deadly-efficient rig. The set-up works best when presented over a tight group of grubs fed by a PVA mesh bag or feeder. Once the carp are feeding they will hoover up this rig because it blends in with the rest of the maggots.

STICKY MAG

This is a technique originally used in match fishing to feed maggots at long range and help them fall quickly through the water. First, clean the maggots, then sprinkle Horlicks powder over them. Next, add a tiny bit of water that binds them together in dense balls that can be catapulted or thrown out. They will remain intact until they reach the bottom, creating a tight area of bait.

FISH BIG BUNCHES

It doesn’t get any simpler than a big bunch of maggots, but loads of carp fall victim to this set-up every winter. Thread 15-20 maggots on to a length of bait floss with a needle and tie them into a tight ball. Nuisance fish will find this dense bait hard to deal with.

FAKE MAGGOTS

The he main plus point of plastic maggots is that they are 100 per cent nuisance fish-proof, so you can rest assured that you’ll always have a baited rig in the water. They hey can withstand long casts and help camouflage your hooks, and the buoyant types lend themselves to a range of popped-up or criticallybalanced hookbait presentations. Artificial rtificial maggots (and casters) are also available in a whole host of colours, so don’t be afraid to experiment with these.

MAGGOT FEEDER

Regularly recasting a maggot feeder will gradually build up a bed of feed in your swim. Fish it in conjunction with a short hooklink for an excellent bolt effect. To slow down the release of the maggots from the feeder, tape up some of the holes.

COATED MAGGOTS

Maggots are attractive in their own right, but you can make them even more irresistible with flavour. A good way to do this is to give them a quick dunk in a liquid glug before dropping them into your chosen powder. Tackle shop products such as krill powder work well, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try things such as Angel Delight from the supermarket. Dip the maggots into the dry powder just before you cast.

SPOMBING

A Spomb is by far the easiest way to bait up with maggots, and does away with the need to mess around taping up the holes on a spod.

TIPPING BAITS

The addition of a few maggots makes a standard pop-up boilie hookbait instantly more attractive to a passing carp. A quick way to attach them is to tie a size 14 hook on to your hair before threading on your pop-up. Then simply thread on three or four maggots and pull the hook down into the bait.

CHOD RIG MAGGOTS

Evolution Maggot Balls are perfect for creating this presentation, which is a little bit different to the norm. Using different coloured maggots will give the fish something to home in on, and this rig can be fished on its own, cast to showing fish or over a bed of grubs. Chod rigs are best fished over areas of silt rather than clear gravel.