Does anyone know where you can buy crickets DFW & north? I grew up in Mississippi and that’s about all we used. Every bait store carries them over there. Pet shops have a few but they’re waaay too expensive for fishing purposes.

Was going to mention pet stores and yes they can get expensive. I know of anglers who order them on line but again they can be expensive. I always use what I call the "Bait of Champions" Worms! Every fish loves a nice fat nightcrawler. They are also easy to get. Just about every Walmart has them as well as a lot of bait ships. Also certain gas stations that are close to lakes and rivers may carry them as well.

Great bait for catching big sunfish especially Bluegill and Redear. Like already mentioned by "Banker", Crickets can be expensive and hard to find.

Friend of mine every now and them orders them from Amazon. There are also several bait shops on line that will ship them.

Years ago we used to get a water hose & water next to the foundation of our house. The crickets would come out in force...catch em & put them in a cricket keep container...so this way they were free. Now I just use Gulp Alive minnows...way easier than crickets or worms & catches just as many if not more fish.

Looks like ordering is the way to go. Just have to plan ahead! I will have to check out gulp alive minnows too.

I have friends that fish them a lot. They get good results.

Several bait camps around Toledo Bend carry them but that's a pretty good drive just for crickets.

I'd honestly would just use garden snails. Once they suck up into the shell, they can take the heat of the day. Self contained bait, bust the shell on a rock. Pick the shell fragments off and hook the glob. The main body firms up and stays on the hook. The guts are usually bit off first.


But if you're set on crickets. I don't know of anywhere that's decently priced for crickets.

Most fish I ever caught over a two-day span was on a trip to an Arkansas oxbow lake just off the Mississippi. We used crickets as bait targeting big bream. Caught hundreds of bream and a nearly equal number of channel catfish. The catfish were feasting on the cicadas that fell into the water. Speaking of which, we are about to have a massive cicada hatch.

Gulp alive, in addition to the 1.25 in. minnows, also makes a cricket. I've caught many bluegill with them.

YES! My dad used to take me to oxbow lakes in the Mississippi delta. We caught so many you’d see a cork disappearing into the darkness when you closed your eyes at bedtime later that night.

In the Fairfield glory days for monster bluegill before they shut down the power plant I orderd them online in bulk and kept them in various cricket cages I built and modified plastic totes. You can buy cricket food but I usually just fed them potatoes and used a wet sponge in a saucer for water.

Only affordable way to do it for me at that time. When my supply got low, I would order another 1000 from Flucker Farms. I usually got the 6 week, but sometimes the 5 week if I still had a stock of the 6 week. You can get the 500 ct if you're not using a lot but with shipping, the 1000 is best value.
The pet shop ones are too expensive and not really big enough to suit me but they will work in a pinch.