casters question?

Hi, can anyone state why casters are better than maggots?
My mate big Al is no better/worse than me yet he nearly always outfishers me if I use maggots, ive tried all colours too even red ones to match his casters and he wipe the floor with me but when I was younger I remember maggots were better so somethings changed it seems???

So why do fish prefer casters? it is not just me because when I use casters (usually dont buy them just left to turn after a few days) my catch rate goes up and we catch about the same number of fish each so kinda makes me wonder whats difference between a maggot and a caster the one that wriggles should catch more fish surely?

The only thing I can think of is the amonia smell is less could this be the case?

You have just hit the nail on the head "maggots wiggle"..... When introduced as feed maggots wiggle away usually down into the river/pond bed out of sight of the fish. On the other hand casters just rest on the river bed waiting to be eaten. That is one of the reasons.

I have no scientific proof, but I bet the fat/protein content is easier metabolised by the fish.

I also think the caster will be less bulky in the fishes stomach, as the caster is mostly in liquid form once it's past the throat teeth - therefore the fish it likely to continue feeding for longer.

Finally, the other fish must be able to sense/hear the crunching of the caster by other fish - if it stimulates other fish, it will in turn evoke an increased feeding frenzy of the fish eating the bait - as there will be an increased level of competition for the remaining food.

Saying that - maggots can evoke a similar response, you just need to make sure you are fishing an area with a high population of fish. Last day of 2013-14 season, I was on a Yorkshire river. I knew there were plenty of fish in front of me. I also knew they were spooky fish (a match had been fished a few days before and the angler who's swim I proposed to fish - he had caught a couple of good chub first thing but the odd finicky bite thereafter). I arrived at around 6am, set up my rod and placed it in the rests. I then proceeded to catapult a pouchful of maggots, every 30 seconds for probably the first 1-2 hours - the chub were stimulated into a feeding frenzy......they were going mad on the far bank, with each introduction of fresh maggots.

I packed up BEFORE noon with 19 chub (almost all over 4lb with six over 5lb) and 3 grayling, for nearly 100lb - all on the float. I got through 8 pints of bait. I would estimate at its peek, there were 100 chub in front of me.


With regards to the effectiveness of casters. Last season, I was fishing on a large stillwater, I had caught 4 big bream and a couple of tench on the feeder - close in. All were caught on maggot and corn. The swim went quiet for a hour. As I was only fishing 2-3 rod lengths out, I decided to set up a float. I fed hemp and caster and a single caster in which I buried a size 16 super spade. I hooked into a 6lb+ tench on the first cast - great fight on float gear. I proceeded to catch numerous tench up to just under 8lb and a couple of double figure bream to boot. I doubt I would have caught any more fish if I had not swooped to feeding/fishing caster. Point on note: when I put maggot on the hook, all I caught were 2oz roach!!

As has already been mentioned, there could be loads of reasons. Part of the fun/challenge is finding out!

I remember when I started to float fish the Trent in the very late 1980s. THE bait at that time was bronze maggots.

I fished 1.1 Bayer hooklength to a size 20 hook and struggled to catch with any regularity. It wasn't until I changed to caster that my catches improved drastically (although my technique would have led to an improvement as well).

My assumption was therefore that casters were a 'better' bait than maggots...however, looking back, I now believe that it was more to do with the terminal tackle. At that time, the Trent was heavily match fished, and many of the roach and chub were 'well-educated', and demanded good presentation. A switch to 12oz Bayer and a size 24 saw even the catches I had been making with the caster pale in comparison. Quite a learning curve...

As Shaunfox demonstrated, it is important to combine presentation with feeding to maximise the overall effect on your catches. Sometimes 'clever' feeding can mitigate against a presentation that the fish may be wary of.

Thoughtful experimentation and practise will help no end, and after a while, you will begin to know what signs to look for. As good old Ivan Marks once said: "Change nothing and you will learn nothing - it's as simple as that"...wise words indeed.

