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stop sucking my maggot!


PhilZenith

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Hi everyone.

 

Im a fairly new angler. Only being going about 12 months and learning as i go.

 

At present, im focusing entirely on float fishing, predominantly for silver fish.

 

I have this problem with missing bites. The fish seem to "suck" at the end of the maggots I have on my hookbait. When I reel in, and look at them, half of the maggot looks like its been sucked to death! maybe they are nibbling at it and im not striking quick enough?

 

I think someone mentioned to me once it was about the position of the maggot in the water.. it was either too deep or two shallow.

 

Any ideas anyone?

WTV

 

 

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First of all, welcome to AN Phil.

 

May I ask what BS of line you are using?

 

Sounds as though you may be fishing a tad over depth, or using a line a touch too heavy so that the fish can feel resistance when picking up the bait....

 

Andy :)

 

[ 09. May 2005, 05:20 PM: Message edited by: awaaar ]

"I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy."

 

- WC Fields

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Hi Phil, welcome to A.N. The most likely cause of a well sucked maggot is small fry or even the odd gudgeon, because they have difficulty getting all the maggot in the mouth. If you would like to find out the culprit I suggest you use a hook size 20 or less.

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There are quite a few things to try, some of which may be due to inexperience, but without us seeing you fish we can only make educated guesses like too much slack line. I'm sure you'll get plenty of other suggestions from Forum members!

 

However no matter how experienced we are, sucked maggots are a common problem. I say problem, but in reality they're a great help as they give us clues as to what changes to make.

 

The first one I'd try is to move the bottom shot closer to the hook. This will show bites more quickly, and often completely solves the problem.

 

How close should the shot be to the hook? Well it's all a matter of compromise and depends on a whole host of factors. If you overdo it though and move the bottom shot too close to the hook you won't get sucked maggots, but then bites won't develop properly and the fish won't take the maggot well enough for you to set the hook.

 

When teaching beginners on a commercial stillwater and fishing on the bottom I use a distance of 8" (20cms) as a starting point, and make adjustments from there. The bottom shot by the way will be no larger than a no.8.

 

I'd add that it's very rare for my bottom shot to stay in the same place throughout a session. I'm frequently changing it as outlined above depending on what the fish are telling me.

 

This is because the confidence of the fish is constantly changing due to a whole host of factors, not least your feeding, which incidentally is probably the most important thing to get right.

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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Sometimes decent roach or bream will suck maggots.

 

If you are float fishing then as a rough and ready guide, you need the nearest shot about a hand's span, (ie about 9") from your hook.

 

If you experience sucked maggots, especially if you are not seeing the bite, put the lowest shot nearer to your hook - say 6".

 

Another thing you could try is two maggots on a size 14. Thread one from blunt end to point, and slide it up the hook shsnk (difficult, as it may burst or wriggle back down the hook shank. If it does, try again) Once you have one up the shank, hook a second one the conventional way - lightly through the blunt end.

 

The two maggots then lie en echelon as it were, and are less easily sucked and rejected.

 

 

Make sure the float is well shotted down - a common beginner's fault is to have the float sitting up like a lighthouse. A lot of float showing means the fish has to work hard to pull it under and may well feel the resistance and let go.

 

Shot the float well down (ie put enough shot on)so only a half inch or less shows. It is more sensitive that way.

 

Also - plumb the depth carefully, and start with the lowest shot off the bottom, but the hook on the bottom.

 

Feed little and often (that's the fish, not the angler )

 

Do that, keep quiet and still, and you will soon be catching. Good luck.

 

[ 09. May 2005, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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On a lighter note,... not just maggots !

 

Our local used to put out little dishes of mixed peanuts, crisps, cocktail onions, gherkins, olives, etc on the bar.

 

"Stib", a toothless old boy in his nineties, loved the cocktail onions, but could not chew them. He would collar an ashtray, and make his way round the bar, collecting onions out of each dish, sucking them, and putting the discards in the ashtray.

 

Margot the barmaid would discretely empty the ashtray at intervals.

 

One evening a newcomer to the pub came in, saw the snacks on display - didn't see why Stib should hog all the onions, grabbed the ashtray and started noshing the sucked onions.....

 

We let him :D:D:D

 

[ 09. May 2005, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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thanx for all your suggestions lads.

 

after what your saying, im realising a few of my mistakes.

 

Im sure the number one culprit is slack line.

 

Out of 11 hours being at the venue, i must have done about 5 hours fishing! the amount of snags,knots plumbing depth problems i had would make most of you laugh! Especially when i took the spool off my reel to fix a snag.... only to watch it bounce along the wooden swim and plop into the water! i tried to retrieve it with my catch net but could quite get it. This then forced me to pull ALL THE LINE off the reel until i got to the knot that keep it on the spool and bring it up from the water! So obviously after that, i wound the line back on the reel by hand and im sure it wasnt put back on properly. I only have one other Daiwa reel which i didnt bother bringing with me as it had 8LB line on it for ledgering. The line that was put on the reel has always caused me problems really. I know its probably partly down to how i cast and keep control of the line but its always given me problems since day one. Someones suggested i try out a closed faced reel if i continue to have problems like im having, but im going to buy some new decent line first (suggestions welcome) and make sure its put on properly.

 

Apart from my line problems, i used 3 no.6 shots on my hook length..the first being about 6 inches away from my size 16 hook which i put 2 or three maggots on. i copied this set up from this months Improve your course fishing magazine for a typical still water fishery float fishing set up.

 

One thing im not sure that im doing right though is using a micro swivel to attach my main line to my hook length. is that a silly thing to do? i do it because its easier than making a loop at the end of my main line.

 

I also think i bought a 3lb hook length to attach to my 2.5lb main line!

 

I did catch myself 3 nice looking perch though, so not all was lost on the day!

 

Im really up for any suggestions so anyone have anymore for "better control" with float fishing, i would greatly accept!

WTV

 

 

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Phil, try hooking your maggots across the middle....as Cranfield once said on this subject.." it is probably the best single bit of advice you will ever get on a fishing forum"

 

 

good fishing,

Den

"When through the woods and forest glades I wanderAnd hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,And hear the brook, and feel the breeze;and see the waves crash on the shore,Then sings my soul..................

for all you Spodders. https://youtu.be/XYxsY-FbSic

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I had the same problem on Sunday with skimmers and small Roach Den and Cranfields advice sorted the problem even with 2 maggots on the hook PS I was legering and the bites became more agressive

 

[ 10. May 2005, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: rob.i ]

when you think you know everything think again....

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poledark,

 

sounds a great idea! do you just nip the skin like you do "through the eyes" or right through the body?

WTV

 

 

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