At this time of year.

As a bait choice would you choose an inactive maggot due to the cold water, or a pinch of bread.

My vote is for the bread, what about you?

As I'm fishing a fast river where bread is difficult to keep on the hook and gets zero interest unless the chub turn up, I'd always go for the maggot.

On my home stretches of the Hampshire Avon then the bread is the "go to" winter bait.

Paste, flake, crust or punch all work well and seem to attract better than lifeless maggots.

Bread for me, usually in conjunction with the Drennan flake punch which helps to keep it on for a trot or two.............

Maggot no doubt at all

If the water temperature has been roughly around the 4 deg C mark for a couple of days and I'm fishing for silvers on a moving water my most productive bait has been Pinkies; or if I'm after Barbel then I've found red & white Maggot the most productive.
I occasionally keep a few maggots or pinkies in a small container inside my jacket for putting on the hook and will rebait after each cast or as soon as they have ceased wriggling.

Otherwise bread flake or small pieces of crust on the hook coupled with small pinches of crumbled and squeezed bread for feed has usually been a better choice for me when the temperatures have got really cold on moving waters.

When the temperatures get really cold on the stillwaters that I fish I've found that having a little life in my bait will sometimes tease an otherwise almost dormant fish into taking a bait, so I will usually prefer a pinkie on my hook in these conditions. (keeping a few hookbaits in a small tin inside my pocket, next to a pocket warmer if necessary).

NB: In days gone past; when the temperatures dropped through the floor; some match anglers used to keep a maggot or two underneath their tongue to keep them wriggling ready for the hook, but I don't think I could do that Lol.

Keith

Keith M said:

If the water temperature has been roughly around the 4 deg C mark for a couple of days and I'm fishing for silvers on a moving water my most productive bait has been Pinkies; or if I'm after Barbel then I've found red & white Maggot the most productive.
I occasionally keep a few maggots or pinkies in a small container inside my jacket for putting on the hook and will rebait after each cast or as soon as they have ceased wriggling.

Otherwise bread flake or small pieces of crust on the hook coupled with small pinches of crumbled and squeezed bread for feed has usually been a better choice for me when the temperatures have got really cold on moving waters.

When the temperatures get really cold on the stillwaters that I fish I've found that having a little life in my bait will sometimes tease an otherwise almost dormant fish into taking a bait, so I will usually prefer a pinkie on my hook in these conditions. (keeping a few hookbaits in a small tin inside my pocket, next to a pocket warmer if necessary).

NB: In days gone past; when the temperatures dropped through the floor; some match anglers used to keep a maggot or two underneath their tongue to keep them wriggling ready for the hook, but I don't think I could do that Lol.

Keith

Click to expand...

It was pointed out to me, at some time in the past, that a warmed-up maggot was more likely to contract into immobility, with the higher temperature difference causing a more severe thermal shock. I confess that I still don't know the truth of this (although the logic seems sound), but if the contraction of a gentleman's apparatus in cold water is anything to go by......

Derek

It depends on the swim, slow steady glide= Bread

Fast, pushing through= maggots

Bob

Being stuck on commercials it's either bread or pinkes. Bread by far out fishes pinkies, for that reason my first choice is always bread.
Can't say I use only a pinch though as I feed a small ball every cast by hand.
I always take a pint of liquidised bread and a couple of fresh slices for the hook. Half a pint of pinkies for a change bait only.

Keith M said:

In days gone past; when the temperatures dropped through the floor; some match anglers used to keep a maggot or two underneath their tongue to keep them wriggling ready for the hook

Click to expand...

Most of us will have heard this but I've never ever met anybody who's ever done it or even knows/knew someone that did. I reckon this is one of anglings "urban myths".

It's better to put them in the footwell of your motor that way they'll warm up en route to the fishing and will stay warm for quite a while.

Although it's bloody annoying when you walk to the river and realise you've left them in the car

I have been known to use bread but my prefered bait is maggots or maggots and corn used separately or as cocktailes.

I try to use both except when I put two slices in the microwave and then forget them!!

Just going a tad off thread here - I still believe that caster over hemp is the best gravel pit 'big' roach bait in even the coldest of weathers - even if you've got to break the ice first..............