Wax worm or spike?

[bigfoot86]

What’s the preference here?  Always used waxies but thought about trying spikes. 

[slipperybob]

When the fish are eating even smaller morsels, then spikes.

Not sure why it works, but it does.

[kienkhang1205]

Spike is hard to come off when you jigs or rip the bait try to bring fish in,

[TickleStick]

I prefer spikes myself, the seem to last longer in the fridge and on the hook.

[bullpine]

Bring both, always.

[IceAddict87]

Moving more towards spikes. Wax worms are a lot easier to find in my area but spikes are more durable and help keep me fishing more, especially when there is a school beneath me.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Spikes exclusively,i can keep them alive for a year but my waxies are dead and deflated from the store most times.for winter steelhead when the egg bite stops i would use waxworms but haven't been able to get them around here for some reason,anyways i put spikes on a jig and steelhead eat them up.but for icefishing i just do better on spikes.

[cwavs1982]

Agree with Snitch - we always try to have a few different choices.  There are the days when the fish will prefer something different then the past.  Even when they are biting, we will try and switch it up just to put something different in front of them and see what their reaction is.

Been trying to move to more use of the plastics, but don't want to get caught in the time when you have to have some meat on the hook. 

If they are aggressive, you don't even need the bait - they just hammer the jig, but with mid winter coming, now is the time to have choices.

And, I don't mind supporting a local bait shop anyway, can always find some good info in there, and maybe a jig that I couldn't find elsewhere.

[trophytaker1]

I carry both.

[QuinnTheEskimo]

I like wax worms, I keep them in a small cooler in my fireplace.  They keep great in there, I’ve never checked the temp but it’s probably like 55ish. 
I bought some mousies the other day but I didn’t try them.  I’ve never fished them before. 

[MumbleSEED]

I go with both.  Keep the spikes in the Beer and Bait fridge and the waxies in a large open casserole dish in the basement.  You never know what kind of meat the fish want that day. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

Dr. do you keep your waxies in the fridge, when you have them?  I have found that they don't do well in the fridge.  I keep mine on the top step of my basement stairs, where it is cool, not cold.  Spikes however, must be kept in the fridge.  I made the mistake "ONCE", of keeping them on the top step along with my waxies!

no i keep them by a drafty window in a spare room.theres been a shortage of waxies here this fall.no gas stations and notes on baitshop doors that say no waxworms.im going to start a small waxworm farm at the new house in the barn.

[hnd]

I haven't used a wax worm in like 8 years.  wax worms don't keep well, don't stay on the hook well, and i've rarely seen a scenario where a wax worm was prefered over spikes.  and by rarely, i'm going to go ahead and say never.  during our first few years being introduced to spikes, we kept waxies and experimented for like 2 years. 

around here, waxies was basically all you could buy.  thats all anyone carried.  i told the local bait shop that if they bought spikes, and just gave people a few to use, that is all they would buy in the future.  and they did and it worked. 

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I used to only use waxies because that is all that was available around here.  I've since switched to spikes and rarely ever use wax worms now.  I hated having to re-bait after nearly every fish.  Not so much of a problem with spikes.

[trundog]

Spikes for me now.  The waxies always seemed to deflate going from their container in the basement on the way to the ice.

[hnd]

Not to be argumentative but I buy two tubs of 1000 waxies every year, in November and usually have some left over in March.  I haven't found them to be hard to keep, at all.  I keep them in a cool place, not cold, and I go through them every week and take out any that are brown, before they start to rot.  Have "never" had a problem keeping them for months.  In fact, I usually have some leftover that I use for catching gills on the beds with long poles.  This is just another example of people liking different things and things that worl for one but not another.

we definitely had to sort through dead ones way more often that we do with spikes.  and there was enough sorting required that didnt' last as long.  we stored them in a heated garage (38-48 degrees).  But i will not say that it wasn't because of mismanagement. 

[BlueSnow]

I'm also more onboard with the spikes.  I just haven't ever had much luck with the wax worms.

[fishermantim]

I've used waxies, but I agree that they aren't durable on the hook.
Haven't tried Spikes, but it's only because They are hard to find.

I would only use mealies as a last resort....they don't last as long as waxies.

My go to are dillies.

[QuinnTheEskimo]

Wax worms taste way better than spikes. 

[Baetis62]

Spikes here.  I can keep them for the entire season with a low fatality rate.  Often 20% or more are still good in November of next year.  I double bag em in closed ziplocs with as much air rolled out as possible.  Into the basement fridge (not garage) 33-35F with a digital thermometer to ensure the temps are constant.  Nothing else has lasted nearly as long for me.  Also they seem tougher on the hook compared to mealies & waxies.

[skifisher]

To me, it depends on what species you’re targeting. Spikes might be the ticket for crappie and bream, but fishing primarily for trout, wax worms and mealworms, (along with raw shrimp), are more productive.
I also think presentation is important as well. I’ve had days when the fish wouldn’t touch a jig baited with a mealie unless the head was torn off, and the worm “threaded” on the hook! Crazy right?
Use whatever you’re most comfortable with and works best. As you know, fish can be finicky!

[Sawdude]

I like the action that spikes give you. Just nick them through the head and let them wiggle. They can't be beat for panfish. Plus they come in red ,white and blue colors.  Seems like 3 per hook works best for me.

[steelhead65]

i prefer spikes, they have a tougher skin therefore stay on the hook longer,  easier too keep also, keep them in a double zip lock bags  remove air from bag and refrigerate, i've kept them for months that way and i do agree 3 spikes on small tungsten jig is the magic number

[meandcuznalfy]

Spikes, if I can find them here, haven't used wax worms.

[Iceassin]

Spikes for Gills exclusively. Waxies for Perch and Specks when not using minnows. However,  my favorite bait is Wigglers for all the above. But they are so damn hard to find around here anymore. Frustrating.

[Bucket Rump]

I prefer mousies when I can get them, but always have wax worms and red spikes.  Use a lot of various plastics, too.

[FishGut]

Just as a question for you spikes fellers

Do you use 'em during open water? Collect 'em yourself? Heck, my garbage hauler comes once a week. If I've cleaned fish and put the carcasses in the trash can, I'll find 50 gallons of writhing with maggots in two or three days. Or are they like  Vexilars, only thought about and used two months out of twelve? 

[DR.SPECKLER]

During warm weather the panfish get real aggressive and small presentation is not needed so i use 5mm jigs and waxworms in late spring and summer.when water is still cold in early spring i use my leftover spikes but the waxworm starts to shine on soft water.just my observation 

[bigfoot86]

Well the reason I posted this thread is to see what the consensus is because spikes don’t exist for sale in our area and if they do I have yet to see them in any of our local bait shops over the years.  Heck it’s getting tougher to find bulk quantity wax worms (250 on up) anymore.  The bait shop that was close to me was a reliable guy and he is retiring and closing up. 

So I just placed an online order for the first time EVER for 500 waxies and a 1000 count of spikes (maybe overkill, idk).  The only thing I didn’t order was any red spikes which seem to be a popular color amongst a lot of anglers.  Figured I’ll just try the normal spikes first. 

[DR.SPECKLER]

I used to buy multi color spikes but the dye in them kills them faster,ive since switched to white spikes and see no difference in catch rates.plus with bedding changes and kept really cold without freezing,they will last a year or more.