The A-B-C's of Maggot Fishing
I’ve gotten several PMs regarding maggots recently, so I thought I’d summarize some previous posts on maggot fishing and maggot care. There’s nothing here that I haven’t posted before. I just thought I’d combine some info into one post.
Maggot Sources
Grubco and Vados sell them.
http://www.grubco.com/
http://www.vadosbait.com/index.php
Vados sells maggots in different colors. Any color will catch fish, but I usually get plain white since they live longer. The dye they use to color the maggots shortens their lives. If you plan to use the maggots within 4-6 weeks, I don’t think it matters that much.
Maggot Care
You need to keep them refrigerated at around 34-35 degrees. I have kept them for up to three months, but that's pushing it. Two months is more realistic. A key to keeping them alive is this: do not let them dry out. I put them in a Glad food container and poke small holes in the top so air can get in. Then, I sprinkle water on the inside of the cover. The condensation provides some extra moisture. You do not have to feed them.
When you get the maggots, they may give off a strong ammonia smell. This is the bedding they're shipped in, not the maggots themselves. You need to change the bedding when you get them. Anytime there’s a strong ammonia smell, change the bedding. I use yellow corn meal for that. Use about half as much corn meal as maggots. (In other words, one half cup of corn meal to one cup of maggots.)
Maggot Fishing
First of all, I usually don’t fish them during the spawn. Maggots are such a primo bait, it’s a waste to fish them during the spawn, IMO. Spawn time is pretty easy fishing, and other baits work well. It’s like in football: if you’re up by 40 points late in the 4th quarter, there’s no need to have your starters on the field. That’s my take on the spawn, anyway. Maggots are my “ace in the hole” for other times.
It’s important to use light line and small hooks. I normally use 4# line with a 2-3# leader. I use #14 or #16 dry fly hooks. I realize that is much smaller than most people use, but it does make a difference. For the floats, I use English wagglers. Thill wagglers and Drennan wagglers are good substitutes and are readily available here in the US.
You don’t have to use a float, though. Tipping a jig with a couple of maggots will also work. However you fish, just go as small and light as you can with the hooks and line. For a good demo on the float method, check out the Youtube video below. This is almost exactly how I fish maggots for bluegills, trout, crappie, etc.
YouTube - Ian Heaps Fishing at Holgan Farm
That’s Ian Heaps in the video, a former English world champion. (Notice how he just lightly “skin hooks” the maggots so that they stay active.) He’s fishing with a maggot called a “pinkie”, the larva of the green bottle fly. The maggots sold by Grubco and Vados are the larvae of the blue bottle fly. That’s the only maggot I’ve ever used.
Just like in the video, I chum with maggots. This draws in fish and stimulates them to feed. (That’s another reason I don’t use them during the spawn: the fish are already concentrated and aggressive.)
If you have any questions, let me know.
