When it comes to targeting quality fish the humble maggot often finds itself sidelined during the warmer months in favour of more selective baits. That is particularly true on commercial fisheries, with pellets being so effective and convenient. However, when the cold weather arrives things change. It’s time for maggots to take centre stage!

When the days get shorter, the leaves have fallen and temperatures drop everything typically begins to slow down. Water clarity increases, the natural larder diminishes and fish become far less active as a result. This is when maggots really come to the fore.

Maggots are an easier offering to digest and you can feed far more of these wriggling grubs than high-protein alternatives. Being able to feed regular and reasonable amounts of bait can be the key to sparking a few fish to feed. Feed too many pellets and it’s all too easy to kill a swim, but that’s far less likely to happen with maggots. The attractive wriggle of a maggot can often tempt a reluctant fish. What’s more they attract everything, so you don’t miss out on vital extra bites from silverfish – or even the big perch that you’ll never see with a pellet on the hook.