Maggot riddle

[mikench]

I managed for years without one but succumbed about a year ago and bought a Sensas 42cm one. It’s a standard riddle and looks like every other manufacturer’ s model. It’s supposed to be the right size for maggots but the little b******* can still get stuck in the mesh.

I find it cumbersome and awkward to return the riddled maggots into a maggot box. Maybe it would be ok if I was riddling pints of maggots but why don’t they have a part of the circle in a funnel shape? Am I doing something wrong or is there a smaller and better design. I’ve looked but haven’t seen one.

I end up with maggots on the garage floor. It’s definitely not an indispensable piece of kit imo.

 

[S-Kippy]

I've got a couple buried in the shed somewhere. More trouble than they are worth in my experience. I'm sure those that use a lot more maggot than me and maybe turn their own casters will disagree. Back in the days when a pint of maggot was 3/4 of a pint of useable bait and a quarter fish bones and shoite it might have been worth having a riddle but I cannot remember the last time I riddled either maggot or groundbait. The fish dont seem to mind.

 

[wetthrough]

Sensas do one for bait boxes but they're like rocking horse poo. I have the pinkie version which seem easier to find, no use for maggots of course but OK if you want to riddle the sawdust/maize off maggots. You might find square plastic bait box riddles for sale but they're a bit of a pain assuming they're all the same. Half the holes are blocked with molding flash.

 

[theartist]

I don't riddle maggots often but find it's best to take my time with them, Put a handfull in and go boil the kettle another handful make a cuppa etc you get the odd one that gets stuck just poke em through

Or you can do the When is a fly not a fly? When it's a Blue Bottle, that's a riddle that always works

 

[bullet]

I've been using one of those plastic pots for pond plants for a while.
I use it to riddle out the dust the maggots come with.
I then put a Tescos wheat biscuit aka weetabix whole in with the maggots, and change it every week or so if they haven't been used....works a treat, absorbs any moisture they produce and keeps them sweet smelling.

 

[john step]

I've got a couple buried in the shed somewhere. More trouble than they are worth in my experience. I'm sure those that use a lot more maggot than me and maybe turn their own casters will disagree. Back in the days when a pint of maggot was 3/4 of a pint of useable bait and a quarter fish bones and shoite it might have been worth having a riddle but I cannot remember the last time I riddled either maggot or groundbait. The fish dont seem to mind.

Yes when you think about the foul smelling mud and gunge on the bottom which the fish suck in and blow out they cannot be that fussy about dietry delicacies.

 

[mikench]

I am very wary about that. Maggots are death defying as it is so I don’t want them them having weetabix.

 

[bullet]

Don't worry about that, Mike, they don't eat them

 

[nottskev]

Never heard of anglers having riddling problems before. I've got several riddles here, but only do two things. To change the medium in some maggots so you can freshen your bait up - maize flour, sawdust - hold the riddle above the tub of maggots, quickly turn the tub over and slap it against the riddle ( which is now underneath) and hold it there, give it a vigorous shake., then flip tub and riddle back. 99.9% of the maggots will still be in the tub. Do it outside, over your compost heap or whatever, where it won't matter if the odd maggot gets through or where the dust falls. I find if you don't do this, your bait smells bad and you're putting your hand into rancid dust/flour all day. The second use is for turning casters, but I think that's not the issue here, so I won't go into that. I like the Weetabix bit - anything beats neglecting your bait.

 

[mikench]

I never cease to amaze myself Kev. I blame age and a dislike of maggots.

 

[nottskev]

I never cease to amaze myself Kev. I blame age and a dislike of maggots.

I should have said, Mike, that the give-em-a -quick-riddle method I described depends on you having a riddle with a flat base a good bit bigger than the bait box, so you can slap the open box against it without losing the contents.

Worth doing though - riddle off the **** they came in/have been sitting in for a couple of days and replace with a sprinkle of turmeric. (Should appeal to the gourmet in you). The maggots go a nice bronze colour, smell nice, are de-greased, and roach like the taste, as far as we can tell. Don't ask me how you get it off your fingers though. That's a different thread. Don't use the expensive little bottles from Sainsburys - you can get a big bag cheaply at any Asian food shop.

 

[mikench]

That sounds right up my street Kev. I will have a go tomorrow as I have a few pints festering in the fridge bought somewhat optimistically a week ago. I hope to venture forth a la blackadder on Wednesday.

 

[103841]

Use a bowl that the riddle will sit on, (I bought a Ringers bowl for £8), riddle to your heart’s content and then transfer from bowl to your bait box. Life is too short, I cannot afford an errant maggot.

 

[Hertsbloke]

I do riddle GB, as I find it makes a nicer particle break up, CBA to do Maggots, as I usually coat them in some glug anyways.

Interesting point about Turmeric though....

 

[sam vimes]

I do riddle maggots with a bait box sized Seymo riddle. I don't do it often though, it's only necessary to remove the odd turning or dead maggot. I do this for no other reason than to allow the bait to keep longer. I've found that leaving dead maggots in with live only reduces the longevity of the rest.

I don't riddle to remove maize, sawdust, bran, etc. It's a waste of time and effort to use a riddle for that. I have an old sieve that's a far more effective tool for that job. Again, changing the medium that live maggots are kept in is about keeping live maggots as fresh as possible and alive for as long as possible.

Neither chore has anything whatsoever to do with improving the effectiveness of the bait. I doubt that the fish give a stuff.

 

[rich66]

I’m going to make myself look a right idiot here... but why are the holes so big in a maggot riddle ?
I use a kitchen sieve all the dust/maize flour falls through and the maggots are still in the sieve.
With big holes doesn’t the maggots and **** just fall through ?

 

[103841]

Some riddles are used for sifting maggots from casters.

 

[sam vimes]

I’m going to make myself look a right idiot here... but why are the holes so big in a maggot riddle ?
I use a kitchen sieve all the dust/maize flour falls through and the maggots are still in the sieve.
With big holes doesn’t the maggots and **** just fall through ?

Riddles are for separating dead maggots and casters from live maggots. Live maggots wriggle through the relatively big holes leaving the inert casters and deads behind.

If you want to remove a medium like maize meal, bran, or (fine) sawdust, stick to a sieve.

 

[trotter2]

As above sounds like you bought the wrong riddle. If you want to remove just the sawdust or maze you need a pinky riddle a maggot riddle is for removing casters.
Preston Groundbait, Maggots & Pinkie Riddles - 3mm, 4mm & 6mm *NEW FOR 2020* | eBay

 

[sam vimes]

As above sounds like you bought the wrong riddle. If you want to remove just the sawdust or maze you need a pinky riddle a maggot riddle is for removing casters.
Preston Groundbait, Maggots & Pinkie Riddles - 3mm, 4mm & 6mm *NEW FOR 2020* | eBay

My ancient Sensas riddle is 4mm(ish). It's fine for taking off deads and casters, useless for separating maggots from bran, maize meal, sawdust, etc. Though the numbers suggest otherwise, all of those Preston riddles look finer, much closer to a sieve mesh. The snag is that they cost £19.99. You can get quite a few kitchen sieves, of varying gauges, for that much. I wonder where they could be bought without the fishing tackle mark up?