Balanced Maize rig

This is a very simple but very effective carp rig. Maize has always been a popular bait amongst carp and tench anglers. It is a bright yellow color which in itself will attract the attentions of all fish. Add to this the sweet aroma and you are on to a winner.

Preparation

Maize is fairly easy to prepare just requiring boiling for a couple of hours followed by soaking in its own juices for 24 hours+. It can then be frozen or used right away.

more on preparing and cooking particles.

Sweet corn is an alternative to maize, although not as robust and tuff and is more susceptible to the attentions of smaller fish. Maize and sweetcorn are the same grain but sweetcorn has been harvested sooner and so is more tender, younger and sweeter. Maize with its tough outer shell is a better choice for the session carp angler.

Fishing maize over a small bed of hemp in the margins of a lake can be a deadly tactic. Pick a spot where you can observe the carp as they feed over your spot. This type of fishing can be very rewarding as well as very exciting. The key is to remain quite with no sudden movements. Find a spot close to the bank where you can almost see the bottom. Scatter your free offering and await a carp. When the carp move in over your bed of hemp and maize the expectation can be almost unbearable at times. This type of fishing is a long way from sitting behind motionless rods bobbin watching. On lakes where the clarity is limited the bright yellow grains will often bring bonus takes.

You can obtain maize from most pet food stores and tackle shops. Another plus for maize is the cost, maize is very cheap! Some manufactures now do all the hard work for you by cooking and preparing particles and then placing them in air tight packaging. One of the best is Dynamite Baits. Their jars of frenzied hemp and frenzied maize is the best I have used, although they are a little pricey.

Danny Fairbrass now shows us a maize rig in action

Varieties of Maize

French Maize - The most commonly used form of Maize. Grown in vast fields all across although mainly in the Normandy region. A great all round carp bait fished either on its own or in combination with other particles. Used alongside hemp or partiblend this maize will be a good choice as hookbait. Just a couple of handfuls of maize over a kilo of hemp is ideal.

Pop Corn Maize - A smaller variety of Maize, slightly lighter and cheaper.

Red Maize - Very similar to Popcorn Maize but the color is a nice deep red. This could do well on waters which have seen allot of standard yellow maize.

Flaked Maize - Looking similar to corn flakes, as with red maize, this variety could do well on lake which have "fished out" on standard maize.

The rig can also be used without the foam, this is then unbalanced. This is how I prefer to use it , with 3 or for grains. The only time I will change from a standard maize rig to a balanced one is when the bottom I am fishing over is has silt. The balanced rig will sit gently on the surface of silt. Just trim the foam with scissors until the rig just sinks.

author : paul@aboutcarp.co.uk