Dead maggots vs live
- Thread starter fishperch
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sam vimes
Well-known member
It depends on the venue and the stock of that venue. Deads are ideal for creating a carpet of bait that won't crawl away or bury itself in lakebed detritus. Ideal on big, low stocked stillwaters in pursuit of bream, tench and carp. I gather that they've become reasonably well used by match anglers on commercial pools, though I couldn't say exactly why.
It's a rare thing for me to use them. If I'm using maggots, I'm usually fishing for anything with fins, and often on a river. I prefer live maggots for that. I'm also loathe to deliberately kill live maggots that I've paid good money for. I rarely end up with loads of unused, waste or past their best maggots that I'm happy to shot in the freezer or pour hot water over. I'm also not keen on paying for the large quantities that people seem to be using when employing such feeding methods.
It's a rare thing for me to use them. If I'm using maggots, I'm usually fishing for anything with fins, and often on a river. I prefer live maggots for that. I'm also loathe to deliberately kill live maggots that I've paid good money for. I rarely end up with loads of unused, waste or past their best maggots that I'm happy to shot in the freezer or pour hot water over. I'm also not keen on paying for the large quantities that people seem to be using when employing such feeding methods.
Keith M
Well-known member
Same here
Apart from fishing the bottom over thick silt waiting for fish like Bream etc. to eventually turn up I can't really see the advantage of using dead maggots over other baits, especially on the waters that I fish.
Given a choice I would much prefer using fresh live maggots any day of the week.
When I am lying in wait for fish to turn up on a silty bottom I would usually be fishing over groundbait and/or particles anyway; and not dead maggots.
NB. I don't fish commercials where the fish may have become conditioned to dead maggots and are used to finding quantities of them on the lake bed.
Keith
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sagalout
Well-known member
Once upon a time I used to use live maggots and then I started to freeze any I had left over and putting them in me ground bait next time out. Then one day I went fishing on the spur of the moment and didn't have any live maggots so I used the ones from the freezer. They worked fine so now I use deads all the time because I find them more convenient.
I used to freeze them in small quantities in plastic bags and then take out as many bags as I wanted on the morning I went fishing (I thaw them in lake water when I get there) but now I freeze them in plastic peanut butter jars (half a pint per jar) and they freeze individually so they can be poured out of the jar allowing me to take what ever quantity I want.
I used to freeze them in small quantities in plastic bags and then take out as many bags as I wanted on the morning I went fishing (I thaw them in lake water when I get there) but now I freeze them in plastic peanut butter jars (half a pint per jar) and they freeze individually so they can be poured out of the jar allowing me to take what ever quantity I want.
I am with sagalout here. In a perfect world where the bait shop was just round the corner I would use live maggots more often. However for me there are two overiding reasons that I use frozen deads almost exclusively.
The cost of fuel to the nearest tackle shop makes them very expensive so bulk buying and freezing reduces this cost.
Being a tight wad I need less deads than lives as they do not bury themselves away.
They catch everything a live one will and that includes perch.
As a perk they are very soft when de frosted just as the fish like them!
Just remember to defrost in a tub of lake water and then leave them in there to prevent drying out.
The cost of fuel to the nearest tackle shop makes them very expensive so bulk buying and freezing reduces this cost.
Being a tight wad I need less deads than lives as they do not bury themselves away.
They catch everything a live one will and that includes perch.
As a perk they are very soft when de frosted just as the fish like them!
Just remember to defrost in a tub of lake water and then leave them in there to prevent drying out.
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C
chefster
Guest
I use live maggots,when trying to get bites,from anything on hard days,or fishing for small fish,and dead reds for carp,in conjunction with GB,or with a method feeder.Dead maggots seem less appealing to small fish,also you can cram 10 deads on a 16 hook,without fear of masking the point of the hook,and fish this as a standout bait over GB in the margins for big carp..Gaz
I've dabbled with dead maggots recently and found live maggots produced far more bites whilst fishing for silvers. Fishing with deads gave the impression that the swim was dead but resorting back to live maggots or worms produced almost instant action.
slaphead
Well-known member
I agree, but always freeze leftovers for use in groundbait or sometimes as a change on the hook.
a lot will depend on the waters that you fish,if a fish gets caught often enough on bait that has just been put in they can sometimes become wary of live bait ,most live bait will die if in the water long enough so fish may think if its dead its been in the water longer and not be so wary,
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
If you want a change of bait for the hook from live to dead maggot just roll one firmly on your foreleg or on the palm of your hand with your forefinger..
Saves killing a load of bait unnecessarily..
Saves killing a load of bait unnecessarily..
I agree with your ending statement, and thanks for the tip. Your method would take a lot of work to lay a bed of deads! if ideed that is a worthwhile method.
I use dead maggot occasionally but prefer fresh. Lucky enough to have more than one tackle shop nearby and they all keep bait in good nick.
If I happen to have both I usually put in deads with groundbait and try to keep feeding fish on the deck. Same for both rivers and stillwater. Not certainwhy but I don't like loosefeeding thawed out maggots. Especially if I haven't properly thawed them out again. Idiot ! for repeatedly turning up at a lovely local free stretch in the middle of winter and kill a swim before i start, watching in despair as 90% of my bait takes off downstream and out of site still without sinking. But something that wriggles like food for a roach, as well as looking and smelling like food has got to be first choice.
laguna
Well-known member
there's a lot to be said about maggots (but I'll keep it short)
When up in the water fishing for silvers they probably do work better than deads mainly due to the visual attraction of a live wriggly bait.
Live on the bottom doesn't appear to work as well, I believe this is due to the fact they often bury themselves or wriggle under debris also the ammonia content may have something to do with it being more concentrated at depth/pressure (a dead maggot doesn't excrete ammonia).
and temperature difference... I haven't yet worked out if a live maggot works best in winter on the bottom layer where its warmer? I suppose it depends on what your fishing for... I used to keep them in my mouth and free line them or on the drop with no shot until I swallowed a few.
Dead maggots are my preferred natural bait (casters have the same appeal in my experience), they can be preserved in natural extracts and flavoured/preserved in krill powder - devastatingly effective for carp and far better than frozen soggies!
When up in the water fishing for silvers they probably do work better than deads mainly due to the visual attraction of a live wriggly bait.
Live on the bottom doesn't appear to work as well, I believe this is due to the fact they often bury themselves or wriggle under debris also the ammonia content may have something to do with it being more concentrated at depth/pressure (a dead maggot doesn't excrete ammonia).
and temperature difference... I haven't yet worked out if a live maggot works best in winter on the bottom layer where its warmer? I suppose it depends on what your fishing for... I used to keep them in my mouth and free line them or on the drop with no shot until I swallowed a few.
Dead maggots are my preferred natural bait (casters have the same appeal in my experience), they can be preserved in natural extracts and flavoured/preserved in krill powder - devastatingly effective for carp and far better than frozen soggies!
Hmm,got me thinking,this. A load of mags in a block of ice which is somehow tethered in the head of the run you maybe trotting in, gradually melting and releasing a trickle of ground bait automatically. Might try this for grayling.
laguna
Well-known member
I had the idea of throwing out a tethered feed bag of groundbait and crushed particles in the margins of a large lake this summer... granted it wasn't frozen, but even without any flow it still attracted hundreds of crazy fish into the swim - boy did I bag-up that day!
Sounds like a modern twist on the old fly-blown sheeps head hung from an over-stream leaning branch!