Commercial Fishing Tips | Catch more silvers on chopped worm - Steve Ringer

ALTHOUGH I think we’re past the window in the year when chopped worm works for big carp, where silverfish are concerned it’s still a vital bait to have to hand.

We all know perch love worms, but so do roach and skimmers. If I was fishing a venue with a real mix of fish in it, such as Lambsdown Lake at Meadowlands Fishery, worms would always play a part – not however, when fed on their own!

Instead, I try to combine worm with groundbait and other goodies like casters and dead pinkies. Few people can deny the pulling power of chopped worms. The juices that leak off pull fish in quickly, but this is a feed that you need to go steady with.

Feed too much and worms in cold water can put the fish off. By introducing only a small taster of finely-chopped dendra worms every time I feed on the pole, or cast a feeder, I’m in a position to work out how well the fish are responding, allowing me to increase or decrease the amount of feed.

Chopped worm is a vital bait for silvers in the colder months

Chopped worm is a vital bait for silvers in the colder months

RIDDLE OFF THE SOIL

I want worms soil-free. I’ll riddle off the bulk of the soil and then pop them in a tub. The worms will ball up, pushing off excess soil.

Riddle excess soil off your worms

Riddle excess soil off your worms

MAKE A MUSH

How finely you chop worms is dictated by the size of fish I’m after. Big fish need a rough chop, but smaller fish need a minced-up mush.

For smaller silvers, try to create a worm mince

For smaller silvers, try to create a worm mince

START WITH A PINCH

Bream love worms, but sometimes not in the cold. I’d start with just a pinch of choppie inside a ball of groundbait or in the feeder.

Just a pinch is enough to add attraction to groundbait

Just a pinch is enough to add attraction to groundbait

CHOP SOME CORN

I’m a big fan of the colour yellow for bream, so I’ll chop up some corn to add to the mix. This puts small flecks of colour into the swim.

Corn and worm is a deadly combination

Corn and worm is a deadly combination

Feeder Fishing Tips | Why you need to hair-rig worms - Adam Wakelin

Hair-rigging makes the worms sit better on the hook and stops them folding over the hook on the strike, so there are a few good reasons to do it, especially at this time of year.

I fish a hair rig with a bait stop and thread on the worms with a baiting needle - it’s dead easy to master if you practise.

What size worm to use is the next decision. One or two whole dendras are great for big bream but, as things are going cooler, I scale back to two halves or sections of worm.

Hair-rigging worms stops them folding over on the strike

Hair-rigging worms stops them folding over on the strike

Commercial Fishing Tips | Time to get the most from natural baits - Ian Chadburn

In an age of pellets, paste and wafters on commercials, it’s easy to leave good old maggots and casters in the tackle shop fridges for the river and canal anglers. After all, maggots only attract little fish – and who wants to catch those?

As we start to experience colder weather, the answer to this question should be ‘everyone’. We can all recall days out when the carp haven’t played ball and you come off the bank with little to show for your efforts using baits like pellets.

Natural baits will still catch plenty of carp

Natural baits will still catch plenty of carp

As the weather and water cool, fish don’t feed as strongly or for long periods of time. This means you’re left with long gaps between bites, gaps that can easily be filled by adopting a natural bait approach with maggots and casters.

There’s not a fish swimming that won’t eat maggots, so you can never be sure what you’re going to hook when the float goes under. The natural route shouldn’t be limited to just maggots and casters either – worms and hemp also work. 

Slow periods can be made busy with natural baits

Slow periods can be made busy with natural baits

Use groundbait

Keep one line reserved for big fish, feeding it with groundbait and corn. Depending on the depth, feed the groundbait either loose in shallow water with a silty bottom, or as a ball in deeper pegs with a hard bottom.

Groundbait should be fed on the big fish line

Groundbait should be fed on the big fish line

Catch them all

While you let the big-fish lines settle, fish for bites with maggots. These could be from a 2oz roach to a 10lb carp just 5m or 6m out. Throwing in around half-a-dozen maggots every drop-in will keep a steady stream of bait going in.

Keep feeding maggots in close to keep action coming

Keep feeding maggots in close to keep action coming

Little & large floats

On the maggot line, a slim float taking around 0.4g will let you fish with the bait falling through the water. On the long pole, big-fish agenda, this is upped to a 0.6g rugby ball-shaped pattern for stability.

Have several rigs ready

Have several rigs ready

The baits to use

All you need are maggots, casters, worms, hemp and corn. Maggots, casters and worms are the main hookbaits, hemp and corn coming into play as feed. A couple of pints of each will be ample.

A selection of natural baits

A selection of natural baits

Fish the margins

Until the first frosts strike, the margins are a great place to catch later in the day. Forget about finding 12ins of water... 2ft 6ins-3ft is what you’re after. Depth is more crucial than cover from reeds and lily pads. 

The margins will still produce until the first frosts

The margins will still produce until the first frosts

Use your time wisely 

Treat the big-fish lines as somewhere to have a look at now and then. The maggot line will be where you should spend most of your time. A maximum of 10 minutes is all you need on the big-fish lines.

Don’t spend too long waiting for bites on the big fish line

Don’t spend too long waiting for bites on the big fish line