Author Topic: Wax worm fishing (Read 4886 times)

Stee · « **on:** Nov 21, 2014, 10:22 AM »

I have read plenty on guys catching perch and crappie on wax worms and maggots but I have tried using worms multiple times and it seems I must have done something wrong as the fish seem less than interested every time. Any tips?

jonowen008 · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 12:11 PM »

Have you tired Gulp Alive! minnows? I've had good success with them and they last forever. Overall cheaper and more effective than other soft and live bait I've tried in the past.

SDFlagChaser · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 01:56 PM »

Find fish that are willing to bite and it doesn't matter what you are using. I have used strips of beef fat before and done well on perch. Waxies are all I have ever used, and I have brought home a limit or two before.

bluefin75 · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 21, 2014, 11:14 PM »

its not just the waxworms that make it better. I proved that to a friend today he was using waxies an I was using trigger x plastics an caught good sized bluegill an crappie right along with him. ya he caught more but being able to find the fish that are active an hungry for anything is the key. my moto is drill hole check with flasher if I see no fish in the water column I keep drilling until I find active fish that's just the only way to do it hope this info helps tight lines.

Jollyman · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 22, 2014, 05:29 PM »

I've fished with maggots and caught a ton of fish, while everyone else around me was using waxies and got skunked. You never know.

ifnoiceImnotfishing · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 09:50 AM »

I echo Bluefin75. Check with flasher and move around a lot.
Another thing I do with waxies or meals that I don't see a lot of people doing is pinch their butts to get a bit of juice flowing. Gives a bit more scent to attract them over.

EyeDoc · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 24, 2014, 04:18 PM »

Waxies on a tungston jig can be deadly for negative and neutral perch. Raise it slowly off the bottom and let it fall hard stirring up a dust cloud. Then slowly raise it out of the cloud again. Bites are very tough to detect some times. Watching them on the camera can be fun.

royjulius · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 05:15 PM »

I tried waxies years ago with no luck. Since then I've always used red mags. Last winter the bait shop was out of mags so I tried waxies again and slaughtered a pile of perch at Sheridan. I guess it's all about the timing and the fish.

fosto · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 08:03 PM »

Only thing I run is red maggots. Bait shop usually has bags of a few thousand that's the way I go.

fishm_n · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 25, 2014, 09:40 PM »

any one try fresh water shrimP??

chrispeters · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 08:16 AM »

Is their a performance difference between wax worms and maggots

fishm_n · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 02:29 PM »

wax worms are a worm, and maggots are baby fly larva

moab · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 08:00 PM »

wax worms are moth larvae and maggots are fly larvae

fishm_n · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 09:35 PM »

Smart man.I've never had waxxies long enough to hatch

fishermantim · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 26, 2014, 09:45 PM »

It's probably not what you use but rather how you fish what you use.
I started out jigging years ago and was jigging too aggressively so I got nothing but a tired arm.
Once I learned the proper method (from reading and ice fishing shows) my catch rate skyrocketed.

Now I NEVER hit the ice without my jigging setup.

For the record, I use waxies, dillies mealworms (when the first 2 aren't available) and a variety of plastics.

With patience, persistence and time you should be telling about your catches, which may be plentiful!

fishm_n · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 27, 2014, 12:36 PM »

Its all about the daable, all about the dabble, no bait.... Oh sorry, the holiday started early

newbie4 · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 30, 2014, 09:17 PM »

I still havent figured out the technique for catching walleye with waxies but have managed a few perch

TheVexOrNothing · « **Reply #17 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 08:48 AM »

I'm new to ice shanty but not to ice fishing, just to clarify that I have experience. When i'm specifically fishing perch waxies are definitely my go to bait. I think the best approach is to thread them onto the hook so the fish must have the hook in their mouth to get a taste of the waxie. I also think this approach helps keep the waxies on the hooks longer. I have also seen guys hook them so part of the waxie is off the hook in order to get a wiggle when they are jigging.

wyoutdoors · « **Reply #18 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 09:23 AM »

Welcome aboard TheVexOrNothing and newbie4! After you have three posts you can check the South Dakota Fishing Reports and Conditions forum.

- wyoutdoors

rippen.lips · « **Reply #19 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 06:00 PM »

Wax worms and a small buck shot jigs and Hali jigs worked well for me Friday and sat at Sheridan by the highway

nesd44 · « **Reply #20 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 07:49 PM »

Just maggots no wax worms for me

funtwohunt · « **Reply #21 on:** Dec 01, 2014, 09:18 PM »

Have used waxies and spikes both and the spikes seem to work better last longer. Tungstin jig heads make a huge difference especially when you bounce them off bottom and stir things up. Tight lines to you.

DSOTM · « **Reply #22 on:** Dec 04, 2014, 07:48 PM »

Caught a few perch Thanksgiving on Brush lake with minnows. Marked a lot of fish on my flasher but didn't get many bites. Wish I would have had some wax worms to see if I could have caught more fish.

royalfish · « **Reply #23 on:** Dec 04, 2014, 10:29 PM »

If you don't consider using waxies while ice fishing perch you are missing out on a ton of potential! I have had more days than I can remember that the ONLY thing they would touch was a waxie. I was on Bitter last year and the first night we all were using wigglers and minnow heads and only scraped up 10-15 fish out of the 90 that we could legally take. The next day we got some waxies and fished them right alongside the other baits in the morning, it became more than obvious that they only thing the fish wanted was waxies.

I always have wigglers and waxies when I am perch fishing. Minnows are more of a hassle to me and if they are going to bite on minnows they will likely bite on something else that is fished aggressively.

Royalfish

Kyle_J · « **Reply #24 on:** Dec 04, 2014, 10:42 PM »

Its nice to always have wax worms at hand but most of the time i use artificial bait, i use livebait to tip spoons and when they are not biting on artificials.

SDBirddog · « **Reply #25 on:** Dec 07, 2014, 09:23 PM »

Waxies seem to do the trick when minnows don't some days. I have also caught a fair amount of Largemouths out of farm ponds with waxies also. Just the other day we could not get a perch to bite on a minnow, however they sure were liking the waxies!

Piscatror · « **Reply #26 on:** Dec 09, 2014, 04:05 PM »

I use red maggots, plastics and waxies. I prefer maggots and plastic over the waxies as the waxies fall apart pretty easy.

tornadochaser · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 10, 2014, 01:49 PM »

There are days when you don't need any bait, and there are days where you'll try every bait with no takers. Panfish can be finicky. Half the fun of catching them is figuring out what it takes to do it consistently. I started using plastics last winter, and on many days with the right jig cadence and spring bobber, I feel I can catch just as many fish if not more than a counterpart sitting next to me with live bait.

SoDak28 · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 10:02 PM »

I'll have to agree that you need to have waxies along depending on the preference of the day. I've had both good and bad days for them, which can be said for most baits though.

Unclegillhunter · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 12, 2014, 03:55 PM »

I use wax worms. this far south I am not sure there is even a place to get the different live baits that are available to you all. I am going to try the different Gulp products this year. A couple of the lakes I fish have walleye but you can't use live bait. I have always had great success with this bait.

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Author Topic: Wax worm fishing (Read 4886 times)

Kyle_J