It is difficult to meet an angler who does not use maggots as bait. It is these larvae that have good catchability and allow you not to be left without fish even on the worst day. Below you can familiarize yourself with the features of choosing maggots, methods of breeding them at home, as well as subsequent improvement and storage.
There is never too much maggots - both bait and groundbait
Maggot: what kind of larva, types and habitats
Maggot is the name given to the larva of a blowfly, the length of which reaches 4-12 mm. In the wild, the larvae feed on stale meat and fish waste. They can be found in garbage pits and sewage. The larvae are mobile, so they can crawl into any, even the smallest holes.
For a long time, maggots for fishing were imported in large quantities from North Africa, since it is in these countries that a large amount of waste is observed. That is why maggots are often called African and Kenyan flies.
There are several varieties of blowfly larvae, differing in color and size characteristics. The most popular in our country are:
- Gazers . Their weight can reach 220 mg. Such individuals are used for catching large fish. They pupate quite quickly.
- Magates , whose weight is in the range of 100-110 mg.
- Pinkies painted pink. The larvae of this species do not pupate for a long time.
Note! Maggots can be used for fishing with float and bottom tackle.
Maggot as bait and groundbait
Blowfly larvae are actively used by fishermen as bait for catching various types of peaceful fish. They can be baited in a bunch or one at a time, and also used to make a sandwich (maggot is good in combination with barley, worms, bloodworms or corn).
In addition, the larvae are added to the bait mixture, having previously crushed the individuals or poured boiling water over them so that they do not crawl. The aroma of white larvae attracts the attention of even well-fed fish.
How to get blowfly larvae and prepare them for fishing
Finding maggots is not difficult. They live in garbage dumps, cesspools, livestock farms, near slaughterhouses and meat processing plants.
If you need to get larvae directly while fishing, you should dig a small hole near the pond and place pieces of fish in it.
Flies flying by will lay eggs on the fish. After a day, larvae will begin to appear from the eggs, which need to be cleaned and placed in dry sawdust. This method is used in the warm season.
In winter it is much more difficult to obtain larvae. You can purchase them at a fishing store or breed them at home.
How to prepare maggots for the winter
Maggots, if you really need this bait, can be prepared for the winter. A bottle with dark glass and a wide neck is perfect for this.
At 40% of the capacity, you should pour sand mixed with sawdust into the bottle, then place the larvae there to the very top, cap it with a stopper and mix thoroughly, shaking the bottle. The bottle should be wrapped in a rag and placed in a plastic bag, which is sealed with hot scissors.
After this entire procedure, place the bag in the freezer of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then wrap it in some rag and put it on the balcony in the darkest corner.
If the rules outlined above are followed correctly, maggots will withstand temperatures down to -30°C.
When you get ready to go fishing, just pour as much of it as you need into a small bottle, closing it with a stopper with small holes, and place it in your pocket, where it will gradually come to life. You can't suddenly bring it into the heat. Also, you can’t put unused larvae back after fishing.
Storage Features
The shelf life of the larvae depends on environmental conditions. If the conditions are comfortable, the individuals will become pupae in just 48 hours. In order to keep maggots alive for as long as possible, it is necessary to keep them in a room where the temperature reaches 0 or +1°C.
During the warm season, it is recommended to store the larvae in the refrigerator. First you need to wash and dry them, then cover them with a layer of sawdust or flour/bran. Before use, you need to keep the individuals in the sun for 5 minutes.
Storage methods
Fresh maggots have delicate skin; if you pierce them, the insides will simply flow out. Therefore, you need to purchase it a couple of days before fishing to give it time to brew.
It is best to store larvae in the refrigerator. The temperature should be positive, close to zero. Maggots, photos of which you can see in the article, with this method of storage become motionless and fall into torpor. Their life processes slow down. In this state they can be stored for up to two months.
How to separate the living from the dead
Dead larvae negatively affect the safety of living ones. In order to separate live maggots from dead ones, you need to pour them into a colander and place it on top of a container with high sides. The living ones will quickly crawl through the holes and remain in a deep container. The rest can be thrown away.
It is important to separate living larvae from dead ones.
How to breed maggot at home, how to make it “tasty” for fish
Before you start breeding blowfly larvae, you should prepare a large plastic container. The ideal option would be a bottle with a volume of 2 liters.
Step by step process
- The container is cut into 2 halves.
- A layer of fine dry sawdust or river sand is poured into the bottom of the bottle.
- The lid is removed, and the upper part of the container is shortened and inserted into the lower part so that the neck is located at the bottom.
- The insides of fish or beef liver are placed in an inverted neck.
- The trap is taken outside and left in an area well lit by sunlight.
- Soon the flies will begin to lay eggs on the bait. As soon as the clutches are clearly visible, it is worth moving the container to a shaded place and wait until the larvae appear.
