How to find awesome fishing baits at grocery stores and pet shops

PET STORES

Most pet stores carry food for a wide range of different pets, many of which have similar diets to the fish species we target. For example, reptiles love to eat a variety of live insects and invertebrates that trout, panfish and more would also happily devour. As a bonus, reptile food is also often available frozen or vacuum-sealed, making it easy to transport and preserve.

Among the potential baits available at many pet stores are crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, butterworms, silkworms and roaches. My favourites, however, include hornworms, superworms, trout worms and waxworms. Bright blue or green in colour, hornworms are at the expensive end (averaging $1.50 each); they come in a variety of sizes, up to four inches in length. Similar to mealworms but five times larger, superworms sell for a reasonable $2 per dozen, while trout worms—a classic trout and panfish bait—go for $7 a dozen. As for waxworms, these small white grubs are an ice-fishing staple, particularly good for catching panfish. They cost a reasonable $3 per dozen.

For links to provincial angling regs, go to www.outdoorcanada.ca/fishingregs.