Nightcrawlers are UP ~!

[AndyS]

Just checked the backyard with a flashlight. Funny how getting free bait never gets old.

[briansnat]

My yard is stil 90 pct snow coverd

[ScowardNJ]

They were all over the parking lot while walking into work this morning in Bergen County

[kcritch]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Just checked the backyard with a flashlight. Funny how getting free bait never gets old.

You are an old soul Andy...HA! Old school all the way baby!

[420*NightCrawler]

Nice! That's a good sign the ground is thawing. It won't be long now. I'm itching for some fishing, I don't mess around with the ice/cold, it's been almost 5 months without a cast.

[Eskimo]

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I noticed walking into work by West Trenton that there were worms in the parking lot this morning.

Not very useful to me now since I'm at work. Around early-to-mid May when those sunfish are sitting on their nests, I'm going to be looking for those worms.

Technology has never improved upon the lowly earthworm as a panfish bait.

Random Fact: Prior to Columbus's arrival to North America, there were very few earthworms in North America. Nearly every earthworm you encounter in America today is descended from European worms that were accidently introduced.

[youngdumbandfulloffish]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Just checked the backyard with a flashlight. Funny how getting free bait never gets old.

I remember reading an article many many year's ago in a Boy's Life magazine on how to find all the worms you can use. Rainy nights or hose down an area of your backyard and then just comb over the area with a flashlight right?

Also is the best way to keep them the way you get them at a bait shop? Container with air holes in dirt in the fridge? The girlfriend is going to love that "Babe no!!! That isn't going to be Country Crock!"

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by youngdumbandfulloffish

Also what is the best way to keep them the way you get them at a bait shop? Container with air holes in dirt in the fridge? The girlfriend is going to love that "Babe no!!! That isn't going to be Country Crock!"

It depends on the species. There are a bunch of different species of worms that all look very similar, but have very different requirements.

Red Worms, the little worms you find in compost piles, are the toughest. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a while, but I find that the refrigerator is too cold for most of the other worms. I usually keep worms I find in a little dirt in a plastic Chinese-food container on the floor of my basment. Most websites recommend temperatures of 50-70 F.

I bought a commercial worm kit that consists of a insulated box full of sphagnum moss, but I never used it.


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[youngdumbandfulloffish]

Basement sounds like a better idea. I left a container in my trunk once in the summer. A mistake I will never make again!

[Billfish715]

Buss Bedding in a fiber bait box for crawlers ONLY! A wooden or styrofoam box with topsoil, a layer of wet newspaper, more dirt, another layer of wet newspaper, some compost, wet newspaper, more dirt. Add crawlers, keep cool, dark, moist. Cheap and easy. The amount of worms and dirt depends on the size of the box. High school football and baseball fields, golf courses, parks are all great for worms. A flashlight with a filter and quick reflexes are a must. Soak your lawn thoroughly and get them in your yard. Take the kids. Boys' Life! Wow! That brings back memories.