It usually only takes a few days for the eggs to hatch into small white larvae. They will actively feed on the rotten entrails of fish or beef liver and will soon fall through the neck onto the sawdust/sand. The maggots will not be able to get out of there. If there are a lot of them, you can pour them into a larger container. The larvae need to be fed stale meat and fish.
Advice! If you want to get colored maggots, you need to mix their food with food coloring of the desired shade.
How to clean and wash maggot larvae
If the maggot is poorly cleaned, it is necessary to wash it in water with the addition of a small amount of liquid soap, which does not contain fragrances. After washing, the larvae are rinsed in clean water and dried in sawdust. If there is a need to rid individuals of the blackness inside, it is worth moving them to a container filled with cottage cheese for several hours.
Note! After cleaning, the maggots become elastic and stay on the hook for a long time, attracting the attention of the fish with vivacity.
Maggot at home. Growing methods
Fly eggs can be obtained in two ways:
- The summer option is obtained from the substrate, that is, from fresh fish. You just need to leave the fish in the sun for a few hours. The substrate, aged in this way, with the released fly eggs, should be placed in a jar with sawdust and placed in a cool, dry place. After about seven days, maggots will appear. They will completely leave the substrate and move into the sawdust. The remains of the substrate should be thrown away unnecessarily, the remaining larvae should be sown and placed in fresh sawdust. Unpleasant odors associated with cultivation will disappear within 3 days.
- A winter option is growing in gauze nets. Cover the flies with a gauze net and feed them under the net. There they will definitely lay eggs, from which white worms with hard skin will subsequently emerge. The main disadvantage is the laboriousness of catching the flies themselves and maintaining the appropriate temperature for their normal functioning. On average, flies begin to lay eggs from 3 to 6 days from the start of feeding. The substrate is prepared in the same way as in summer, only they use another heat source rather than the sun.
Mature maggots should be kept at temperatures close to freezing to slow down their pupation process. The most suitable and reliable place for them is the refrigerator. Room temperature has a beneficial effect on the development of larvae, so within three days they become pupae. To obtain larger specimens of larvae, it is necessary to add fresh substrate in the middle of their development, which should be without fly eggs.
Breeding maggots at home is dangerous to human health, so you must follow strict rules, which include personal hygiene and care in handling them. If you do not follow the prescribed rules, you can expose yourself to the risk of contracting various diseases.
How to cook larvae
The color of boiled maggots is intense, which attracts the attention of even well-fed fish. To cook the larvae, you need to pick them out of the sawdust and put them in boiling water. The cooking process should last 3-4 minutes.
Larvae that remain floating on the surface after a specified period of time are not suitable for bait. They can be added to the bait mixture. Individuals that sink to the bottom of the pan can be used as bait.
In order to give the larvae a pleasant aroma, it is worth pouring a small amount of sunflower oil over them.
Advice! Boiled larvae can be stored in the refrigerator.
How to store maggots while fishing
If you are planning a short fishing trip, keeping maggots alive will not be difficult. A deep container is filled with sawdust and the larvae are released into it. Cover the container with a lid and move it to a shaded area. To maintain an acceptable temperature, you should cover the container with spruce branches.
If a fisherman goes to a pond for several days, it will be difficult to keep the maggots alive. In this case, the container is buried in the coastal soil or lowered into the water, having previously taken care of its secure fixation (the container is tied to a load or boat).
To extend the life cycle of the larvae, it is necessary to remove sawdust from the box and rinse the individuals under water. After this, the maggots will need to be dried in the shade, removing the pupated ones.
When going fishing in the cold season, you should take care that the larvae do not freeze. It is best to store them in the inside pocket of your jacket.
How to freeze and preserve maggots for fishing - instructional video:
Where to get, or how to get, maggots for fishing in the summer
Unhygienic and hazardous mining method
It is no secret that some fishermen collect maggots from dead animals. Probably, this method has the right to exist, but the risk of infection is very high
Maggot from an egg
I do this. I take 1-2 chicken eggs, carefully remove the shell from the top, put the eggs outside in the shade for about 1-2 days, in places where there are flies. After this, I move the eggs indoors (for example, a garage) and wait for the process. After 1-2 days, maggots will make themselves known. All you have to do is wait until they reach the size you need, move them into a container with clean sawdust and place them in the refrigerator for storage (I don’t freeze maggots, although this is possible). When you obtain maggots in this way, it turns out clean, white, and plump. It's nice to hold it in your hands.
Nozzle methods
In order for fishing to please you with a good catch, you should correctly place the larvae on the hook. Experienced fishermen recommend making a puncture in the head area at the level of the eyes. In this way, it is possible to engage longitudinally the entire body or a specific part of it.
The skin of the larva is dense, so it is difficult to puncture with a blunt sting. It is important to use sharp hooks. Below you can find out the main methods for planting maggots.