Fishing with others also helps; that's why fishing in matches will lead to faster development in technique and understanding. Just think - if you hadn't been fishing with your mate, you wouldn't have been asking the question! Tight lines.

shaunfox
1. the caster is mostly in liquid form
yes they are liquid capsules of prteins, maybe tasty than maggots?
if my red maggot looks like a caster it makes no difference they know whats inside/best?

2 the other fish must be able to sense/hear the crunching of the caster by other fish
Thats original thinking

ravey
1. if you hadn't been fishing with your mate, you wouldn't have been asking the question! Tight lines.
Ive been fishing for years and never stop asking questions. I mostly fish with mates i dont drive so rely on them taking me I usually maggots as hookbait and risist buying casters its a habit to turn my own and its cheaper. A wriggling maggot on the hook you would think outfishers a dead one or a non moving caster but no.

I'm going with the crunch and cleaned casters in water are amonia free!

I have watched big Roach eating casters and for much of the time they would spit out the crushed cases......

Didn't someone post that a big Roach can only eat 10-12maggots in one feed??, if that is correct then 1 maggot must equate to the juice of dozens of casters?

I always used to taste my dogs food (not the tinned stuff mg before I paid for it and some would taste very stale and musty indeed.

Perhaps blackout should taste a few casters, in the interest of angling of course, to answer the question......for us all.......????

Over to you blackout :wh

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Interesting about roach eating 10-12 maggots. I've watched robins, they eat about 8-10 then that is it......for about a hour, then they are back for another fill.

---------- Post added at 07:52 ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 ----------

Wow!!! Lightbulb moment.

I have always wondered why I out fish people on almost all the waters I fish - when fishing lakes I generally always Spod in a load of casters (and hemp) at the start of the session. Hardly anyone feeds 3-4 pints of caster per session as they consider them too expensive and therefore go for a cheaper option.

I believe the fish are doing - what the observed roach are doing. Namely crunching up the casters and spitting out the empty cases. The cases are still attracting and keeping the fish grubbing around the swim.

I suggest you all try the caster feeding approach and see if it improves your catch rate.

shaunfox said:

Interesting about roach eating 10-12 maggots. I've watched robins, they eat about 8-10 then that is it......for about a hour, then they are back for another fill.

Click to expand...

My resident Robin usually stops after 5 or a max of 6 maggots (reds) even if there are more still wriggling on in the tray.
Like you he's back after half an hour or so for another 5/6 but thats his limit it seems.

The one we have at the LIF only manages around 3-4 before he's away.
But being a Chalkstream elitist maybe he regards himself as a bit special, certainly he consistently refuses the mealworms the Psycho's leave out for him

.

There's definitely something intriguing about "missed bites and empty shells"!

I think most of us have experienced an empty shell on our hook on retrieval at some point... casters are probably more palatable to a fish than maggot due to the transition between maggot/pupa/fly metamorphosis, a soup of tasty amino acids being reformed into a bluebottle.

Certainly easier to 'suck' the juice out of a fragile shell than a tough skin.

mick b said:

I have watched big Roach eating casters and for much of the time they would spit out the crushed cases......

Didn't someone post that a big Roach can only eat 10-12maggots in one feed??, if that is correct then 1 maggot must equate to the juice of dozens of casters?

I always used to taste my dogs food (not the tinned stuff mg before I paid for it and some would taste very stale and musty indeed.

Perhaps blackout should taste a few casters, in the interest of angling of course, to answer the question......for us all.......????

Over to you blackout :wh

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Click to expand...

taste em yeah right! :wh
I didnt know roach spat out the empty cases I wonder why they would do that? bit like the bears only eating the salmon brains in times of plenty

---------- Post added at 21:30 ---------- Previous post was at 21:25 ----------

and robins?
dont they just take a few in the beak and fly to the nest to feed chicks and then come for more tucker?
It would make a good experiement two bowls of table feed one with maggots wriggling and one with casters see which they (birds) eat the most of!

Different shade casters also have different sinking rates. Im pretty sure species like roach are sensitive to sinking rates and it needs to be as natural as possible - hence benefit of fine wire hooks.

A big advantage as has been pointed out already is that casters lie on the bottom. They also work a treat with hemp, for some reason.