How to fish a mag-aligner rig for big specimen carp

Big specimen carp aren't always caught on boilies - they do eat other bait too, including maggots. This means that a carefully presented maggot or two can prove the downfall of the biggest fish in the lake, but you have to be a little clever in how you do this or you'll just catch roach, perch or gudgeon.

The perfect way to avoid smaller nuisance fish is to use a fake or imitation maggot as they can withstand beign pecked and sucked by small fish.

Then, on top of that you will have to use a large hook for two reasons: firstly a big hook won't be taken into the mouths of smaller fish, and secondly, if you hook a very big carp you'll need a large, strong hook to get the carp out and on your unhooking mat.

The rig below shows you just how to use an imitation or fake maggot bait easily and effectively.

1. Take one of the specially designed Enterprise Tackle fake grubs and carefully thread it onto a lip-close baiting needle.

2. Thread the rubber grub onto your supple hooklink staying as close to the skin of the grub as you can, this retains as much of the hook gape as possible.

3. Tie a size 10 hook onto the link with a grinner knot. Slide the grub over the hook eye and down the shank. The hooklink should exit on the point side.

4. Thread two live maggots onto the hook along with a big PVA mesh bag filled with maggots. The hookbait just gets wolfed down with the freebies!

5. Try varying the colour of the grub depending on the water clarity and the lake bed.

In winter the water does go very clear and carp have excellent vision, using different colours of maggot might produce more takes.