Dead maggots

[john step]

I got a bait fridge for last Christmas from my sandwich maker. Up to then for the last couple of decades I always used deaduns from the freezer as the tackle shop is about 40 miles return.
I may have caught more on live ones who knows but I did catch on deads. The jury is still out on whether I am catching more on lives.

 

[nottskev]

It's not really an either/or thing, is it? Putting small packs of bait you'd have chucked out in the past in the freezer is no trouble. Nor is taking some with you to likely waters as an option. You can then settle which is better on the bank rather than in advance.

 

[rayner]

The same idea has you Alan I believe the wriggle of maggot is incidental. I know some believe that maggots are more effective if they do indeed wriggle. I am not so bothered if they wriggle or not I doubt fish are bright enough. What does make a difference is that maggots left stationary on the bottom need twitching, when float fishing in still water a lift of the float can induce a bite. That works just as well with a dead maggot as lives.
Lives definitely fire better with a catapult.

 

[RMNDIL]

I'm not sure the 'wriggle' makes much difference in fast flowing water as a maggot races away down the swim. Especially in winter & cold water. But maybe it does.

 

[Morespiders]

Put them in a pan of water warm the water until they stop moving job done ?

 

[S-Kippy]

Put them in a pan of water warm the water until they stop moving job done ?

Not sure Mrs S would approve if she caught me doing that !

 

[mikench]

My divorce would be expensive.

 

[john step]

My divorce would be expensive.

You know what they say..."Love is grand. Divorce is many grand"

 

[S-Kippy]

Mrs S is welcome to half my dead maggots.....though at the moment I cant seem to kill the damned things. Ive been fridging them for days,keeping them in water on the bank and yet still they revive.

Might have to try poaching them a la Spiders.

 

[Morespiders]

Mrs S is welcome to half my dead maggots.....though at the moment I cant seem to kill the damned things. Ive been fridging them for days,keeping them in water on the bank and yet still they revive.

Might have to try poaching them a la Spiders.

Ever so slow though to much and they go long and lank

 

[RMNDIL]

at the moment I cant seem to kill the damned things. Ive been fridging them for days,keeping them in water on the bank and yet still they revive.

Might have to try poaching them a la Spiders.

Just freeze the things in a poly bag (More than 24 hours) and then thaw out in water. It's really simple/ Works EVERY time.

 

[S-Kippy]

Not for me it doesn't. Last time I did that I had a box full of horrible stretched skins....hence this thread.

 

[rayner]

There are several ways to murder maggots, hot water does indeed work well.
Maggots after killing them with hot water are not the best in my opinion. They appear a little stretched for my liking.

 

[nottskev]

There are several ways to murder maggots, hot water does indeed work well.
Maggots after killing them with hot water are not the best in my opinion. They appear a little stretched for my liking.

The trick is to raise the temperature gradually. Too hot and they stretch and blanche. I put them in a plastic bag, put the bag in warm water and gradually add water from a boiled kettle, giving them a bit of time between top-ups. They come out prize-winners, if I say so myself.

 

[rayner]

I know how to cook maggots in a slow way but is it really necessary, just depriving them of oxygen gives a lifeless maggot that can not come around if they are put in water as soon as the bag is opened, it produces a maggot in the best condition.
In my opinion, my bag technique is the only way for me.
Like I said there are several ways to top them all work, so long as anglers are happy with the end product is enough.

 

[nottskev]

Keeping them in water is fine if it fits with how you're fishing. Sometimes I want to put dead maggots in a feeder with a dry-ish mix, and a bunch of wet deads turns the groundbait to mush. Similarly, I don't like putting wet maggots in small balls of groundbait. Hence my preference for slowly poached.

 

[rayner]

How do you dry maggots when they have been killed in the water Kev, do you keep dead maggots dry, if you do, do they not go black.

 

[nottskev]

I probably didn't explain it well. I put them in a bag, take the air out and knot it, and put the bag in a bowl, added the hot water a bit at a time. So they don't get wet to begin with. In use. I take out enough for a short while and they don't degrade before I've used them. They also seem less inclined to blacken than ones that have been frozen, but then many things change their consistency when frozen.

 

[108831]

Keeping them in water is fine if it fits with how you're fishing. Sometimes I want to put dead maggots in a feeder with a dry-ish mix, and a bunch of wet deads turns the groundbait to mush. Similarly, I don't like putting wet maggots in small balls of groundbait. Hence my preference for slowly poached.

 

[sam vimes]

The best results I've had involved watertight bait boxes, live maggots, a good covering of water and a freezer. No maggots remained alive after that, but they are in superb condition. Just let them defrost naturally in the water they are frozen in.