Mealworms ?

Just how good a bait are mealworms anyways?
I got curious yesterday and did a little google and ebay research, wonderful thing this internet. Care and feeding and even reproducion of them seems rather simple. If anything goes wrong I have a flock of rhode island reds that will help me dispose of the leftover. (they already come running at the sight of my minnow bucket!)
I stopped by a local pet store on my way home last night and picked up a pack of 100 for $4. Let them warm up and fed them an apple slice. Back into the refrig tonight I think.
But on a scale of one to ten, how are they as bait for crappie in the summer? I’ve not been able to boat anything worth cleaning for weeks!
Perhaps this rainy week will improve my catch rate and keep the fair weather people off the lake.

They're excellent bait -- for bluegills. They will also take trout and catfish, but I don't think I've ever caught a crappie on one. If you want to use bait for crappies, I'd go with minnows.

They are very easy to take care of and will last for months. They're cheaper if you order from Grubco or Vados.

My grandfather had a country store and he also sold bait to local guys. Had a fridge turned on it's back filled with manure raising red wrigglers, had a big plywood box with lights and a screen top to raise crickets, and he kept a barrel with sawdust in it for the meal worms (golden grubs he called them). Kept them covered with newspaper, and dropped a half a potato in once a week. They ate the paper and got their moisture from the tater. Sold them for fifty cents per 100. Lots of memories.
Dusty

I've caught lot's of crappie on nightcrawlers, but it seems like they only want the butt end of the worm, about the last two inches of it. I've used meal worms for bait but only caught bluegill. I have a faint memory of putting some mealworms into a jar of cornmeal as a kid, and thinking they would breed into more mealworms, came back to check a few weeks later to find some moths in there. I think mealworms are some kinda moth larvae.

caught Crappie on Mealworms. It was during the Spring pre-spawn. I believe, if you put a Mealworm down into a school of Crappie ... you will get some takers. But, like as not, you'd have to get it past the Bluegill and other sunfish, first :D

But, hey ... can't hurt to give them a go, & see what you come up with. I do know that Catfish like 'em, too.

.... cp :cool:

Jigster, I’d dare say those were wax worms you put in a jar, not meal worm. Wax worm are the same little #$%@* that infest and destroy my honey bee comb when the hives are in summer storage. A white moth. I have found mealworms in the goat barn, under the feed bin but didn’t realize what they were.
I floated some under a slip bobber Tuesday evening with no takers.

Years ago they were my favorite bait for bluegills but I can't ever find them anymore.

Can't find them? You can always order them from Grubco, Vados or Cabela's.

Or pop into a local pet supply store, they're considered bird feed where I got mine. Fed them an apple slice and put them back in refrigeration after about 48 hours, don't want them to mature on me.

I have caught Crappie fishing for bream with Meal Worms. I tried Meal Worms while catching Crappie with minnows and they never touched the Meal Worm.
I guess if they are in the mood for worms they will hit them. I do not think I would go after Crappie with just Meal worms.

The meal worms I’m talking about are approx. an inch long and 1/8 inch diameter, golden color.
I was poking around the bait section of Wal-Mart looking for nibbles – they got Uncle Josh meal and wax worms that are as big as my little finger! Look like worms on roids ! Don’t think any bream could possible choke one of those down!

Sounds like Wal-mart carries the "mighty mealies", a bigger version. Most bait dealers like Grubco and Vados carry both types of meal worm.

I always used the mighty mealies for gills, rather than the regular, smaller versions. Bream love 'em!