Mealworms for Panfish

The easiest live bait to keep is the cooperative little mealworm. Buy a few dozen in the bait shop or the pet store and simply leave them in the refrigerator for a few days. They'll do well for bluegills, yellow perch, crappies and sunfish of all sorts. Hook the mealworm through once rather than running a hook through the length of the worm. You'll lose more doing it this way but they'll be more active on the hook To raise your own, put several mealworms in a small container up on a shelf with cornmeal and just wait. The mealworms will develop into pupae and then turn into beetles. When the beetles first appear add a small chunk of potato an inch or two thick, leaving the top of your container off to prevent mold. The beetles will lay eggs on the potato, die and soon you'll see new mealworms. You can have a nearly endless supply once your mealworm colony gets going.