The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Hello wondering if anyone has the same experience as me when it comes to using natural bait. I've always tried to fish with the baits you find in the garden as collection the bait sometimes is as much fun as fishing but I've noticed a pattern. In rivers I've caught on them all slug ,red worm , lob worm . Indeed I think it's the best bait especially slug in the autumn for chub but on still water the only successful natural bait I've found is maggot. I have presented worm and slug to silt clouds of feeding carp and bream to be be completely ignored yet been successful with maggots. Anybody else found that natural woodland baits struggle on still water yet successful in rivers or it is just me ?

I've always done well with worms on still and running water but have only used slugs on rivers

I have found worms better in rivers but good in still water.

On a Stillwater a nice big Lobworm has always done the trick for me, everything takes them and a big Lob sorts out the larger fish. Just sit and wait and when a fish finds it the bites are often a very positive dunking of the float.

Lobworms on still waters catch almost anything. For me they have caught many tench, loads of rudd and roach, a few bream, a zander, lots of small pike, numerous perch and a 20lb carp.

I'm not sure that maggots and worms are natural (i.e. part of a fish's natural diet) compared to, say, bloodworms or silkweed.
However, I have always found maggots to be a very good all-round bait---especially in still waters without many little'uns, or when the
small fish aren't feeding. On some days, worms are just as good, if not better. On rivers with many small fish that I would just as soon
not catch, casters have worked like a charm in attracting the better fish. I have never understood why.

G. B.

Both maggots and worms are natural baits; especially in rivers! A flood will wash plenty of worms into a river, and a dead animal floating belly up will produce several pints of maggots depending on size. With natural baits I have found no difference between still and rivers.

Personally I can't make the distinction between rivers and still waters, all baits seem to work equally well or equally un-well in either rivers or still waters for me!

Looks like it's just me so I will stick with lobs for the carp I'm after , the weight of a free lined lob is perfect after all . Anyone caught on slugs in still water though?

Years ago when returning to fishing, I was struggling on a local farm pool. I'd tried everything from my bait box and lunch box to no avail.
A forage in the undergrowth produced nko worms but a few slugs. I popped one on the hook and less than a second after lowering it beside the lily pads was being led a merry dance by my PB carp of 17.1/2 lbs.

I imagine that a slug falling from below the pads would have been a natural occurrence, that carp certainly thought so!