Red.

[jimbo1946]

We have been told that red is the first colour in the spectrum to disappear. So why all the mania for red maggot. The die used to make them red also make them a little smaller.So is it follow my leader.I am happy to use white or yellow.What do you think?

 

[Markywhizz]

I tend to use red in clear water and white if it’s cloudy. I think white stand out better in low visibility.

 

[johng19]

All about confidence, so use what your happy with.

 

[Ken the Pacman]

Red starts to lose its colour around 16 foot deep in fairly clear water and gradually changes to grey/black, at that depth blue shows up best but you rarely see blue baits probably because they associate the colour with rat or mouse poison and that it is unusual to find blue food in any form.
Red maggots really became popular as recently as the 1980s but they had been around before that but mid 70s it was all Yellow or Bronze if you wanted colours in our area, You can get pretty much any colour you want from the bait farms in various areas.

 

[RedRidingHood]

If Im fishing live maggot I buy a pint of mixed and a pint of red, Mixed for throwing in and red for the hook, Any excess reds I have get frozen for bream fishing.
No other colour seems to compare on any fishery I've fished, ever. Thats not to say I won't catch on other colours because I will but reds just give me more action. A good friend of mine swears by white maggots though.

Only time I'll use whites is when I'm fishing for perch, They love a red and white maggot cocktail it seems

I'm no expert so I'm just going by what I've heard - Apparently fish see in shades and red appear as the brightest, probably a load of tosh but red maggots shine everytime I use them!

 

[Sam Vimes]

People seem to mistake "disappear" for becoming invisible. All that happens is that red is the first colour of the spectrum to appear to be black. If there's such a total lack of visibility in the murky depth, this may well count as invisibility but most UK coarse fishing is not done at such huge depths that there's a total lack of visibility.

 

[The Landlord]

I usually buy mixed on the rare occasions I buy maggots. Back in the 80's I remember bronze being all the rage until the chrysiodine scare. Yellow always used to be a good bait on the Trent & Mersey. Reds were for hookbait with worm in Ireland.

 

[Neil ofthe nene]

Male stickeleback's throats turn red in mating season to attract the females. Pointless if the females cannot see red.

 

[Silverfisher]

Have always used red primarily. Started with them as they are the most often recommend and has always been the best for me results wise but admittedly only a slight advantage over white. Don’t really buy the disappearing thing as a worry as not many coarse venues are over 15ft deep.

 

[P_C]

Never mind the science. See what the fish do. When I throw in a handful of maggots the red are almost always gobbled up first. So I use red.

 

[banksy]

Male stickeleback's throats turn red in mating season to attract the females. Pointless if the females cannot see red.

The male of the 10 spined stickleback turns jet black with white spines, in the mating season.
I kept a pair of 10 spined and a pair of three spined in a tank, when I was a kid. Fascinating to watch.

Then I found a huge Great Diving Beetle when I was pond dipping, and thought it would keep them company.
It did. It ate the bloody lot.

 

[richox12]

I tend to use red in clear water and white if it’s cloudy. I think white stand out better in low visibility.

Funnily enough I do the complete opposite - use reds as opposed to whites as first choice in coloured water (I use reds a lot anyway and also Fluo). It was the late Mr Stone who demonstrated to me the effectiveness of red in coloured water to catch perch of all things.

 

[Northantslad]

Hence why bread good in clear winter water, fish working by sight. In terms of maggots, red and white on the river and red mainly elsewhere, not to follow any lead, but because it works. 3 reds for Tench early and late season takes some beating for example..

 

[mickthestick]

Always use red maggot but must admit gozzers are white and a superb Bream bait

 

[Dave]

I thought fish were colour blind?

 

[trotter2]

Its all based on the assumption that a fish can see the same as a human.
In reality it could be completely different .

 

[tipitinmick]

Hook lengths coloured red anyone ?

 

[markthemouse]

Red maggots , red boilies , red sweetcorn , red groundbait - all catch fish - its just a myth its invisible.

 

[markthemouse]

Bloodworm , is it Drennan that do red hooks ?

 

[rudd]

Most creatures living on lake or river beds are dark coloured.
Always done better with reds.