Anyone use Mealworms?

I'm wondering if any of you use mealworms (Mighty mealys, Golden Giants, etc.) when fishing for bream? I like using crickets, but darn they sure are expensive and I end up losing about at least 6 or more that find hiddie spots in my boat and then drive me nuts. Not only that, but one fish equals one cricket and you usually are not able to fish with what remains from the one you just caught.

Mealworms are a quarter of the cost of crickets and you can get 2-3 bream per worm and you can save the ones you didn't use for the next trip in a container with dry oatmeal and a piece of cut potato in the fridge. I usually by 3-5 thousand in late winter/early spring for both my pond and going to the lake. They sure are much cleaner than crickets and especially over nightcrawlers and earthworms.

Looking to see what folks think about them...

Have a great weekend...looks like we'll be getting some much needed rain! Yea buddy:D

Chris

I prefer mealworms to crickets for all the reasons you mention. I think they're the most cost-effective live bait you can use.

Having said that, I haven't used crickets in about ten years, and I rarely use mealworms. I much prefer maggots to either one of them.

Now how do you work with those things? You raise them yourself or purchase them? Aren't they messy?

A few questions about mealworms, where do you buy them, how do you keep them, how long can you keep them and will shellcrackers bite them as well as worms?

If you want to buy in bulk, you can't beat these prices (they also sponser this website as well). The mealworms should hold up very well for an entire spawning season. Other than that, I haven't seen very many places around here that sell them.

http://www.grubcobait.com/Product_Information.cfm

I use mealworms some and also crickets. Crickets are definitely cheaper around here and easier to find. I like fishing with both and the fish seem to like eating both pretty well. I think mealworms work better than crickets for me when the fish get picky. I haven't fished with regular worms in a long time because of the mess and cost.

Yes, I use mealworms, Use them for tiping jigs, works just fine. Some times I use redworms too, on hook n bobber. When I want to relax for a while. Some times just being on lake sitting in the sun I am content...

I use mealworms on a flyrod. They will catch crappie, bluegill, shellcrackers, yellow perch, bass, and most anything.

I put a mealworm on a #6 hook, no weight, and it will very slowly sink to the bottom, they will hit it on the way down. The floating fly line will keep it from sinking, more then the length of your leader, adjust leader lenght to match depth you want to fish.

Powerbait makes Honeyworms in natural, red, and yellow. Same size and looks as real mealworms. Natural is very good, but red same to work better for crappie. You can catch 15 to 20 fish on one Honeyworm before it gets damaged beyond use.

I have used mealworms and they work just fine. I personally prefer to use waxworms. The waxie will take a few more fish than a meallie and I have had better results. BUT, my ultimate panfish bait is a small leech. You can catch 5 or more fish on one leech and the Gills in particular go nuts for them.

We've still got a few mighty mealies left from LAST YEAR that we bought form Grubco. They just stay in the fridge in their muslin bag. Thisyear, I ordered the large mealworms, which are a good bit smaller than the others. They certainly qualify as "easykeepers" . Bluegill seem to love them, but I haven't caught much else on them, maybe a trout or two.. We use more waxies than mealies, but we also lose more waxies in storage thanwe do the mealworms..BTW, any mealworms that die in storage can be put in the birdfeeder. The cardinals and others gobble them up. - Roberta

Chris,

Maggots aren't messy. In fact, they're very clean and easy to work with. Now raising them myself would be messy, but I order mine. Both Grubco and Vados carry them.