Looking after maggots/casters

I have asked this question before so this is really to update me(and help anyone else who wants the best quality bait)on the very best way to look after them once they have spent a day on the bank!
My bait shop has very good maggots/casters and whilst I don't expect to retain the original quality I would like them to be as fresh looking as possible over several days.

I tend to buy them with the intention of using them over a 3/4 day period(no longer).

1.Sweating always seems to be a problem so after returning from a trip is it best to remove the maggots from the bait tin and put them in a bigger(plastic?)container and either leave them on the garage floor OR put them in the bait fridge??
2. Is it better to add some form of maize meal to stop them sweating OR just leave them as they are.If maize(or whatever)then what type does the best job??
3.I know sweating is not so much of a problem in Autumn/Winter but changes in temperature seems to affect maggots particularly.
4.Casters seem to last better if kept in a fridge but not for more than a few days-any ideas or advice on this??

As a retired fisherman cost is a major factor and as both the above are very expensive to buy I want to get the best from them so any help appreciated!!

To give an idea of quantity;I tend to buy 3/4 pints of white/red maggots to use over 3/4 days so not all will go to the river bank at the same time.........

Thanks

I am very intested in this to would maybe sand help ? or ground bait as that soaks up water well it could even help with the flavour ?
I might end up having to freeze them in the future as I am moving in with my girlfriend and she doesn't want them in the fridge .

With Casters, i take them out of the bag that they come in when i buy them from a shop.
I then transfer them straight in to a 3 pint bait tub, then i cover the top of the bait box with a plastic bag, then i put the lid on. I take the bag off occassionally for a few hours just to let them breath, but then i put the bag back over them again and put the lid back on, this seems to allow them to stay ok for a few days.

Maggots, put them in a large open container, an old ice cream tub is fine, riddle the maggots from time to time and put a small amount of maize flour over them to stop them from sweating, seems to work ok for a few days, so long as you keep riddling them and removing any dead or turning maggots.

---------- Post added at 19:51 ---------- Previous post was at 19:50 ----------

dayglowfroggy said:

I might end up having to freeze them in the future as I am moving in with my girlfriend and she doesn't want them in the fridge .

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Buy a small bait fridge, or put them into a cool box, that way you can keep your maggots fresh or if it gets really bad, kick the mrs out and claim back the fridge lol

Bought maggots on Tuesday, 1 pint put in a 2 pint box with maize added. They still sweated over night in the fridge. I left them open to the elements and they dried out but the maize went lumpy and stuck to some maggots.
With casters, it's best to leave to them in water as they dry out and float. Again in the fridge is best. 2 good reasons why I prefere pellets and at a push, worm and sweetcorn.

If you clean your unused maggots place in a plastic bag squeeze all the air of it then seal, place in a fridge and they will keep for four days easily though you might need to open the bag every 24 hours until they revive then repeat.

Casters are very dodgy once they have had prolonged exposure to the air and I normally don't keep them but if you do attempt it just place them in cold water and scoop off the floaters, retain a few for the hook and dump the rest.

When I buy casters I wash them in cold water then wrap them up in damp newspaper place in a plastic bag, seal and keep them in the fridge until required. They keep remarkably fresh this way I have found.

Tee-Cee i take it that you leave your maggots in a closed box whilst travelling to and from the water,which makes me think there are too many maggots in each/the container,firstly have a large OPEN container for whilst your driving to the water,secondly if your bait is badly sweated up,put some dry breadcrumb until they dry,then riddle this and any c**p off and put clean fine maize meal in,always store maggots in the fridge in a large open box or bucket and your bait should be fine,if your maize smells a bit before your trip replace with some clean maize.

Poundland does maizemeal, Don't know how much it costs.

I'm a nightmare with maggots and often open up a baitbox of bluebottles!

A sprinkling of groundbait and put in the baitfridge has done the job for me in the past when I remember though, the groundbait gives the maggots a nice smell too.

Keep the lid off when maggots are in the fridge and in as big a surface area container as will fit. Bit of maize flour helps, but when they get to four weeks old (only joking) sprinkle with corriander or better still, turmeric, especially in winter. Keep riddling them, that's the secret.

Tee Cee,

When you get home after fishing:

Take the maggots out of the bait box and place in a large tray (Sensas make 2 sizes, both excellent)

Then, riddle the maggots twice to ensure that there is no left over maize meal.

Place the riddled maggots into a second (clean and dry) tray, and add a little fresh maize meal, and place in the fridge. Don't cover the top of the tray.

Every day riddle the maggots off again and add fresh maize meal if necessary.

I try to get mine from the shop on 'delivery day' which in my area is Friday.
They should last approx. 900 degree-hours if bought fresh.
So, kept in a fridge at 5 degrees they should last (if riddled and kept clean) for about 7 days.

As for caster: I keep mine in ordinary bait boxes with a plastic sheet cut to fit the top plus about 3 inches over. Place the plastic sheet onto the top of the box then fix the lid. Keep in the fridge but give them an hour a day without the plastic sheet.

The above has worked well for me; I used to import a lot of maggot and caster (every second Friday) when I lived in Norway both for sale and for my personal use. These methods never let me down and I always had good fresh bait.

There are different ways of keeping maggots but it is inevitable that they will shrink the longer they are kept and from a purists point of view the skins get harder as well (more rubbery is a better description).

Depending on the type of fishing you are planning if you really want to keep maggots for any length of time then why not freeze some of them, fresh, clean maggots always look more natural when they are thawed out. Don't let anyone ever tell you that dead maggots don't catch fish, they do and some times more effectively than live ones the only problem with them being there is a limit to how far you can catapult them because they are lighter.

I freeze mine in plastic bags with the air squeezed out, sealed and usually only a half pint at a time I can then take a pack out of the freezer whenever the notion to go fishing takes me and not have to worry about going to the tackle shop. One great advantage dead maggots have over live ones is you can safely mix them with groundbait unlike live ones which will break up the ball. It also a good way to save money as well, after a session freeze your leftover maggots after cleaning them off and you have enough for another days fishing however long it is in between.

One thing,my comments do not count with pinkes,they need fresh maize regularly and preferably no more than 1.5pts in a 3pt baitbox with the lid ON and open at least once a day in whilst fridging elst dampness = escapees lid or no lid.

As always some great advice and I thank all those who have contributed...

I will take on board all ideas especially those from Messrs Jacobs,Whatmore & Whittington....very different in approach but obviously tried and tested methods

Thanks once again!!

Casters.....pack into container place kitchen a few layers of kitchen roll on top put on sealed lid turn upside down put in fridge
I use the round vitalin margerine tubs and have kept surplus casters a week .