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PowerBait or mealworms for fishing?

powerbait-200x148Q. My dad and I go fishing a lot. We used to use PowerBait but we just didn’t catch anything. So we started using mealworms and we caught much more. But the next time we went fishing and the other fishermen were saying the fish were biting the PowerBait! My dad and I love catching trout but we don’t know what bait is best for that?
–Matthew Mealworm, Gillete, New Jersey

A. Hello Mr. Mealworm. Thanks for the question. For this one, I’m going to defer to my buddy Justin Lucas. He’s a 23-year-old pro fisherman from Folsom, California, who fishes for Team National Guard and catches trout and bass that probably weigh as much as you do! Anyway, here’s what Justin had to say:

“That’s a good little question. Throughout most parts of the United States, Berkley PowerBait ($3.50-$10; www.berkley-fishing.com) is actually, overall, the best trout catcher there is. But, obviously there are times when live bait is going to work a lot better because it’s real. Think about it like this—On certain days you might want to eat a hamburger but someone is trying to feed you a taco and you just don’t want to eat it. Then, there are other days when you want the taco but you’re getting fed the hamburger — and you don’t want to eat that. So you just have to experiment and learn what the fish want each day. I would stick with the PowerBait and live bait like mealworms or night crawlers, but some days they just might want one or the other.

Here’s another tip to help you catch more trout: Let your bait soak more. Instead of reeling it in fast, let your bait sit there longer than the other guys — up to 10 to 20 minutes after each cast. Remember, you’re waiting for the fish to come to you rather than going after the fish.”


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40 Comments on PowerBait or mealworms for fishing?

  1. bigwhoopwhoop // March 30, 2016 at 4:07 pm // Reply

    how do you catch a fish with your bear hands

  2. One question you should answer before go is whether the water you fishing is hatchery stocked or native. Hatchery fish are fed fish chow and native fish may not be receptive to powerbait or the like. You may have to try to duplicate the natural forage of what your trying o catch. I’ve seen where powerbait, salmon eggs, won’t work on a native population, whereas live bait, streamers and flies will. I’ve also seen the reverse.

  3. Can I use power bait for saltwater?

  4. Fishing For Dix // October 15, 2014 at 11:34 am // Reply

    when using meal worms do you use a bobber with it or no…??

  5. Sounds like an ad for Powerbait. I barely catch anything on that stuff. Go LIVE or stay home. Mealworms rock!

  6. Worms? Power bait? I just use my bare hands!

  7. I really love to use corn, night crawler and mealworms and yes i do thing that mealworms are way better then powerbait

  8. They will both work,but one may work that day but not the next day.

  9. Since two of you are fishing; both of you should be using different items to start. That way you can test the fish more efficiantly. Also, don’t limit yourself to 2 items; usually 5-6 items is a minimum. Talk with your local fishing outlet for suggestions on what’s been hot. They both fish and see more fishermen than anyone so they will be very knowlagable. Personally I always carry: (1) looper jigs (2) dry flies (3) wet flies (4) power bait w/#5 hook and slip sinker (5) Fox spinner w/ salmon egg. Best of luck.

  10. I prefer to use squid or shrimp

  11. i dont go fishing alot so i dont have that much experience, but whenever my dad and i go we usually try to find crickets. they ought to work on any fish

  12. Use both like gear guy said it all just depends!

    GOOD LUCK!

  13. Powerbait yellow or natural is the only one I have had consistent luck with here in Oklahoma

  14. I think worms work the best Live bait works the best for me.

  15. lamiglass thrower // April 30, 2012 at 10:54 pm // Reply

    power eggs and a drip of scent…works year round for those trout

  16. I tell u use frogs slugs

  17. meal worms and corn

  18. Silvermine // July 26, 2011 at 3:12 pm // Reply

    Live bait will always win out over plastic or other synthetic baits no matter what they flavor them up with. Mealworms are the best for trout. I had not heard of using corn, but I imagine that where I fish the corn would never make it to the trout because of all the darn sunfish. I know there are bass and trout because I get them occasionally, but it is tough to avoid sunnies. Any advice?

  19. ca i use mealworms in saltwater fishing?

  20. Hugnuffer // July 9, 2011 at 8:54 am // Reply

    I live in a densely populated suburb of DC. When I was in the country in Connecticut, I had pretty good luck with lures and other fake stuff. The fishing down here is not nearly as good and the only bait I’ve caught fish with has been live. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but in my experience the live stuff is a lot grosser but also what to use if you are interested in catching fish.

  21. I don’t know about you guys, I like to use dynamite!!!!

  22. Dude, don’t use either to catch trout, learn to fly-fish! You will be much more successful.

  23. i really dont know much about trout fishing because in tx the only place you can catch them is in saltwater.

    • LOL. As far as TX goes, you can catch trout in both fresh and saltwater. I’ve caught plenty in both. However, one thing I like to use when I stream fish for trout is corn. Plain ol’ canned corn on the hook.

      Try it!

      • Yeah, your right.There was somebody who used corn and caught 13 rainbow trout.The power bait i bought didn’t work.

    • I tell u now I caught 3 touts using meal worms

  24. fishhawk7590832 // June 5, 2009 at 2:33 pm // Reply

    Vitamin fortified Wonderbread sandwich bread pieces in about one inch pieces and moistened into a dough bread ball and placed on a fish hook will catch seven inch carp and some of the smaller fresh water pan fishes. The Wonderbread sandwich bread one inch pieces usually really attract small fresh water fish such as carp as well as wild pond ducks when tossed into the fishing pond before casting the fishing hook with the moistened sandwich bread dough ball.

  25. fishhawk350921 // June 5, 2009 at 5:39 am // Reply

    Regular soft whole kernal corn from a grocery store and placed on an Eagle Brand fishhook size #5 will catch carp that measures over fifteen inches from a fresh water river.

  26. mealworms all the way! caught 34 fish in a pond with them!

  27. i have some of those powerbait trout nibbles i dont really like just having one or two on a hook so if i use them(which is rare) i put one on and a worm but i do agree live bait is SO MUCH BETTER! though some plastic and rubber lures are good

  28. good ole owl // April 27, 2009 at 1:09 am // Reply

    live bait will almost always win out over rubber or other artificial lures, but some places the fish are raised on the same thing each day, the trout especially, they jump all over bright colored puff balls with a hook in them.

  29. worms are soooooooooooooooo much better than power bait for just about every thing i fish for. Bass, pike, crappies, and sunfish.

  30. I like worms better than powerbait

  31. do you mean meal worms or wax worms

  32. pedro's boss // April 10, 2009 at 3:35 pm // Reply

    when me and pedro go fishing I usually use his tail as bait.

  33. I fish in lakes around detroit and my dad and I use always use powerbait when we fish for trout.

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