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Bait

Trying to choose the ideal bait for angling is not easy. It all depends on the time of year, type of venue and the species of fish you want to catch. However there are a number of baits that are always worth trying and are described below:

Maggots
Maggot has to be one of the most popular baits for coarse angling. They come in a variety of colours and sizes, and can be used on the hook, loose feed or added to ground bait. Maggots are available in three sizes.

The maggot should be lightly hooked through the blunt end. The maggot should wriggle which makes it more attractive to fish.

Maggots can be purchased from most good tackle shops and are usually sold in half and one pint volumes at a cost of £3.00 per pint approximately.

Hooking a single maggot	Hooking a double maggot

Casters

Casters are the chrysalis stage of a maggot before it turns into a fly. It is sometimes worth trying these when other baits are not working.
They are usually sold in sealed packs and will come in various stages of development from white to dark brown.
Some tackle shops require you to pre order them before collection.
When in use tip the casters into a bait box and cover them in cold water to keep them fresh and stop them from turning.
There are two ways of hooking casters, depending on the type of fishing you are doing.
For shy biting fish bring the hook inside the caster. For larger fish leave the point of the hook visible for a good hook hold, as shown in the diagram below:

Hook inside caster	Good hook hold

Worms

Worms are a very good bait, especially for catching Bream, Tench and Perch. If you are able to dig your own worms from the garden then you also have a cheap bait to use.
There are three types of worm suitable for coarse angling:
The lob worm, which is the largest common garden worm. Dendrobaenas is a smaller worm found in compost heaps, and the red worm which is smaller and found in farm animal manure.
Worms are best stored in a bait box with damp paper or compost and kept in a cool dark place.
Worms can be hooked in various ways as shown in the diagrams:

Bread Bread is one of the most versatile and cheap baits to use. It will catch fish from the largest Carp down to the smallest Roach. There are four good ways to use bread:

	Bread flake:	Pull off piece of white bread and pinch onto shank of 14/12 size hook. This is a good method for Tench and Chub.
	Crust:	Break of the crust and hook using a 12/10 size hook. This is an excellent method for catching Carp off the surface on warm sunny days.

Bread punch:

Bread paste: Using white bread, remove the crust and soak bread in water. Squeeze out as much water as possible and place in a clean towel. Knead the bread into a smooth paste. You could add cheese to make a cheese paste that Chub particularly like.

Other bait

Here is a list of other bait worth a try:

Finally whichever venue you go to always check the fishing rules, as they are all different and some may not allow certain bait.

Ground Bait

Ground bait is a simple method of creating a carpet of feed on the bottom of the water, which will attract and hold fish in your swim for a period of time.
There is a vast selection of ground bait available from tackle shops, but as a guide look for the ones with a ‘brown crumb’ or ‘fish meal’ base. Colour and flavour can also be added.

There are two basic methods of mixing ground bait. Method one is the cloudy ground bait method which when introduced to the water will sink slowly and create a cloud of ground bait as it breaks up and falls through the water. It is suitable for shallow waters and for fishing ‘up in the water’, catching fish in the upper layers of the water.

Before we can mix this ground bait there is some basic equipment required as listed: • Mixing bowl or bucket • Riddle • Container of water

1.		Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly by hand.
2.		Gradually add small amounts of water and mix vigorously with hands until all ingredients become damp (add any flavourings to water before mixing). Leave for five minutes to allow the ingredients to soak up the water.
3.		Repeat this process until you can make a firm ball of ground bait, which when rubbed together will return to original mix. Whilst mixing, lumps will form.
4.		Pass the mix through riddle to remove lumps.
5.		You should be left with a light fluffy mix.
6.		Now is the time to add other ingredients such as sweet corn, pellets, hemp or maggots.

Method two is the deep water mix, which when made into a ball and introduced into the water will fall directly to the bottom before breaking up.
Mixing is as method one except add more water until a hard, firm ball can be achieved that will not break up when handled.