Foam Maggots

Check out the foam maggot in the lip of this
good size carp.

Berkley Trout Maggots....yes, they
also work with carp.

I know that carp will take a variety of artificial baits, so when I saw foam maggots (actually Berkley Trout Maggots) at Bass Pro this winter, I decided to buy a package and try them out on carp. I fished them with good success last week for three days, landing 15 carp on these foam maggots. Just to experiment and gauge their effectiveness, I had one outfit out with maggots, the other outfit with sweet corn, the hot bait of winter.  I caught just about equal number of carp on both baits.

I fished the cage feeder packed with
method ahead of the foam maggot. This
rig was very effective last week.

I hooked these maggots directly with a #10 short shank hook.  I was also fishing them in tandem with a cage feeder, another real hot item this winter. My best success fishing these has come in a current. I had no success fishing them recently in still waters in ponds and lakes. In these still waters, plastic corn and sweet corn still rule.
I suspect these maggots are a winter bait, a time when pests are inactive.  I'm guessing that as the water warms, such pests as suckers, horned pout and bluegills will pounce right on this small offering. But, I do plan to continue to experiment with this artificial bait in the coming weeks.