Maggot substitute?

[Eternaloptimist]

Hi
I may have mentioned that I only seem to catch on maggots. The trouble is I can't always get hold of them since lockdown. The local shop will serve at the door but if I want to go to my local lake on the spur of the moment for a couple of hours it means diverting off my route to collect them . Also if I have some left i have nowhere to store them at home . (I live in a small flat and the fridge is DEFINITELY out of bounds for maggots. ).
I guess my main question is there anything that will compete with maggots as bait for a novice angler ? Preferably something easy to get hold of and easy to store .
I have seen soft pellets in resealable jars in the tackle shop are they any good ? Artificial maggots?
Any thoughts would be most welcome.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

In my opinion the short answer is . . . no . . . .

There are a few tricks to making maggot last longer (by a few days that is) so try buying double the usual quantity and placing half of them in a plastic bag. Then draw all the air out of the bag and knot it shut. The maggots will go into a semi comatose state which after an hour or two out of the bag and in a bait tray will recover perfectly.

The problem with soft pellets is that they are relatively expensive so not all that cheap to loose feed . . .

Personally, if maggot work well for you then surely the extra diverted trip has to be worth t?

 

[Bluenose]

Try dendrobaena worms. Buy them by the kg, leave them on a garage/shed floor in the bag which they arrive, they will last months and months in autumn, winter and spring provided you give them a dribble of water every week and a few tea leaves or similar.

For fishing, take a handful into a bait box, chop the majority into small pieces and feed via a pole cup or dark groundbait (molehill soil is a good base) or you can feed via a feeder. Use a whole worm, 2 worms or even half a worm on the hook.

 

[markcw]

I use a beer chiller/cooler to keep maggots in, depending on size of the chiller/cooler I can get a 3 pint bait box on shelf and a 3 pint bait box under it, as long as the vent for the fan is not obstructed they are fine, I put around a half pint to a pint in each, keep the lids on the boxes,
It operates both from the 240v mains and a cars 12v power supply, so its ideal for putting in the car for a long journey.
Also good for chilling beer if no maggots.

 

[markcw]

Try dendrobaena worms. Buy them by the kg, leave them on a garage/shed floor in the bag which they arrive, they will last months and months in autumn, winter and spring provided you give them a dribble of water every week and a few tea leaves or similar.

For fishing, take a handful into a bait box, chop the majority into small pieces and feed via a pole cup or dark groundbait (molehill soil is a good base) or you can feed via a feeder. Use a whole worm, 2 worms or even half a worm on the hook.

He lives in a flat eddie, no garage I assume,
I have just checked on my worms and put a few ground up egg shells in with them. Thinking of putting a handful of mulch from a bag I got from garden centre in as well

 

[john step]

Thats not so bad. You quote a local shop. Anglers hereabouts have a 40 mile round trip to buy maggots.
The plus side is that local lakes are always secluded.

 

[Bluenose]

The worms will be fine outside if it's shady and waterproof, putting the bag in a bucket will be fine.. just use a bit of sense when the frosts come.

 

[Eternaloptimist]

Many thanks for all your replies. No Garage I'm afraid but I might be able to fit in a mini fridge somewhere. How long would maggots last in a fridge ?

 

[Ray Roberts]

I tried a while back to not use maggots so much. I often went with just other baits. The average size of the fish you catch should increase. Small cubes of luncheon meat and I mean small enough to mount on a 16 or 18 hook and whizzed up/liquidised luncheon meat as feed. Punched bread with liquidised bread as feed. Soft pellets, I have used the hemp flavoured ones from Decathlon with hard micro pellet and hemp feed. Tares with hemp feed. You can use all of these to good effect and they can go in the freezer at the end of the trip. You won’t usually catch as many fish as with maggot but the average size of the fish will be higher.


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[Peter Jacobs]

Many thanks for all your replies. No Garage I'm afraid but I might be able to fit in a mini fridge somewhere. How long would maggots last in a fridge ?

In tip top condition maggots will last for 1,100 degree hours (if bought fresh on day of delivery) . . . or in a 'fridge at 4°c then 4x24=96 then 1100/96=@11½ days . . . . That was the equation we had from the maggot breeder we used to import from into Norway.

 

[markcw]

I tried a while back to not use maggots so much. I often went with just other baits. The average size of the fish you catch should increase. Small cubes of luncheon meat and I mean small enough to mount on a 16 or 18 hook and whizzed up/liquidised luncheon meat as feed. Punched bread with liquidised bread as feed. Soft pellets, I have used the hemp flavoured ones from Decathlon with hard micro pellet and hemp feed. Tares with hemp feed. You can use all of these to good effect and they can go in the freezer at the end of the trip. You won’t usually catch as many fish as with maggot but the average size of the fish will be higher.


