A Maggot Question

[peterjg]

I live down sarf (Hampshire) and maggots are £3.50 per pint. Fortunately there are other better alternatives: bread, wheat, hemp, pasta, etc. Maybe Northerners use maggots cos they like tiddler snatching?

 

[rayner]

Gudgeon and pinks are a favourite target. Bread is for chips.

 

[INearlyCaughtOne]

Well in the end I've started to riddle them good and then used porridge as a base to sit them in. Seems very absorbant and they last a while on the bank. So, I guess I have the answer. Buy cheap, riddle and use...

 

[markcw]

I live down sarf (Hampshire) and maggots are £3.50 per pint. Fortunately there are other better alternatives: bread, wheat, hemp, pasta, etc. Maybe Northerners use maggots cos they like tiddler snatching?

I'm one of the Northerners that has caught more bigger fish than tiddlers on maggots, And the same since moving to Oxford.
As the saying goes " It ain't wot you do do..It's the way that you do it"

 

[108831]

If your shops all put their prices up would you pay,I am fortunate as to where I source my maggot,but during the warmer weather I rarely use a maggot,my own fishing usually rarely entails going without using two pints,obviously dependant on conditions and venues....
As for size of fish on maggot,i've caught many big fish on maggot,during the warmer months on the majority of venues I fish,small fish are an issue,if you want to be slightly more selective different baits are the way forward,years ago this wasn't the case...

 

[peterjg]

Totally confused (nothing new there!). If I use maggots I catch smaller than average roach but if I use bread, wheat, hemp, etc the roach are bigger - but just to confuse things further I caught my PB roach of 2lbs 8ozs on a maggot. Maggots are for cold weather and tiddler snatching?

 

[no-one in particular]

I don't use maggots any more, certainly they can catch big fish but generally I find I catch a lot of small fish on them. I just couldn't be bothered with that any more and the expense and all the other things that go with them and there are so many alternatives that are easier and cheaper, store easier as well and no smell; and catch big fish.

 

[rayner]

It depends on how they are fed, A constant supply of maggots going in the swim typically sends Ide, F1s and chub crazy. They all want to get their share. If I use maggot or caster that would be all I take. Of course on commercials where there are fish to catch. Not enough feed means the fish will find where feed is. They are conditioned to find the feed.
Generally, maggots are for winter and spring, casters for summer. For me that is.

 

[INearlyCaughtOne]

@markkg I second that one mark, I seem to get plagued with really small fish using maggots but it can be an exciting day of fishing. Ever know and again something a bit bigger comes my way and it makes it all worthwhile.

 

[markcw]

I

Totally confused (nothing new there!). If I use maggots I catch smaller than average roach but if I use bread, wheat, hemp, etc the roach are bigger - but just to confuse things further I caught my PB roach of 2lbs 8ozs on a maggot. Maggots are for cold weather and tiddler snatching?

Had a 15lb carp ,a 12lb carp and a 6.8lb tench on maggots, everyone else struggled.
Bread and pellets and corn are usually good baits on this water, I tried maggots as a change of bait because I had a couple of pints to get rid of and a prior venue was full.
There is one water down this way where a gallon of maggots is needed to win a match, they outfish other baits, weights of 150lb are not uncommon.

 

[Keith M]

I often trot small streams and rivers with a bunch of red and white maggots when I'm after barbel and chub and they often out fish other baits that I trot with.

However when I'm fishing stationary on the riverbed when the fish are not having to intercept them as they drift pass them then I often find that other baits can be more successful for the larger fish.

I think it depends entirely where you are actually fishing; if you are fishing a swim or venue which is full of small fish then you'll catch small fish on them; I don't think they will sort out the big or the small fish, they are just a universal bait.

Keith Speer was always buying a few pints of red and white maggots in my local tackleshop when he was going to be trotting on the local river; and he was always catching large fish.

I've also fished places; usually in the summer months; where maggots were just being ignored, but a change to smaller pinkies would provide some great catches and not only for small silvers either.

Keith

 

[chevin4]

I mainly use maggots as a winter baits on the rivers. Sometimes I will use maggots in a feeder for tench and on the hook but for me worms and casters seem to sort out the bigger fish.

 

[108831]

I've caught loads of big fish on maggot,summer and winter,however the venue has to suit them,fishing caster is the same and as Hugh knows,casters do have have to be of a good quality,otherwise you may as well use cow dung,these days small fish seem to be more of a problem than they were a few years back which also dictates whether maggot is an option,or not...

 

[Andydj]

We have the same issue where I live Phil,we used to have a glut of tackle shops selling maggots,now we have two locally,both selling sh1t maggot that comes straight from the bait farm,they never see a riddle,the guy asks if you want maize on them and when you tell him there is no point as i'm going to sieve and riddle the crap off before putting fresh maize on he looks quite miffed,as if insulted,lol....

I can remember when tackle dealers took pride in their maggots. My local tackle dealer (long since departed) used to show you how good his bait was before putting the lid on your box.
Now it is seen as a bloody nuisance and not worth the trouble by many.
I can also remember the days before you could even by maggots in my local (seaside) town.
I used to breed my own behind my dad's shed .... until he caught me!

 

[108831]

Certain tackle dealers had excellent bait back in the day,but boilies and pellets don't need looking after,what annoys me how certain areas get far better bait than here yet pay a lot less,taking the pee or what...

 

[The Sogster]

Certain tackle dealers had excellent bait back in the day,but boilies and pellets don't need looking after,what annoys me how certain areas get far better bait than here yet pay a lot less,taking the pee or what...

I pay £2.70 a pint for excellent quality from an independent tackle shop which still turns it own casters. I would never buy from AD or the big tackle chains.

Andy, all shops I know of oop North display their maggots under the counter. Sounds like a southern problem.

 

[108831]

Having a tackle shop problem period here,none about....

 

[mikench]

Apart from the name my local AD is the same as it's previous incarnation; same staff ,but more of them, same products but more carp stuff and the same maggots on display next to the checkout for all to see. They have gone up though from less than £2 a pint to nearly £3.

 

[Newbie74]

People add different flavours and spices to there maggots once riddled and dried Apparently they can last a very long time in the fridge .

 

[108831]

Maggots last up to four or five weeks in the fridge in winter,maybe more,but by the end of that time the maggots shrink and are a poor relation to the bait you bought....