There isn’t a fish in freshwater that won’t eat a maggot, they are a fantastic bait. From tiny Minnows to huge Carp, fish love nothing more than a fresh and wriggly maggot. Getting the most out of them depends a lot on how you hook them. Get it wrong and you might endure a frustrating day with lots of bites but no fish hooked or worse still, you don’t even get any bites at all. What you’re looking to acheive is hooking the maggot very lightly so it still wriggles enticingly in the water, just what the fish love! This simple guide will show you how to hook a maggot and get it right every time.
How to hook a maggot
- Grip the maggot in your weaker hand, I’m right handed so hold the maggot in my left hand.
- Ensure the blunt end of the maggot is exposed. Let one crawl on the palm of your hand, you’ll soon see the pointy end and the blunt end.
- Hold the hook with your stronger hand and guide it through the very end of the maggot.
- The maggot shouldn’t burst and should remain very lively.
Maggot facts
- Maggots are the larval stage of a fly. It’s like the hungry caterpillar story with a less glamorous ending.
- Most of the maggots we fish with will become the large Bluebottle flies we see buzzing around.
- The chrysalis stage of a maggots lifecycle is referred to by anglers as a “caster”. In the right conditions, they will then turn into a fly. Casters are also a great bait.
- To slow down the lifecycle of maggots and prolong your bair supply, keep maggots in a sealed container, with small air holes and in the fridge. This slows down their metabolism.
- Fisherman use different coloured maggots. The colurs are achived by feeding the maggots different coloured foods. They are what they eat!
Lessons
Join The School Of Fish for a lesson and we’ll make sure you’re hooking maggots and other baits in the right way to help you catch more fish.