Steve Lilly (17)
Steve Lilly8 Dec 11, 05:36 PM
November Maggots were starting to be introduced in mass quantises as the first couple of anglers using them in the middle of October had caught some of the bigger fish. For the amount of fish being caught on maggots to the amount going in was only small. On the other hand though the guys on boilies might as well been fishing on the A14! I was still confidant of getting one of the bigger fish on bait as the weather was warm and the fish had to get on bait at some time this year. My first trip in November I was in The Rota a peg noted for producing bigger fish at this time of the year. I washed out some Multiplex and soaked them in Corn Steep Liquor to add extra pulling power and to give the bait a safer look. I thought this might be something different and get me one. I hardly saw a fish and did not even get a liner a change of tactic was called for.
Multiplex washed out with CSL Liquid
Knowing that I should now be on maggots but being sponsored by a bait company I kept on boilies. I made up some 10mm pop ups and cooked some hemp I thought this would be a good middle ground. I kept mobile this week following showing fish and introducing a couple of small spods of hemp on a regular bases knowing that I could move back to these areas, if the fish started to show again.
My final night of this session I finished up in Chatroom the shallowest swim on the lake. I had seen a few fish showing tight to the reeds and the water was coloured so this was going to be the night it was all going to come together! NO I had fish showing over my baits in a few foot of water but still no takes. I thought it was finally time to bite the bullet.
20.04 Mirror carp and the new Richworth hat!
The following week I come prepared with maggots a gallon of frozen one`s and a couple of handfuls of live one`s for the hook baits. In the winter I am happy to introduce dead maggots as they are going to die as soon as they have been in the water a couple of minutes. You can usually get frozen maggots cheaper as the tackle shops usually freeze what they have left from the previous week. I paid £2 a pint from my local instead of £3. When you want to use your frozen maggots you can take them out the freezer the night before like you would boilies and they will be defrosted in the morning. Or you can put them in a bucket when you get to lake and add some lake water. In a couple of hours they will be ready to use.
I quick chat to Perry and the news from the weekend was 10 anglers on 10 anglers blanked! Wobbly was free and knowing that there were plenty of hard areas I would be able to fish 3 rods tight together and not have to put out to many maggots. I decided on introducing 20 spods to start with and 10 on a little and often bases. I created a very sloppy mix using the Lake XL plus which is orange in colour. This would create plenty of attraction and not be introducing to many freebies.
The following afternoon right on bite for winter 2.30pm I had a take. I cannot remember the last time I played a fish like such a tart. Soon a cracking 20lb mirror carp was in the net, well chuffed!!
No more action followed but I did have a few showing over my area so I could have been done. Rig wise was 25lb Nash Missing Link, Size 8 Nash Fanx X fished KD style and my maggots were attached to a tiny ring swivel via some bait floss I used 20.
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