Mealworms V.S. Maggots

[Cletus from Elk Point]

A quick question.
I was fishing with my uncle a couple weekends ago and we were all going between the same holes back and forth, pretty much using the same hooks. And I would have to say that his average size of fish was larger than mine. The only difference was that he was using mealworms and I was using maggots would it be that the bigger bait meant bigger fish? To top it off he offered me a mealworm and I took it and put it on my hook and lone behold I caught my biggest fish of the day.I know I am taking both next time.

Mealworms Maggots

[Alberta Bigbore]

Ive always had more success with maggots over mealworms.

[fishunter]

I find that i catch more with maggots but when I use meal worms the catch is bigger but not much fish thoe. I have caught just as big fish also with maggots. I like them more so then mealworms.

[demolition101]

8 times out of 10 you're going to catch bigger fish with bigger bait. Just because of proportion and the bigger bait keeps the smaller ones from stealing bait. However, size and color also depict how fish strike. Some days all fish will touch is mealworms and somedays all they'll touch is maggots. I've caught some of my biggest fish on bait I was using for the average sized fish. Long story short, if you're out with multiple people, everyone use something different off the start and see what they're hitting more. Then everyone switch to that. Really it's an odds game. Good luck

[stinkynuts]

I always tip my hooks with 2-3 maggots and 1/2 a mealworm i think it helps with getting the scent out into the water

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

try small minnows they work well to .

[Cletus from Elk Point]

Yea that makes sense, the mealworms when put on the hook do let out alot more juice than the maggots do. Maybe it does draw in the monsters. Thanks for all the input, this place is a bottomless pit of knowledge.

[Cal]

Try using both, I usualy tie on a swedish pimple or jigging rap type lure and then tie a small wire worm or tear drop about 6" up from it and bait the two hooks differently. 9 times out of ten the biggest fish will bite the swedish pimple while the smaller hook catches more. The odd time a big fish will suprise me and take the little hook but this happens very rarely.

And now for Cal's hot tip.... I've also recently discovered that if I raise my lure out of the strike zone and jig it agressively a few times before lowering it back into the strike zone I get more big fish, especily during a hot bite. My guess that raising the lure a few feet off the bottom prevents small fish from taking the hook right away and also attracts the attention of bigger fish from further away, when I let my hook back down to the bottom bigger fish have moved in for a look and have a better crack at getting the bait befor a little fish gets it.

[tacklerunner]

A mealworm looks very much like caddis larvae which you will find in pretty much all fresh bodies of water in our area. Therefore, it's a very natural looking bait. Maggots on the other hand are, well, housefly larvae and grow in rotting flesh vs. underwater.

Maggots works well when you use them to "tip" a lure that already has some visual appeal. I find meal worms work better on a bare bait hook.

Here are some pics of a caddis larva. I firmly believe this is why they work so well and that size isn't the issue.