Underwater wigglers comparison

[Leo Nguyen]

Okay, while we have Johnny Wilkins doing the baits shootout, how about collecting live wiggler's underwater info effectiveness over dead ones. I noticed that people using live wigglers that can survival impalement normally out catch fishes over those who killed their wigglers during baiting. Common ratio is 5-to-1. If Johnny's result come back that livebaits outgun preserved livebaits, we have some data to enhance his finding.

 

My mistake was not able to collect data on live specimen after soaking them in the water during the fishing expedition, since they either get bitten within 15 minutes, or torn asunder before I can even pull the specimen out of the water. On top of that, it never occurred to me how long these wigglers will last in the water since I normally impaled them, causing massive shock, and they pretty much died within 2 minutes before hitting the water, or dead within 30 seconds after I tossed them into the water..of course, the nightcrawlers and red worms are a whole different story. I used superglue in the past, but the glue was so toxic that it killed them within 2 minutes.

 

So, my question is, do any know how long each specimen last in the water before they drown?

 

1. Meal worms
2. Wax/beemoth worms
3. Maggots (possible 24+ hrs)
4. Red worms (garden or compost)
5. Nightcrawlers (your choice of Euro/African/Canadian)

 

Data I have so far having fun with my glue resin with #4 octopus circle hook, placing them in a 3 gallons jug, with filtered water that had been dechlorinated (sitting around for 3 days in the sun). Water temp was 68°F, elevation at 860ft, with water pressure in the container roughly about 1psi:

• Crickets (any garden and woodland variety at any size): average at 43 seconds under water to precise.
• Ants (any variety, ranging from small carpenter to fire ants..not fun when stung): average at 6 minutes.
• Green beetle grubs: 35 minutes.
• Termites: 2 minutes
• Pill bugs: 45 minutes
• 1 green caterpillar (not sure from what species of butterfly): 17 minutes
• Red wigglers (compost variety): 36 minutes
• Red wigglers (earth/garden variety: 45 minutes
• Canadian nightcrawlers: 59 minutes

I noticed that people tossed the worms into the aquarium for fish and turtles with 2 inches to 2 feet of water. They're consumed before there was a chance to notice the amount of time before they curled up and spitted out the last bubble. Maggots I notice can swim around the fly trap under a nice 6 inches of water for days. So, I'm presuming they can last for 24+ hours under water. No problem for fishing with them using bait glue there, and wiggle to their hearts content.

 

Hey Tony, I know you use beemoth. Mind tossing a few in a clear up of water, and set a timer for them? Try to notice when they first wiggle under water, to the point they stop wiggling. If anyone can help to test out at their ends, based on monitored temperatures, and geographical location (elevation is a key factor plus the water depth pressurizing the small bodies of the wigglers).

 

* PLEASE, DON'T USE TAP WATER. Chlorine in the water will kill them quite fast. If you can, use your pond water if you have a pond. If not, use filtered water, which at least 85% of the chlorine had been removed.

 

I'll pick some up later to test as well over the weekends, and for breeding purposes.

[Leo Nguyen]

Oh..forgot, my maggots lasted 12 hrs in the water stationary. They wiggled pretty strongly  to the very end.

[Tony Livingston]

I'll see what I can do. I have my fingers crossed that I will fish this weekend, so we'll see.

 

Oh yeah, maggots are tough. That's why I love em'!

[Leo Nguyen]

I noticed that the waxworms (beemoth) are small enough during their first larvae cycle, similar to maggots. I think I can store that in the open without my wife going to town on me. I notice the wax and meal don't emit as much odor during respiration like the maggots do. Strange. Could because the maggots utilize a slime to propel their bodies forward and preventing dehydration of the outer skin. The meal worms..got legs. The waxworms have less tougher skin than maggots, but they do have small motile legs near the head for crawling. Maggots may be too much work to keep and breed. I'll have plenty of them during summer for usage from the compost pile. Time to set up a rig to harvest them..muahahahaha.

[Jeff Soto]

Doesn't matter if the bait is dead, as long as they are not mangled or torn up. (except for minnows or crawdads) I use crickets a lot and though fresh ones will get bit faster, I'm not going to change baits because the bait is dead.  Crickets drown pretty quick, but I've never had a panfish NOT take my bait because it's dead.  Once I get a strike on my jig and cricket and I miss the fish or it gets off, if there is a cricket left on my hook, I'll take it off and hook on another one.  Same with earthworms, waxworks and mealworms.

[Anthony Palafox]

Weather the bait is alive or not does not matter for me because am always actively reeling in the bait slow or slowing dragging it along with my tube. But I do find that live bait will get bit faster if your baiting and waiting.    

[Tony Livingston]

During cold water bluegill fishing having a little wiggle to your bait is absolutely essential to success. Ice fishermen as well as cold water anglers regularly replace their bait with fresh, and it makes the difference between going home empty handed, or eating fish for supper that night.

In warmer water I have been guilty of fishing dead bait also, and have caught fish on it. However, as I've mentioned before, cold water is an entirely different scenario and you must change your fishing style to accommodate it.... not the other way around.

Jeff, I believe you were the one who initially posted on a lack of success for cold water Bluegill. How do you know that the fish are not interested in your bait because it's dead? What do you attribute your lack of cold water success to?

[Tony Livingston]

Okay Leo, I procured fresh beemoth this morning and selected 3 hardy individuals to sacrifice to science. All three were run simultaneously, in separate containers.

I used pond water, which I allowed to acclimate in the house overnight to match your temps. 68 degrees.

I am at an elevation of 538', I was unable to come up with anything to accurately test such a low pressure. Due to the limited depth I am forced to assume that any deviation from atmospheric was minimal.

All times are from complete submersion with activity, to such time as all activity ceased.

#1... 6 min, 35 seconds.

#2... 6 min.

#3... 7 min, 15 seconds. 

[B. Waldman]

You guys Rock!    :)    Love the data...individual reps even

 

-BW (an R&D science guy myself)

[Leo Nguyen]

BD, any additional scientific mind is more than welcome. It'll reassure our finding and argument straight and true.

[Leo Nguyen]

Awesome Tony. Did the beemoths get tossed into the containers or were they get skewered? I presume the beemoths get dumped into the water. Pressure is not as crirical at the moment. More of temp and oxygen deprevation based. Since you are actively fishing during cold season, why not do a straight sample of the cold water conditions from your area as well. If you have maggots, go for it..

[Tony Livingston]

No skewering Leo... held down with...... a dab of molasses on a weight. I know it's crude, but hey it worked......

[Leo Nguyen]

Molasses! LOL crude and back to the natural. That is freaking awesome. Love that stuff. So many thing you can do with them. By the way, molasses also contain natural chemical compounds that combat cancers, especially prostate.