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Ray, I have heard of a few people saying Decathlon baits could possibly be Sensas derived, some of the groundbaits smell very similar, maybe because both companies are French that this theory is going around.?

 

[Eternaloptimist]

I tried a while back to not use maggots so much. I often went with just other baits. The average size of the fish you catch should increase. Small cubes of luncheon meat and I mean small enough to mount on a 16 or 18 hook and whizzed up/liquidised luncheon meat as feed. Punched bread with liquidised bread as feed. Soft pellets, I have used the hemp flavoured ones from Decathlon with hard micro pellet and hemp feed. Tares with hemp feed. You can use all of these to good effect and they can go in the freezer at the end of the trip. You won’t usually catch as many fish as with maggot but the average size of the fish will be higher.


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Some good ideas thankyou ?

 

[Ray Roberts]

Ray, I have heard of a few people saying Decathlon baits could possibly be Sensas derived, some of the groundbaits smell very similar, maybe because both companies are French that this theory is going around.?

They sell their own brand Caperlan, I don’t know who actually makes that and also Dynamite Bait products, which are pretty good. Not all of these soft hook pellets are good. I bought some betaine flavoured pellets and corn once and you may as well used cyanide. Not a touch on either, any other bait and the fish were wolfing it down. They soon went binways, lol.


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[markcw]

They sell their own brand Caperlan, I don’t know who actually makes that and also Dynamite Bait products, which are pretty good. Not all of these soft hook pellets are good. I bought some betaine flavoured pellets and corn once and you may as well used cyanide. Not a touch on either, any other bait and the fish were wolfing it down. They soon went binways, lol.


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A friend of mine gets Dynamite Baits products at trade price, I bought 2 keepnets and 3 bags of groundbait for around £60.
Not sure if he still has trade deal with Nash.
I know someone who bought the Caperlan seatbox, safe it's a good box and saved a few quid on a "Brand" name box

 

[Ray Roberts]

A friend of mine gets Dynamite Baits products at trade price, I bought 2 keepnets and 3 bags of groundbait for around £60.
Not sure if he still has trade deal with Nash.
I know someone who bought the Caperlan seatbox, safe it's a good box and saved a few quid on a "Brand" name box

You just have to be a bit discerning. Some of their stuff is tat but some is very good and a decent price. I went just before lockdown, my wife was with the grandchildren getting their Christmas presents and I slipped in Decathlon for a couple of minutes. I thought I’d get a few bits before the tackle shops shut. Fifty four quid later I had a bag that could fit in a jacket pocket. Still cheaper than Angling Direct but bloody dear for a few spinners and jigs.

I’ve used “Source” boilies and liquid and they’re quite good. The liquid is good for adding to luncheon meat to give it a boost.


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[rubio]

Pinkies will keep longer. Beware of their capacity to escape anything if they get damp.
I currently have some frozen fluoro pinkies in small batches. Quarter pint each. Enough to Kickstart some winter action with a little groundbait or liquidised bread.

 

[Eternaloptimist]

Pinkies will keep longer. Beware of their capacity to escape anything if they get damp.
I currently have some frozen fluoro pinkies in small batches. Quarter pint each. Enough to Kickstart some winter action with a little groundbait or liquidised bread.

Apologies for dumb question but I'm assuming freezing the pinkies kills them ? . Are they ok to use dead ?

 

[rubio]

Dead isn't my preference but they do work. I think the worm approach already suggested would get you some action and pinkies often get something feeding. Even if it is just micro perch.
I fish with bread a lot. Once I got confident with it I often use nothing else. Well hemp is always a good attractor and holding bait even if you don't use it on the hook.
I used to feel I had to take maggots. Anything else was back up. Not having any definitely would not put me off going any more.

 

[108831]

Freeze maggots mate,in small bags in quanities for a session,if you use half a pint or whatever amount,get the dust off,bag them,get as much air out as possible and tie the bag tight,place them in a small plastic container,use as required,sometimes they work better than lives,others not,but if thats your only option it does work,the fresher the maggot when frozen the better....

 

[Pikerwoods]

Have to get my maggots from Willy Worms. They come in sawdust but as I cannot get any maize meal to put them in can I riddle off dust and put some groundbait in them...?