Ordering Online bait.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Ok it's time to start thinking about ordering some online bait orders.

I usually order 1000 mix colored spikes and 250-500 wax worms.

I have used The following companies.

Vados-closest to me and always has the freshest bait. Down fall don't know what shipping is until your billed.

Ja-da bait-free shipping (included in price) nice bait but far enough away the wax worms end up with a couple dead ones. So I found Vados to be better for me since jada is father away.


So am I missing any companies for bait a guy should look at?

[Fishrmn]

I'm thinking of trying the online thing this year.  Has anyone tried these guys?

http://www.rainbowmealworms.net



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[3300]

http://www.knutsonlivebait.com/

[Agronomist_at_IA]

http://www.knutsonlivebait.com/

Oh yeah forgot about Knutson Live Bait.

I never ordered from the since Michigan would be a bit far to keep the bait alive. You have good luck with them?

[Mr.Seaguar]

I have ordered from Knutsons. They are a tad pricey. I have had great luck ordering off ebay.

[mt.redneck]

I have only ordered from knutsons, I live in montana, and have never had a problem with quality, they are pricey buthe to me the quality is worth it

[RyanW]

How does one go about storing live bait? I've considered buying some waxxies/mousies/spikes online but I just don't know if they will last long enough ("shelf" life) to justify buying online vs. locally. How long does it take for you to go through 1500 maggots?

[lostbrit]

I would like to find one close to Colorado for maggots and waxies

[mt.redneck]

How does one go about storing live bait? I've considered buying some waxxies/mousies/spikes online but I just don't know if they will last long enough ("shelf" life) to justify buying online vs. locally. How long does it take for you to go through 1500 maggots?

Maggots I store at about 35 degrees and they keep well for the whole winter. I have heard wax worms should be at 50-55 degrees. 1000 maggots cover my season well bet I don't always fish for panfish

[3300]

Oh yeah forgot about Knutson Live Bait.

I never ordered from the since Michigan would be a bit far to keep the bait alive. You have good luck with them?

they are about a 45 minute drive east for me and they are who most stores use to supply them. great people working there and the owner puts 100 % of winter profits into the biggest michigan ice tournament.
http://www.midwestopentournament.com/

[Agronomist_at_IA]

How does one go about storing live bait? I've considered buying some waxxies/mousies/spikes online but I just don't know if they will last long enough ("shelf" life) to justify buying online vs. locally. How long does it take for you to go through 1500 maggots?

Here is what I do from trial and error and now I got it down so the bait last till summer.

I order 1000 mixed colored spikes and 500 wax worms. The colored spikes generally wont last has long has the non colored ones but the last fairly well.

Order your bait and hope temps swings arent bad. You don't want them being warm or frozen when you get them or they will pretty much be dead in a week or less. I try to wait till its about 35-45* so when they are transported they dont get to hot or freeze if left on my door step.

Once I get my bulk bait I put the bait into large bait pucks for storage in the fridge. Yellow ones are wax worms, red ones are spikes. Fridge tempature is between 34-40 degrees.

From there I take little colored bait pucks and transfer the bait I need to go fishing for the trip/day from the big bulk bait pucks to the small bait pucks. I color code here also. spikes red waxies yellow. Then when I'm done with my trip I store the small bait pucks back in the fridge. I keep the bait I used in the small pucks in the fridge because it usually has a much higher die off rate due to the tempature swings. Then when I go on my next trip I can pick the dead out of the little can, flush them down the toliet and add some fresh from the big bait puck.

Doing it this way The bait last long enough to get through winter and I have even used some on open water in the early summer spring time.

[Shack man Shoney]

Here is what I do from trial and error and now I got it down so the bait last till summer.

I order 1000 mixed colored spikes and 500 wax worms. The colored spikes generally wont last has long has the non colored ones but the last fairly well.

Order your bait and hope temps swings arent bad. You don't want them being warm or frozen when you get them or they will pretty much be dead in a week or less. I try to wait till its about 35-45* so when they are transported they dont get to hot or freeze if left on my door step.

Once I get my bulk bait I put the bait into large bait pucks for storage in the fridge. Yellow ones are wax worms, red ones are spikes. Fridge tempature is between 34-40 degrees.

From there I take little colored bait pucks and transfer the bait I need to go fishing for the trip/day from the big bulk bait pucks to the small bait pucks. I color code here also. spikes red waxies yellow. Then when I'm done with my trip I store the small bait pucks back in the fridge. I keep the bait I used in the small pucks in the fridge because it usually has a much higher die off rate due to the tempature swings. Then when I go on my next trip I can pick the dead out of the little can, flush them down the toliet and add some fresh from the big bait puck.

Doing it this way The bait last long enough to get through winter and I have even used some on open water in the early summer spring time.

What type of bedding do you like to use for the colored spikes???

[skifisher]

I've used Knutsons before, and an E-Bay company with the following results. The E-Bay bait was sub par, and not very healthy. The Knutson's bait arrived in excellent condition, and without any issues. Sure you can buy bait at a cheaper price,  it you'll get what you pay for. The other thing about Knutson's is that last year when I ordered from them they held the order back a week due to the weather conditions, (too warm), so I got healthy critters instead of hatched mealworms and waxies. I recommend them highly. 👍🏻

[Agronomist_at_IA]

What type of bedding do you like to use for the colored spikes???

I just use the stuff that they come delivered in to store them.

The spikes come in a bedding that is bigger granuals then saw dust, but kinda saw dust like.

the wax works come in a shaved type of wood string bedding.

