Avid fishermen assure beginners that a good catch does not depend on the weather and time of year, but on the right choice of bait and lure. Bloodworms have long been considered one of the most effective baits, especially for winter fishing.
It is important to know not only how and what kind of fish to fish with the help of larvae, but also how to obtain and preserve bloodworms in various conditions at home and fishing.
Feeding small bloodworms have also found their place in fishing practice
Educational program for novice fishermen: what is a bloodworm, photo and description
Bloodworms (raspberries) are the larvae of mosquitoes from the family Chironomidae. The body of the worm-like insect is painted in red tones, and the head is dark. The tail is forked. The length of a mosquito larva can reach 10-25 mm. The reddish tint to the body is given by hemoglobin, which is contained in the blood of the insect.
Depending on their size, raspberries are divided into several types:
- Large (attached) type of bloodworm. The size of the larvae that belong to this category is quite large. You can find them in the silted soil of a pond or lake. Almost never found in rivers.
- Limanny . It lives in southern salty estuaries, in which there are significant deposits of organic matter at the bottom.
- Small . The length of the larvae of this species reaches 10 mm. Insects live on the bottom of rivers in places of industrial discharges.
Note! Mosquito larvae do not bite people and are not a nuisance.
Features of fishing with bloodworms
The key to successful hunting for this bait is the correct choice of the right equipment. Depending on the time of fishing and the expected catch, the thickness of the leads should be 0.05-0.12 mm. Thin hooks number 20-28 are tied to them if a single larva is attached, and number 16 when fishing on a bunch. The float should submerge well, leaving only the antenna visible above the water surface.
No less useful tips would be:
- Bloodworms for fishing should only be taken fresh. High-quality bait has a bright red color, it glistens in the sun and moves actively. In stale embryos, the shade is not so pronounced, it is more faded.
- After each successful bite, the bait should be replaced.
- Since fresh bait is always slippery from moisture, you need to handle it gently and only with dry hands.
- The presence of only a mosquito larva on a hook does not always contribute to rich catches. It is advisable to plant the bait in a bunch or combine it with maggots.
To learn more:
Vobla - what kind of fish, description and way of life
Bloodworms for fishing, as bait and bait
Anglers use bloodworms as bait at any time of the year. If you bait the larva correctly, it will move on the hook for a long time, attracting the attention of the fish. You can use special hooks with a spring clip, with which you can fix the raspberries without piercing them.
In addition, bloodworms are added to the bait mixture and a small portion of larvae is dropped into the hole to lure a school of fish.
Note! Bloodworms can be used as an independent attachment or in combination with maggots.
Why do you need a bloodworm?
Of course, the very first use of bloodworms that comes to mind is use as fishing bait. This bait is suitable for fishing for any fish. Mainly used in winter fishing, just throw a pinch of live bloodworms into the hole, and you are guaranteed a good bite for an hour.
Bloodworms are also used by all aquarists, both live and dried. Bloodworms contain a lot of nutrients and useful substances, so the fish will actively grow and develop.
It has been proven that such healthy food has a positive effect on the health of fish; it is especially often used in females after childbirth, as sometimes they develop spinal displacement.
Where to look for bloodworms and how to get and wash mosquito larvae yourself
Malinka lives in muddy areas of the bottom of streams, ponds, slow-moving rivers and lakes. Mosquito larvae are able to survive even in polluted water bodies. Insects build housing for themselves by gluing mud together with saliva secreted from the salivary glands.
In order to wash mosquito larvae yourself, you should use a sieve and a net with a fine mesh. Depending on the size of bloodworms needed, it is worth selecting the size of the sieve mesh. Experienced fishermen recommend using a sieve with a mesh size of 1.5-2 mm to wash baited specimens. To obtain bait specimens, you can use smaller meshes.
How to easily and quickly get bloodworms in a few minutes and wash the larvae correctly:
Step-by-step process for washing raspberries using a sieve:
- First of all, fishermen use a sieve to scoop up silt from the bottom of the reservoir and lift it to the surface of the water.
- The sieve is shaken so that the silt is washed out. The larvae, along with large debris, will remain in it.
- The sieve is removed from the water. Its contents are left in the sifting tool for a couple of minutes to dry.
- The sieve is re-immersed in water. Dried larvae float to the surface. They are collected using a net. This is the so-called bloodworm washing process.
Wash bloodworms in large quantities using a pump
As part of the fishing, right there on the spot, they wash the bloodworms using a device - a guitar, which is used to scoop out the soil along with the larvae and wash them in a container of water.
How to wash bloodworms is an effective old-fashioned way to get raspberries in the winter:
Do not throw away sorted small specimens; they can be used as bait, and large ones can be used as bait.
