A winter winner: Using maggots with the Horton rig

A winter winner: Using maggots with the Horton rig

Maggots are a fantastic winter bait and the Horton rig is an excellent choice for presenting them on, particulalry when used in conjunction with a critically balanced bait or wafter. The reason the Horton rig is so good for use with maggots is that i allows them very little wirggling room which could ultimately lead to a tangled rig



What you'll need to tie the Horton Rig:

Some Semi stiff or Stiff coated braid. One of our Size 6 Duropoint Anchor hooks, a micro hook ring swivel or Rig ring screw if you'd prefer. And dependent upon which method you choose for attaching your maggots you'll also need some fine wire hooks.


Tools for the job:

Scissors, Knot puller, lighter, Rig glue or Pliers(method dependant)


 Duropoint Anchor hooks - The Horton Rig

STEP ONE: Cut a length of your chosen coated braid, 12 inches would be a good starting point. Remove around 95mm of the coating from one end.

STEP TWO: Double over around an inch of the braid from which you have just removed the coating and feed on a micro hook ring swivel as pictured. Now feed both legs of the hook link through the back of the eye like so.

STEP THREE: adjust the doubled over section so that it ends in line with the middle of the hook point and hold it securely before whipping up the shank of the hook 8 to 9 times.

 

Pass the hooklink back through the back of the eye and tighten down the knot, at this point you should have around 10mm of bare braid exiting the eye of the hook. Trim the tag end and carefully blob the remainder with a lighter.

 

STEP FIVE: Next take around four inches of coated braid or bait floss, pass it through the micro hook ring swivel and double it over. Transfer your hook bait, in this case a 10mm wafter onto the doubled over section and locate on the micro hook ring swivel. Trim the tag ends and using a lighter, light blob them against the bait.

 

Now you have two methods of attaching your maggots to the hookbait, the first and most simple way is to use some rig glue, the second and perhaps more secure is to use a fine wire hook, which we'll detail later .

To attach your maggots with glue: Ensure both the hook bait and maggot are dry and free from dust. Apply a small amount of glue to the top of the hook bait on the blobbed hook link will be perfect. Take the maggot and press it firmly into the glue. Hold until glue has set, making sure you're finger isn't also glued in place!

To attach your maggots with a fine wired hook: Take your hook, a wide gaped fine wired hook will be perfect. Cut off the eye of the hook so that the shank is slightly shorter than the diameter of the boilie you're using.

 

Thread on two or three maggots a mix of colours, will work nicely. Ensure the maggots are positioned around where the shank turns into the bend of the hook.

Push the shank of the hook with the maggots on into the hookbait, adjust the position of the maggots as the hook goes further into the bait. Push the hook fully home ensuring that the point is completely embedded in your hook bait.