Dead maggots for trotting?

[Huanzhou Zhu]

Well, with my local tackle shop closed, I am in a position where I have to buy the maggots online. It is more financially efficient to buy a 1/2 or a gallon, but that's more than what I need for a session, and I've been banned from putting the maggots in the fridge, so I have to put them in my bait freezer. Does anyone have experience trotting with dead maggots? And how did it go? Thanks.

 

[Bob Watson]

Never done it intentionally but they're probably as good as live if killed fresh and not stinking. Trotting them gives the fish little chance of rejecting them.

Little tale;

Back in the 90's a mate and myself bought a few pints of maggots for trotting a section of the swale. Turned up, few false trots to get a clear run through, baited up with maggots every trot but no bites. After a while I noticed maggots passing by on or near to the surface, my mate was about 40yds upstream of me. I threw a few maggots in the margins and most of them floated.

I shallowed up to as near to the surface as I could and had a proper red letter day catching chub after chub every cast.

Went into Frankie Flynns tackle shop the next week and told him the maggots were floating, he looked a bit abashed and admiitted he'd had a flood in the bait cellar just before we bought them and his bait trays were soaking.

 

[Alan Palmer]

I had a situation couple of yrs back when I bought a gallon of mags for a trip to the Trent but plans changed and couldn’t go, I gave a few pints away and kept half but no fridge to keep them in. I kept them in tubs inside a large thick walled polystyrene box with a few ice packs. Once a day I lifted the lid off and replaced the ice packs - the maggots were still in perfect condition 2 weeks later….and this was in summer! If you can’t get a poly box then maybe an insulated food/picnic box?? Admitted it’s not a long term solution but I reckon good for 2-3 weeks

 

[Bob Watson]

If you suck the air out of the bags they come in, they go comatose and can be cold stored for a good while. They look dead when you open them but they come round after a while. Also make sure they're in good condition and not stinking before you do this.

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

If you suck the air out of the bags they come in, they go comatose and can be cold stored for a good while. They look dead when you open them but they come round after a while. Also make sure they're in good condition and not stinking before you do this.

I had a situation couple of yrs back when I bought a gallon of mags for a trip to the Trent but plans changed and couldn’t go, I gave a few pints away and kept half but no fridge to keep them in. I kept them in tubs inside a large thick walled polystyrene box with a few ice packs. Once a day I lifted the lid off and replaced the ice packs - the maggots were still in perfect condition 2 weeks later….and this was in summer! If you can’t get a poly box then maybe an insulated food/picnic box?? Admitted it’s not a long term solution but I reckon good for 2-3 weeks

Good advice, thanks guys. I will definitely try to keep them alive as long as possible.

I do have a few poly boxes that I use as wormery, and there must be one or two spare ones. I will definitely try the ice bag, and make sure there’s no air in the bag.

 

[Ian Woods]

Well, with my local tackle shop closed, I am in a position where I have to buy the maggots online. It is more financially efficient to buy a 1/2 or a gallon, but that's more than what I need for a session, and I've been banned from putting the maggots in the fridge, so I have to put them in my bait freezer. Does anyone have experience trotting with dead maggots? And how did it go? Thanks.

I'd get an old fridge for them rather than freeze them.

In my experience dead maggots aren't anything like as good a bait as live ones. As soon as the maggots on my hook stretch out I swap them for fresh ones and proceed to catch fish .

 

[Bob Watson]

Good advice, thanks guys. I will definitely try to keep them alive as long as possible.

I do have a few poly boxes that I use as wormery, and there must be one or two spare ones. I will definitely try the ice bag, and make sure there’s no air in the bag.

This advice comes from anglers travelling to Ireland 30 or 40 years ago when you struggled to find maggots when you were over there. They sacked gallons up for days for the duration of the travel and got them out in portions that suited their stay.

 

[Ian Woods]

If you suck the air out of the bags they come in, they go comatose and can be cold stored for a good while. They look dead when you open them but they come round after a while. Also make sure they're in good condition and not stinking before you do this.

I think you have to give them some air every 24hrs, or maybe 48hrs using that method to preserve them?

 

[Bob Watson]

I think you have to give them some air every 24hrs, or maybe 48hrs using that method to preserve them?

Which? 24 or 48?

 

[Mark Harridence]

I've followed the approach Bob suggested and found it's worked great, without giving them any air, just keeping them in the air tight bag. I picked the tip up off the late great Jan Porter.

 

[Ben Marr]

Just get your own fridge so swmbo is happy. I buy a gallon at a time and can keep them for weeks no problem in open containers in the fridge with minimal work.

 

[Ian Woods]

Which? 24 or 48?

I don't know, "I think" when I bought some in a plastic bag from the local tackle shop they told me to give the magg's a breather for an hour or so every day.
They may have told me to give them an hour or so of air every 48hrs I can't remember, that's why I posted to give them air every 24/48 with a question mark.
I'm sure a quick google or call to a tackle shop would give the answer.

 

[Huanzhou Zhu]

I'd get an old fridge for them rather than freeze them.

In my experience dead maggots aren't anything like as good a bait as live ones. As soon as the maggots on my hook stretch out I swap them for fresh ones and proceed to catch fish .

Just get your own fridge so swmbo is happy. I buy a gallon at a time and can keep them for weeks no problem in open containers in the fridge with minimal work.

If I can, I am more than happy to have a fridge for baits, but unfortunately that won’t happening until I find a space for it, especially I am in the middle of fighting for the space for my rods.

 

[Alan Palmer]

If any help @Huanzhou Zhu this is what I use, each tub sits on an ice pack and one between the two then lid on and store away from heat/sunlight
It is a very large box though, the buckets have 6 pint capacity, they were half full

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