Where to find bloodworms for fishing
There are several places where bloodworms can be found. The simplest and most reliable is to go to the store and purchase the required amount of bloodworms. However, this method significantly hits the pocket of the average fisherman. If you can buy a worm and maggot without hesitation and not worry about the cost, then bloodworms will cost more. Therefore, many people have thoughts about where to get bloodworms.
Bloodworms live in silted ponds, swamps and streams. If you are fishing on a river or lake with silt at the bottom, then in any case the bloodworm should be at the bottom. He lives right in the mud. Therefore, you will have to get it out with your own hands and wash the bloodworms on the shore.
As a rule, bloodworms are concentrated in the recesses. It does not lie in an even layer over the entire surface of the bottom. If you scoop up the sludge in several of these depressions, you will probably find a sufficient number of larvae. Soft areas where there is no vegetation, debris or stones are considered promising. Another important sign is swarms of mosquitoes above the surface of the reservoir. If you notice such a cluster of insects, then you are on the right track and most likely you will catch bloodworms.
In warm weather, bloodworms live shallow in the silt, just a couple of centimeters from its surface. In winter, it rolls down to a depth of 30 cm and even deeper.
How long to preserve bloodworms at home - in the refrigerator, potatoes, newspaper...
You can store mosquito larvae at home in the refrigerator, perhaps this is the simplest and most popular method; the shelf life should not exceed 14 days. Before you put the insects in the refrigerator, you need to sort them out and throw away the dead ones.
After this, the raspberries should be placed on damp newspaper. The edges of the paper are folded and the larvae are sent to the refrigerator. Every 3 days it is necessary to sort through the bloodworms, removing dead ones. You can also store bloodworms in a container filled with drunken tea.
You can effectively store bloodworms in newspaper for quite a long time - you need to lightly moisten it with water and store it in a cool place in the refrigerator, basement or garage
Often fishermen need to keep mosquito larvae alive throughout the winter; what can be done with the bloodworms in this situation? Experienced fishermen recommend placing insects in a basket made of metal mesh with a fine mesh and lowering them into a plastic container, the upper part of which has been previously cut off. It is important to systematically check bloodworms, selecting dead ones. It is also necessary to provide favorable aeration and periodically feed the raspberries with sugar.
Storing bloodworms in a cut potato tuber will preserve the larvae for 7-10 days for fishing in winter and up to 3-5 days in summer
How to store bloodworms in potatoes:
How to get bloodworms for fishing
The simplest method, which is useful on long fishing trips with overnight stays, looks like this. Take a metal bucket and scoop up the sludge. Next, place the bucket on the fire and heat it up. The bloodworm soon appears on the surface of the water. Next, collect it in a pre-prepared container.
On the one hand, it’s a plus that you don’t have to mess around in the swamp, but on the other hand, it’s not always possible to scoop up the bloodworm part of the silt and immediately get a lot of bloodworms. In some cases, you have to rake the sludge several times and wait until it warms up and the larvae emerge.
The classic method of extracting bloodworms is to use homemade scoops and bloodworms. If you use a scoop, it should have a long handle and high sides. With this tool you can scoop up a lot of silt at depth and conveniently remove it to the shore. You can also use a regular bucket with holes in the sides. Another important accessory is a fine mesh washing sieve. A metal colander of this type is suitable:
This is the simplest and most affordable tool that is found in almost every home. The sequence of actions is as follows. First, the sludge is removed and placed in this sieve. It is better to use a large sieve. This will make it more convenient to wash the larvae and the process will go faster. After the sludge arrives, add a little water and rub the sludge with your hands in a circular motion, but very carefully. As the sludge is washed away, larvae should remain on the sieve. As you work, you can quickly learn this simple operation.
We collect the bloodworms and put them in a special bloodworm container of this type:
Place a cloth with lint soaked in water inside. In such conditions, the bloodworm will be reliably preserved.
Another method using a liter tin can. We make holes throughout the entire area of the container. Two holes are punched on the lid, with the help of which a bracket with a pole is attached. This device is lowered to the bottom and rotated to collect silt at the bottom. After this, raise the jar and keep it in the water so that a third is visible. The sludge will flow out through the hole at the bottom. There will be red worms left in the jar.
The most original way to get bloodworms using meat. The meat is taken and wrapped in a cloth, and delivered to the bottom of the reservoir. Before this, a rope is tied to the cloth. Leave the meat for a day. In a day we will find many larvae on the cloth.
How to separate live bloodworms from dead ones, small bait from bait
Living larvae strive to get out into the holes, unable to tolerate confined spaces. Knowing this feature, you can quickly separate living insects from dead ones. Having collected settled rainwater into a deep basin, you need to cover it with a mesh, the cell size of which is 2-3 mm. The larvae are scattered onto a net and lightly immersed in a container filled with water. The raspberries should be completely submerged in liquid.
After 15 minutes, all living insects will seep through the sieve and end up at the bottom of the basin. The dead ones will remain in the net. They can be thrown away or used for bait mixture.
