The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Adult locust (not so many crickets about these days) and mealworm beetle larvae from the pet shop are my favourite early season chub bait along with black slugs and snails. Most other insect larvae make very good bait for many species and caterpillars, flag worm larvae etc. can be found at no cost on the bank side. Wasp larvae are also an excellent bait if you can get hold of them (solitary ones are the easiest that often lay their eggs, with other insects, under rotting bark on on felled trees/stumps).

JerryC wrote:Adult locust (not so many crickets about these days) and mealworm beetle larvae from the pet shop are my favourite early season chub bait along with black slugs and snails. Most other insect larvae make very good bait for many species and caterpillars, flag worm larvae etc. can be found at no cost on the bank side. Wasp larvae are also an excellent bait if you can get hold of them (solitary ones are the easiest that often lay their eggs, with other insects, under rotting bark on on felled trees/stumps).

I couldn't agree with you more Jerry, bait foraging is a good way of acquiring decent bait.
Also I'm a lucky chap, knowing some pest control chaps, who donate wasp nest to me. I should point out, that these nest are securely bagged in polythene bags and they haven't used any poisons on the nest. I then pop the nest/bag into the freezer for 24 hours. I can then split the nest and remove the wasp grubs, which are a cracking bait, without the fear of finding live wasps.
Back to the pet shop, wax worms are also a good bait, again I go for the shop soiled specimens

Mealworms can be quite good. I know wasp grubs are good, infact I'm sure they were so good at times that they used to be banned in some matches. I guess that the introduction of invasive species rules means I can't try one of the giant hissing cockroaches I've been lumbered with.

woodytia wrote:Mealworms can be quite good. I know wasp grubs are good, infact I'm sure they were so good at times that they used to be banned in some matches. I guess that the introduction of invasive species rules means I can't try one of the giant hissing cockroaches I've been lumbered with.

Blimey, I wouldn't fancy impaling a giant hissing cockroach on a size two......

Merlot wrote:Back to the pet shop, wax worms are also a good bait, again I go for the shop soiled specimens

I may be a bit of a wimp, but do I have to enter a pet shop and enquire, "do you have any shop-soiled wax worms?" What exactly constitutes shop soiled in the insect world

Weyfarer wrote:

Merlot wrote:Back to the pet shop, wax worms are also a good bait, again I go for the shop soiled specimens

I may be a bit of a wimp, but do I have to enter a pet shop and enquire, "do you have any shop-soiled wax worms?" What exactly constitutes shop soiled in the insect world

Those that Jim (the reptile shop shop owner) are about to throw away, due to the awful state they`re in, so they`re free.......

i've caught fish on woodlice ,on the hook and crushed/dead added to liquidised bread g/b ,but these won't count as they're not bugs or insects .but i've had loads more sucess with slugs ,blacks & fire (red ) bellies ,tried de-housed snails but not had much luck .i caught a grasshopper once and tried that on the surface ,a chumb rose up took a look but didn't take it

I may risk turning this into a woodlice thread,locally(west yorks) they are often referred to as "parsons ponies" or "sour pigs".I understand they have many different local names.As a child i often incinerated them with a magnifying glass.