Method No. 1
To fish for crucian carp, roach, bleak, rudd and medium-sized perch, you should put one larva on the hook. To prevent it from spreading when pierced, you should bait it by the tip of the head so that the body hangs down. The hook tip can be hidden or left bare. A fish that takes the bait will also take the hook.
Method No. 2
If you want to catch a large fish, you should put a whole bunch of larvae (3-5 pieces) on the hook. The sting is baited with maggots, one at a time, by the tip of the head. Large fish are unlikely to refuse such a delicacy.
How to put a maggot on a hook and put it on a jig - a visual photo
Hooks for fishing with maggots
The choice of hook depends on the specific object being fished; here the rules remain the same. But there are a number of features related to how to attach maggots for fishing. The basic requirements are:
- The size is small, depending on the number of maggots on it it can vary from 20 to 14 numbers, although for large fish numbers up to eight are required
- Ideal sharpening When piercing the body of a maggot, one must understand that safety can be ensured only with care, without serious damage
- The presence of a barb on the shank of the hook will prevent the bait from slipping and being removed by the fish.
Read! Catching chub with a cockchafer
The methods of planting maggots themselves are fundamentally different. For one end from the side of the head and through the entire body. For a large object, a so-called “pie” of several larvae is planted. But if you are taking maggots for the first time, it makes sense to practice a little before going out onto the pond. And don't forget about feeding!
Ways to improve bait: how to flavor and improve the appearance of maggots
If a good bite is not observed for a long time, it is worth trying to change the color of the bait or give the bait a different aroma. In order for the maggots to acquire a crystal white hue, you can add pieces of napkin soaked in egg white to the container with the larvae.
You can color maggots yellow using paper napkins that have been previously soaked in yolk. To make maggot larvae turn red, fishermen recommend adding a small amount of chopped beets or ground bloodworms to the container.
How to paint a maggot red:
Note! The methods for painting maggots that were listed above are not durable. After 24 hours, the larvae will acquire their natural shade.
The bait can be given an aroma that attracts fish if you add other components to the container with the larvae: eggs, worms, bloodworms, beets, carrots, strawberries, etc.
In cases where there is no bite for a long time, it is worth offering the fish a sandwich. To do this, the maggot is placed on a hook together with a dung beetle or bloodworm.
Maggot under a microscope:
A bunch is an effective way to plant larvae
There is another effective way to plant larvae, which is called a “bundle”. This will require a larger hook. Maggots are attached to it using the same method as described above, that is, several larvae are strung along the edge of the flesh at once. Correct placement will ensure the mobility of all maggots that are located on the hook. Thus, the bunch becomes an attractive bait for fish.
The disadvantage of this option is the following point. When fishing is carried out with a fishing rod and reel, when the equipment is reeled in for a long time, the leash becomes twisted, due to the fact that the bait acts as a propeller.
When catching small fish, there are situations when you can catch several fish with one gnawed bait. In this case, in order not to waste time replacing the bait, maggots can be planted by making a puncture in the body with a hook directly in the center, along an imaginary axis.
Fishermen often camouflage large hooks. They pierce a couple of larvae along the axis and slide them onto the hook and shank. The outermost larva is caught by the edge of the head. Then the hook tip is released a little.
How to use larvae as bait
Maggots can be used not only as bait, but also added to the bait mixture. To do this, the larvae are crushed and mixed with bait. The resulting mixture is added to the feeder. The aroma emanating from the crushed maggots will attract the attention of the fish.
Maggots are considered the best fishing bait that can be used at any time of the year. Even well-fed roach, bleak, crucian carp and carp bite perfectly on the larvae.
The most important thing is to purchase young individuals who are the most mobile. Having baited the larva correctly, you can be sure that your day of fishing will not be in vain. Don't be afraid to experiment. You can paint the larva in various shades and give them a special, unique taste. The fish will never refuse such bait. May victory always be on your side in a battle with stubborn and cunning fish!
Why do fish bite on maggots?
It should be understood that maggots are not a permanent inhabitant of water bodies, so some fish probably do not perceive them as a source of food. In such cases, it is necessary to accustom the fish to bait by using maggots as bait. This trick increases catches significantly.
Maggot is a soft bait of natural origin, therefore it is a real delicacy for fish, but the inhabitants of the rivers are very careful and picky in their choice of food, because fishermen constantly visit them. There is one trick: if you paint the larvae brown, they cease to arouse suspicion, and the fish rushes to feast on such an attractive bait.
It is important to know that maggots are attractive to fish only in warm weather. On cold autumn and spring nights and days with such bait, a sharp decrease in catch can be noted. At this time of year, the best option would be to replace maggots with other baits. For example, babka, bloodworm, shitika and others.
If, however, fishing takes place in cold water, then it is best to use small larvae, small hooks and light floats. Accordingly, such recommendations are only suitable for catching small fish. This trick will help to significantly increase the number of bites.