Sorting large and small bloodworms is quite simple. To do this, pour mosquito larvae into a sieve and immerse the instrument in a container filled with water. Small raspberries will pass through the holes and end up in the container, while larger insects will remain in the sieve.
Large bloodworm in a blood bottle
Bloodworm breeding
Red (up to 2.5 cm) bell mosquito larvae are cultivated using a rather complex technique. For this purpose, a uterine swarm of mosquitoes is created and maintained. It is kept in a bright room at 18-20° C. Eggs and mosquitoes are laid in ditches with water.
From there, the clutches are selected and incubated in trays, which are placed in vertical risers to save space. The larvae are raised on a yeast diet for several days after hatching, and the cycle lasts 15 days if the temperature is maintained at about 22°C. Daily production reaches 25 g/m2 of usable area.
Mosquito larvae are stored for a long time at a temperature of 4-8° C in a slightly damp linen cloth. You can mix them with dried tea leaves. The bloodworm remains alive in running cold water for up to a month.
How to breed larvae
To start breeding mosquito larvae, you will need to allocate 2 rooms for this purpose. The first will contain mosquitoes, and the second will house their larvae. A layer of river silt is poured into the buckets, the thickness of which reaches 15-20 mm. The sludge is washed with boiling water, after which cold water and a small amount of yeast are added, which will be required to feed the raspberries.
The composition is thoroughly mixed until the consistency resembles the thickness of sour cream. Every 14 days it is necessary to add small pieces of yeast to the sludge.
In the room where mosquitoes live, you should place a bowl of water. The insects will lay eggs there, which will soon hatch into larvae. The raspberries need to be caught with a sieve, transferred to another room and placed in a container filled with a layer of silt.
Where do bloodworms live and what do they eat?
The bloodworm lives in the mud of overgrown streams, lakes and ponds. Bloodworms also live in heavily polluted water bodies, even if there is little oxygen in the water. He builds a home for himself in the form of tubes of silt. It glues the sludge with saliva, which is secreted from the salivary glands. An insect can stick out from such a tube, but if there is danger, it immediately hides. These worms burrow through the mud and look for food by eating microorganisms that populate the mud, as well as plant and animal remains.
How to store larvae while fishing
When fishing, insects are exposed to low or high temperatures, which can cause the death of the larvae.
Cold storage
For winter fishing you need to take bloodworms in portions (the amount that you plan to use). The larvae are placed in a foam moth tray. It is worth considering that foam plastic is endowed with good thermal insulation properties. The moth bottle is sent for storage in the inner pocket of the jacket. The larvae should be systematically inspected. Overheated or frozen bloodworms will become lethargic. In this case, the box will need to be moved to one of the pockets.
In winter you need to use special bloodworms
Storing bloodworms in the heat during summer fishing
On hot days, if stored improperly, bloodworms often dry out. At this time of year, it should be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in an open food container. The container is transferred to a shaded place that is well blown by the wind. Moisture will begin to evaporate from the surface of the wet fabric and will cool the larvae. The cloth needs to be moistened periodically. Raspberries can be stored in this way for 24-36 hours.
Common mistakes when growing bloodworms
- Insufficient temperature. When the temperature in the room decreases, the growth of the larvae slows down significantly, so at this time they can die in hundreds. Therefore, it is important to monitor temperature indicators; they should always be kept between +18 and +25 degrees Celsius.
- Overmoistening of the bloodworm habitat. The sludge should not be too wet, in which case it will be well enriched with oxygen. And if there is a lot of water, then the raspberry will stop receiving oxygen from the surface and will simply die.
- The use of various containers after chemicals. Chemicals, even after prolonged washing, remain on the surface of the plastic, so the reproduction of bloodworms in such a container is simply impossible.
How to bait and fish with larvae
There are several options for how to put a bloodworm on a hook. The most popular of them are:
- The hanging bloodworm method . The larva is pierced beyond the 3rd segment (from the head). You can attach 1 or 2 larvae to one hook.
- Ring . The larva is pierced with the sting of a hook behind the head and tail segment. The bloodworm will hang in the water column or lie on the bottom surface.
- Stocking method . The sting is inserted into segment 2 (from the head) and the raspberry is carefully placed on the hook. The sting must be hidden inside the insect's body.
- Bunch . 4-5 raspberries are attached to the fore-end using elastic bands and special devices. This method allows you to avoid injury to the nozzle. The larvae will remain alive and mobile for a long time.
- Across . The mosquito larva is pierced in the middle with a sting, which should remain outside.
How to plant bloodworms without damaging the larvae - video tips:
Catching fish with bloodworms is a fascinating process that, with the right approach, can be handled not only by an avid fisherman, but also by an amateur. Mosquito larvae attract the attention of roach, crucian carp, rudd, pike, perch, carp, tench, bream and other types of fish.
