Bait care Questions.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Got my 1,000 maggots and 500 wax worms delivered yesterday.

To keep the bait alive, I've kept them in the large bait pucks and put them in a minni fridge around 36 degrees F. Then when I go fishing I'll take and trasfer some of the bait into the smaller bait pucks to prevent changing the temp of my main supply of bait. Yellow one for the waxies, and red for the maggots.

Now here are the questions I have on keeping the bait alive.

1. What temps should I keep

A.Maggots

B.Wax Worms

2. If some dead wax worms are in the cup, will it kill other wax worms. Should a person remove the dead ones, or just throw them out while baiting your hooks.

3.Does one need to warm up the bait once in awhile, or should you keep the bait as cold as possible untill it dies.

4.Does any of the bait need air? With the bait being in the fridge and a sealed large bait puck, should one set out the bait to get fresh air?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Agro- Maggots/Eurolarve need to be kept pretty cold. I keep them in the door of the fridge(warmest place in the fridge), I keep my waxies on a window ledge in my house or down in my basement. Not sure the exact temps, but Waxies need to be kept quite a bit warmer for them to survive. Replace the sawdust often, keeping them dry is key to survival for them. The bait puck should have a small hole in the lid, enough for them to get air.

[gill man]

I think the optimum temp. for the Eurolarve is somewhere around 42 degrees, about refrigerator temp. Waxies do need to be warmer. I think I heard about 60 degrees will allow them to keep for a long time, but I could be wrong. I usually just keep then next to the refrigerator, and they seem to keep for quite a while at normal room temperature.

I don't know for certain if the dead waxies will kill the other ones. I guess I would try to check it quickly every 2 or 3 days. I wouldn't stress over having a dead one or two in there, but I wouldn't want a lot of dead ones sitting for a long time.

If anything, the company you ordered them from should be able to tell you what to do through email or a phone call.

gill man

[Dusty]

The co. that I order from ships the maggots in zip lock sandwich bags and recommends storing them that way in the refrig. at 36 to 38. The wax worms they say to keep at room temps for two weeks then refrigerate.

[Sportland_Bait]

Just be sure to keep both waxies and maggots in dry sawdust. When they start to die the sawdust will get worse and worse. The best temps for maggots is in the upper 30s, cold but not freezing. For waxies 55 degrees is optimal.

Jason Erlandson

[bgreen82]

heres some reading.

bait storage

[Agronomist_at_IA]

here is what i found on bgreen82 site that he found

Waxworms are the larvae of the Greater Wax Moth they are excellent for all species of pan fish and trout. Hold at 65 degrees for 2 to 3 weeks and then refrigerate. For best long term results transfer each cup to a container with more surface area. One or two cups can be put in a gallon ice cream pail with the lid left off. Remove any dead bait on a weekly basis. Use the original cup to take with you only what you need for the day. If you plan to use them within 4 weeks, refrigeration may do more harm than good. Once you refrigerate waxworms they should be kept refrigerated.

Spikes are the larvae of the Bluebottle Fly. They also are an excellent bait for panfish and trout. They are underrated as a summer bait and often can be the most effective bait in your arsenal, especially during light bites. They ship well in the summer months in spite of the reputation of being intolerant of warm temperatures. HOLD IN THE DOUBLE ZIPLOCK BAGS at 33 to 40 degrees for best results. Again, use a small container to take only what you will use for the day. Constant swings in temperature will cause pupation. Almost without fail Spikes will pupate before they will die. Cold temperatures plus restricted air produce best results. Do not give Spikes the unlimited air supply that you would Waxworms or mealworms. This is the reason for the ziplock bags, to control air supply.

Mealworms: Refrigerate at 40 degrees in the containers they come in. About every 2 to 3 weeks remove the containers from the refrigerator and place an apple slice in the container for about 2 days then remove the apple slice if not consumed and refrigerate again. Mealworms are the only bait of the three we raise that can be fed.

[hanson]

I've had bad luck just taking my bait puck out of the fridge and then placing it back into the fridge after a day of fishing. Typically, take what you will need that day and toss them when done, unless you can keep them at a consistantly cool temperature. I usually put the puck in my coat which warms the euros up a bit, which turns them nice and wiggly. I think these are the ones that have a hard time adjusting back to refrigerator temp and die.

I keep my euros in those plastic disposable Ziploc containers in the fridge, and leave the lid cracked to let air in. If you don't have some height on the sides, they can crawl out when you least expect it! They will keep a long time like this.

Dry sawdust is important, as well as picking out the dead ones. And like I said, take what you will use for the day and discard them when you are done.