Catch Bigger Carp Using the Maggot Rig
Big carp can often be caught using maggots because many carp anglers still wont use them due to the possibility of catching other nuisance fish, such as roach, perch or bream. Yes, it can be frustrating when after spending time setting a delicate maggot rig, a bream comes along and wakes me up in the middle of the night with its annoying, finicky takes. I do believe however, that using maggots on a lake where anglers don't use them often, is a great way to bank a monster carp.
Below is a maggot rig I have been using to catch carp. This is a critically balanced maggot rig, this means the buoyancy should be set so that the maggots sink slowly to rest gently on the bottom of the lake bed. This means that when a carp sucks at, or near the bait, the rig will be the first thing to shoot into the carps mouth. Balancing the carp rig means it will take some time to set it up properly, but once you have a few of these set up correctly at home you can simply clip them onto the rod quickly.
The great thing about this carp rig is that the number of maggots and the sponge together help hide the hook from wary carp as they approach from above. Scroll down to find out how to create this complex carp rig below!!
Creating the Critically Balanced Maggot Carp Rig
Step by step instructions
Firstly, I thread a round piece of coloured sponge onto the hair. The size of this piece should be enough to float 6-8 maggots. You want it to be slightly over-buoyant because you'll trim down the sponge after the maggots are threaded on, as shown in the picture below. I sometimes like to soak the sponge in a liquid attractant, especially the oil based types.
I use a Korda maggot clip threaded through the loop in the hair. I only add 6 maggots to the clip, I find any more than this makes it difficult to close the clip without squashing them until a few shoot off.
Fake Maggots Balanced Carp Rigs
You trim the sponge until the maggots critically balance on the bottom of the water. Cut off a little at a time, and take care not to cut your fingers. You must be patient doing this or you could cut off too much and it will sink to quickly. It will take a little practice to get it right. I always only add 6 maggots because I know how big the sponge piece should be to almost balance the rig immediately.
Testing the critically balanced maggot rig in water.
When the maggot carp rig is critically balanced I push the bottom of the maggot clip into the sponge, this causes the maggots to point upwards and outwards giving a much better presentation of bait. You can see the effect of this in the picture below.
Above is the finished maggot rig. I use a small lead shot to finely balance the rig. The maggot rig should be equally balanced that if you push the hook rubber down the shank of the hook it will cause the maggots to move closer to the bottom.
This maggot rig is very effective for catching big carp, I have caught numerous carp on this rig. It is especially effective when placed on top of a bed of dead maggot. These are the only maggots wriggling so they attract the carp to them, also the dead maggots cannot wriggle away exposing your rig.
Fake Maggot Carp Rig
Critically Balanced Rig Using Fake Maggots.
This is another version of the maggot carp rig but, it uses fake maggots to achieve the buoyancy. In certain situations this type can work best as the fake maggots are held more securely and the carp rig will last much longer. I never have to worry if the maggots have been pulled off by any smaller, nuisance fish. Also, the maggots cannot bury themselves into any silt and become hidden from any passing carp.
The beauty in using a critically balanced carp rig is that it becomes easier to shoot into a carps mouth when it sucks at, or around the rig. This makes it a little easier to catch wary carp. If you use a standard bait then the carp must suck up the bait plus the weight of the hook and clip. This does make a big difference to some carp and they will often know it's different to the surrounding free bait, this can be enough to spook some of the wiser, and bigger carp away from the baited area.
The sponge can also be used to add liquid smells to the rig for additional carp attraction.
You may find it better to make the hair shorter than shown in the illustration above!
Thread the fake maggots onto the clip. You can use varying colours to match the free maggots.
I always trim the sponge until I get perfect balance. Although, remember to test while the sponge in wet, in other words don't dry it after each test. A dry sponge is more buoyant than when its had chance to take on water. I often squeeze the sponge fully then gently release it under water in order to draw the water in. This is much quicker than leaving it to soak.
In the above photo you can see how it looks in water, the fake maggots are a few millimetres off the bottom. The rig is so buoyant that if any carp sucks at the bait or near it, the rig will fly into its mouth. If the hook is made to turn efficiently it will make this carp rig very effective for catching carp.
I always like to soak the rig in a liquid attractant for a few days so that the sponge absorbs plenty of flavour. I find an oil based flavour is best, especially one with light oil to make the flavour to travel upwards through the water and attract any carp passing above.
Or if you don't like using fake baits, why not combine them. Instead of all fake maggots why not add a little movement to the carp rig by adding a few real maggots.
In the photo above I added one red maggot on the left, it changes the buoyancy a little, but this can be best in certain situations, the real maggots enable the rig to sink that little further to touch the bottom. This can be much better if you spod out free maggots to induce the carp into feeding.
Critically Balanced Rubber Pellet Carp Rig
This carp rig is very versatile it can be used for single bait tactics, in heavy baited areas, or in PVA bag presentations. The rubber pellet is already buoyant so it just takes the correct weight combination of hook and shot to balance this carp rig correctly.
A balanced rig is more effective than a standard hooked bait because the carp doesn't have to pick up the extra weight of a heavy hook. A critically balanced pellet rig will be the first thing to shoot into a carps mouth as it sucks along the bottom.
How to Critically Balance the Pellet Carp Rig.
You can use lead putty to balance the pellet rig. I prefer to use a lead shot as I think it looks better. Also, if you think the pellet is still popping up that tiny bit too much, you can use the shot as a bait stop and remove the plastic stop. This will lower the top of pellet to make it act more like any other surrounding pellets spodded out in the area. Just make sure you have a shorter hair so the hook weight holds the bottom end of the pellet down as well. Also, make sure the non-toxic lead shot is held securely in place by squashing it tightly inside the hair loop.
The pellet rig in the picture above shows how it looks before balancing. I use a rubber pellet with a longer than normal hair. This was created to suit a certain fishing situation, the hair may work best if shorter than shown. I used a size 8 long-shank hook and tied a knotless knot using snakeskin material. I used lead putty to help sink the braid, and to help pull the hook point back downwards when in a carps mouth in order to prick the bottom lip faster.
The picture above shows the balanced pellet carp rig tested in water. It sticks up slightly at the top and so, may be a better presentation in soft silt. The silt will help to hide the hook and shot, and bring the pellet closer to the bottom, yet still giving it plenty of visibility for any passing carp.
If you don't like a shot visible you can always colour it to suit the bait using special permanent marker pens.