[Chris338378]

I've been thinking about putting in an order but my concern is I don't have a place to store them other than an shed without any heat and an outside stairwell and I don't know if they'll keep.  Inside my basement is no good because I have my coal stove in there.  What do you guys think?  I don't want to order them and end up having them die.

[3300]

they need to be stored as cold as possible with out freezing them. so some thing around 33 degrees. most fridge temps are 38 degrees. the main thing is to only take what you think you need in an insulated bait puck and don't return the those back to the main tub they came in. try to maintain a steady temp always so as to not shock them.
most of the cost is shipping because they recommend over night to try to protect the bait form temps fluctuations.

[Idahogator]

     
 What do you guys think?  I don't want to order them and end up having them die.

Chris, thermostatic controlled environments for each type is best for the longest life/usable period of live bait.     

Ma nature takes no prisoners and is very fickle.    lol 

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I've been thinking about putting in an order but my concern is I don't have a place to store them other than an shed without any heat and an outside stairwell and I don't know if they'll keep.  Inside my basement is no good because I have my coal stove in there.  What do you guys think?  I don't want to order them and end up having them die.

Unless you have a tight control on the temp range you would be wasting your money.

 If your in a situation like me where decent ice fishing bait is 30miles or more away, and you need to keep bait on hand for fishing ponds vs driving way out of your way for bait then I would look into a cheap small mini fridge to keep the bait in. I found out that I actually keep my bait in way better shape then most of the places anyway. About the only exceptions are the true fishing/bait shops by larger lakes that turn over a lot of bait.

I also run a 10gallon fish tank in my basement and keep crappie minnows in it due to the same reasons stated above.

[Chris338378]

I'm sure I could find a cheap small refrigerator to keep it in.  The other thing I was thinking of is to put it in one of those foam coolers inside the outside stairwell but I'm not sure how that'd work.  Anyone try that idea?

[bshirtd]

about the fastest way other than heat to kill/change any of them is let them sit in warm and moist. waxies leave in the basement on the concrete floor spikes keep them in the fridge and keep them dry. We always use the bunny bedding for the shavings just use a medium mesh net to shake the fine stuff out for the spikes and the larger shavings get used in the waxies.

[hardwater diehard]

I'm sure I could find a cheap small refrigerator to keep it in.  The other thing I was thinking of is to put it in one of those foam coolers inside the outside stairwell but I'm not sure how that'd work.  Anyone try that idea?

I use a foam cooler... a Maxwell house container..Take a digital meat thermometer ...place that inside the cooler and test several areas you are thinking of using ...you can use some ice cubes or ice packs or med packs to accomplish a target temperature if need be  .

Waxies from Ja Da have been great ...I use to get spikes also but in my area waxies tend to shine ...if Ja Da had colored spikes I would be using then too . As others have said take what you need for an outing in a puck and do not put them back into your main container ...in the refrigerator ..in a puck works just fine after your outing  .Spikes do fine in a refrigerator for me .Don't order between Christmas and New years ...week before or week after..

[Unclegillhunter]

Don't have the problem of getting them shipped as I live about 5 miles from a bait shop that carries them year round. I pick up 250 at a time and use them all year long. I have a mini fridge that I keep all my worm type baits and they keep fine. Just need to look at them every couple of days and remove any dead ones.
Keep it safe! JDL

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I'm sure I could find a cheap small refrigerator to keep it in.  The other thing I was thinking of is to put it in one of those foam coolers inside the outside stairwell but I'm not sure how that'd work.  Anyone try that idea?

All the cooler will do is slow the process of freezing or warming. If left outside long enough the bait would eventually freeze in the cooler. Inside your replacing ice packs and trying to keep a temp......good luck. IMO your best choice is a small cheap minni fridge. Either that or one of those coolers you plug into power that keeps the cooler at about 40degrees. But I think they cost more then the $50 for a small minni fridge.

[Gills-only]

I used to order from jada mainly spikes, lasted till spring, made the move to plastics and have never looked back!!dont get me wrong they both have their place!

[DrewFlu33]

Would you guys believe me if I told you I had wax worms from last ice season in a Strikemaster Bait Puck in my kegerator and some of them were still alive when I remembered them last night?

Anecdotally I can say that 33-34 degrees seems to be a sweet spot for them. 

[Gills-only]

Would you guys believe me if I told you I had wax worms from last ice season in a Strikemaster Bait Puck in my kegerator and some of them were still alive when I remembered them last night?

Anecdotally I can say that 33-34 degrees seems to be a sweet spot for them. 

.                        Hard to believe but anything can happen, usually they keep best around 50*

[DrewFlu33]

.                        Hard to believe but anything can happen, usually they keep best around 50*

I honestly wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

[Vex-Um]

I would like to find one close to Colorado for maggots and waxies

Lostbrit, all the local fishing shops will have them.  Otherwise, I've ordered from knutsons the last three years and they arrive in great shape.

[Big Lefty]

I keep the fridge in the garage at 34°.  My spikes last a very long time.  I don't use wax worms as often as spikes, but this year I'm trying to raise my own.  If they actually breed and grow, I've got a dorm fridge downstairs that I'll keep a little warmer to accommodate them. 

I can't remember who I ordered my spikes from last year, but this year I think I'll give Knutson's a try, seeing as they are sponsors here. 

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Would you guys believe me if I told you I had wax worms from last ice season in a Strikemaster Bait Puck in my kegerator and some of them were still alive when I remembered them last night?

Anecdotally I can say that 33-34 degrees seems to be a sweet spot for them. 

I can believe it......I just hope the beer is getting more turnover then your wax worm supply.