How to Keep Maggots Pinkies & Squats: My Bait Care Guide
Whether you've had your bait delivered or picked it up via Click & Collect, looking after your Maggots, Pinkies, and Squats is the difference between a "bag-up" session and a struggle.
Below is my expert guide to keeping your bait in great condition, looking more closely for those that have had their bait delivered.
Maggots & Pinkies: The Revival Process
Our maggots and pinkies are shipped in chilled, air-sealed polythene bags with maize flour. This puts them in a "dormant" state for their journey, (they can survive 36hrs like this) ensuring they arrive in the best possible condition.
Step 1: Open Immediately
As soon as your delivery arrives, open the bags to let the bait breathe. This is critical—leaving them sealed will prevent them from waking up properly.
Step 2: The Revive Phase
Tip them into a large bait tray or groundbait bucket. My top tip: Cat litter trays are perfect for this—they're the ideal size and depth for reviving and store your bait.
Step 3: Timing
Allow approximately 4 hours at room temperature (sometimes a little longer) for them to fully wake up and start wriggling. Don't rush this process— On our own tests we found what we thought were dead maggots only to find they had woken the following day! So give them time.
Step 4: The Riddle
Once active, run them through a riddle to clean them:
- Use a 5mm mesh for maggots
- Use a 3mm mesh for pinkies
Step 5: Freshness Check
Discard any skins or deads and add a fresh coating of maize flour. This keeps them clean, dry.
Squats: Little more care needed
Squats are more delicate than maggots and require a slightly different approach. We ship ours in peat to maintain moisture and trap a small amount of oxygen, keeping them in optimal condition during transit.
Step 1: Waking Them Up
Place them in a bait tray in a warm, light area. Like maggots, they need a good 4 hours to revive. You find warmth is key to them becoming active.
Step 2: The Sieve Trick
Use a sieve to remove the peat. Important: Save the peat for later—it's perfect for transporting them to your peg and keeps them in great condition during your session.
Step 3: Feeding Your Squats
This is the secret to keeping squats active and "happy" while stored:
Place a piece of white bread lightly soaked in milk in the tray with your squats. This provides moisture and a they will often go back on the the feed, This is best done with the peat removed though as the peat will just clog up the bread.
This is a technique that has been used by match anglers for decades. The milk-soaked bread creates the perfect microenvironment for squats to thrive.
Step 4: The Temperature Cycle
We recommend chilling them overnight at 1–2°C and letting them warm up during the day to keep them in top condition. This mimics their natural dormancy cycle and extends their lifespan significantly.
Storage Tips for All Live Bait
Temperature Control
Store your bait in a fridge or cool box at 1–2°C. This slows their metabolism and keeps them fresh for longer.
Ventilation is Key
Believe it or not, do not keep your Maggots, Pinkies or Squats in a bait tub in the fridge! Why? They need oxygen to survive, the air they breath condensates in the tub even with the air holes. After a while they start to sweat and you get that horrible froth and at worsed the lid blows off and you're in trouble with bait all over the fridge, Night mare!. Leave the lid off, As mentioned above a tray is by far the best, find a tray that will fit in your fridge that is nice and deep. This is how we store all or maggots etc in the shop.
Regular Checks
Check your bait daily and remove any deads or skins by running them through a riddle. Top up any maize or peat if needed.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Leaving Bait Sealed
The number one mistake is leaving bait in their delivery bag. Always open immediately and transfer to a proper bait tray.
Too Much Heat
Don't try to "speed up" the revival process with excessive heat. Room temperature is perfect—anything warmer can kill the bait.
Overcrowding
Give your bait space to move. Overcrowded trays leads to sweating and the dreaded great escape.
Forgetting to Riddle
Skipping the riddling doesn't really do much harm, But it does mean your not taking the best bait you can to the bank.
My own bait prep' before hitting the bank
The night before:
- I'll remove bait from the fridge and let it warm enough to run through a riddle (2-3 hours)
- Riddle thoroughly to remove any deads or skins
- Add fresh maize flour or peat
- For squats, I may add a fresh piece of milk-soaked bread
- Pop everything back in the fridge ready for morning
Arrive at the bank with bait that's active, clean, and ready to catch fish.
Why Bait Care Matters
Effort = Reward, with out bait your not catching! so it's important to spend that extra bit of time and attention to your prep, as it will and does make a difference to your fishing. whether competing or just pleasure fishiing.
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Got questions about bait care or storage? Get in touch—we're always happy to help you get the most from your bait.