Bloodworms are natural food, so they do not cause suspicion among the inhabitants of the reservoir. Experts recommend placing 2-3 larvae on a hook. A bouquet of raspberries will look delicious. The fish are unlikely to swim past.
How to use as bait
By adding mosquito larvae to the bait mixture, you can increase its nutritional value and detain a school of fish in the fishing zone. To prepare bait you will need to purchase:
- 200 grams of breadcrumbs;
- 150 grams of millet;
- 150 grams of corn;
- 150 grams of pearl barley.
Millet, corn and pearl barley are boiled. Place all the ingredients in a deep container and mix them. To give the bait mixture an aroma that attracts fish, it is worth adding 50 grams of crushed bloodworms to the mixture.
Live components are chopped before adding bait to the feeder, since cut mosquito larvae are subject to rapid oxidation (in summer). Against this background, the porridge will quickly disappear.
Advice! You should not pour whole bloodworms into the bait, since the active larvae will crawl to the bottom of the bucket and the bait mixture will have to be stirred frequently.
Technique for planting bloodworms
Insect larvae are a rather delicate product, sometimes they are smeared directly on the fingers. To keep the bait intact on the hook and make it appetizing to the fish, you should attach it correctly. There are the following options for placing bait:
- Hanging fresh bloodworm.
- Dressing the larva across.
- Impaling with a stocking or ring.
- Engaging baits with a beam.
The first method is used when fishing for medium-sized perches. The nozzle is placed on the finger and pierced with your free hand near the head so that the bloodworm hangs from the hook tip in the form of a thread. There is no need to hide the point, since it does not interfere with the fish. A correctly hooked larva remains viable in water for 8-10 minutes, after which it is advisable to replace it.
When fishing for roach, the bait is hooked across the sting. To do this, the bait is pierced not near the head, but in the middle. In the water column, a bait placed in this way makes oscillatory movements with both ends, attracting hungry fish.
In its natural environment, the bloodworm curls up into a ring. In this position, the inhabitants of the underwater world find him. To make the bait on the hook look just as natural, it is taken by the back and pierced with a sting, forming a small ring. In a reservoir, such bait moves well, and it is more difficult for fish to pick it off.
The method of putting on a stocking is that the tip is inserted in the area of the head, but is not pushed out, but is pushed onto the sting with light turns until the end of the tail. The advantage of this method is that the fish will not be able to pull the bloodworm with impunity.
To learn more:
Using makukha for fishing
The technique of putting on larvae in a bunch is used in cases where bites from large individuals are expected. Several bloodworms are taken out of the bait storage container (for perch and roach 2-3 are enough, in the hope of catching bream you can use up to a dozen) and put them on the hook by the head. The advantage of this method is that a bunch of larvae release more juice and attract bottom inhabitants faster.
Artificial bloodworms as an alternative - insufficient, but possible substitute
Silicone bloodworm is a rubber bait that is widely used in catching large-sized predators and peaceful fish. The rubber-based larvae resemble real bloodworms in appearance. Artificial bloodworms are flavored, so fish taste no worse on them than on real ones.
Artificial bloodworm
A catchable bait that works at any time of the year and does not fly off the tip while casting.
Bloodworms are considered one of the most catchy baits, which attracts the attention of fish at any time of the year. The universal bait is actively used by floaters, bottom fishers and jig fishing enthusiasts. You can wash mosquito larvae yourself in a pond or purchase them at a fishing store.
Bloodworm for fish
Bloodworms are used as live food for fish; they are suitable for any fish as food. They feed aquarium fish with it and catch river fish with it. This insect is an excellent bait for predatory perches, carp, roach and many other fish. Fishing with bloodworms is good both in winter and late autumn. Bloodworms for fishing look great under water even frozen, and fish quickly bite on them. Frozen and live larvae are also used for bait. This bait and bait is perfect for winter fishing. In places where there are a lot of bloodworms, the fish may not bite at them. Where there is very little of it, the fish will happily eat bloodworms, even if they have never tried it.
Live storage
A tank or bucket filled with water and sludge is suitable for this. This container is installed in a cool place, for example, on a balcony or cellar. Another option could be newspaper, then the bloodworm lives for about two weeks. The newspaper needs to be folded in half, softened, put bloodworms in the central part and packed in the form of an envelope. Next, such a package is placed in the refrigerator. The newspaper should not be thick so that the bloodworms are not harmed. A more convenient way to store it at home is to use special cassettes. The inner area of which is filled with bloodworms, and the outer area is filled with water so that the bloodworms can swim freely in it. All that remains is to wait until the bloodworms move into the external container, and the dead individuals remain in the net. After which they are removed and the water is changed. The cassette must be kept in the refrigerator and the water changed every two days.
Video on how to keep bloodworms alive for a long time
