Getting ready for your next fishing trip. You get all your essential gear ready and then you stop at the bait shop to get some night crawlers. They only have one box left. Then that cashier over charge you. Supply and demand. You think that there has to be a better cheaper way to get your worms. Well that happened to me and I did some research. I found a pretty cheap, but effective solution. So, strap right in and learn about Growing Your Own Nightcrawlers.
Different types of NightCrawlers
There are many types of nightcrawlers. In this article I’ll talk about two: the European and Canadian.European nightcrawlers for the most part measure around 3 inches long. Most people use them in their compost bin to fertilize their gardens. You can use them as bait also, but they are small.Canadian nightcrawlers are alot bigger than European nightcrawlers. This is why they are a favorite for anglers around the world.
Steps to Growing Your Own Nightcrawlers
There are many ways to have nightcrawlers ready to go for your next fishing trip. One of the oldest and most used methods has been a crawler bin at your home. This can be as simple as a 3x3x3 planter box or even a wine barrel filled with good soil.
Try to stay away from unnatural materials like metal as they can heat up faster than containers made from natural materials. If you plan on having your box above ground, remember that crawlers prefer the dark. So don’t use transparent materials. My method is a simple storage bin like the ones you’d put clothes in. I keep it in my garage, because I can control the temperature better. Here are my steps:
- First I drill wholes into the bottom of the bin to help with water drainage you don’t won’t to drown your worms.
- I find scrap paper like newspapers, or sales pages and shred them
- I go out and get dead leaves and small twigs
- Next you have to get your dirt. You can your dirt out of your garden or go to your local feed store and get some black earth not top soil. It may be your best bet to buy the soil. You don’t want to introduce any pesticides or any other critters that may hinder your worm’s growth.
- Now you can lay your first layer of papers down. Don’t forget to wet them a little. You want them damp, overly wet. This is just to make sure your soil stays moist.
- Now lay some of your dead leave and twigs down. The worms will love this because this is how that get their nutrients from the decaying leaves.
- Lay dirt on top of the leaves
- Continue this layering process. Until you make it to last layer which should be your soil. Now you need to wet you soil. You know when the soil is ready if you can squeeze it and a few drops of water drips. You want the soil to stay moist because the worms is coated with a slimy mucus, which allows them to breathe move through the soil
- Now all you have to do is get a few worms from the garden, or but some worms from the bait shop and pour on top of the soil and just wait.
- Remember to keep the soil moist and the worms fed.
What Should you Feed Nightcrawlers
Worms eat dirt, but there’s more to this. Even though worms eat dirt you still have to feed them. So, what else is there to do. First off it isn’t just the dirt, but the nutrients from the decaying leaves, and twigs. You can also add food to your bin. I usually add old food from the fridge; like, vegetables. My favorite is greens like cabbage I didn’t cook. There are plenty of companies that sell worm food supplements too. You can also create your own worm supplement, but here are a couple that I found on amazon to get you started. Castaway Organics 2 Worm Feed and Protogro Worm Food
Conclusion
Growing Your Own Nightcrawlers for bait is a great way to save money, and keep bait on hand for your many fishing trips. They make great lure for freshwater fish, for example, Largemouth bass, trout and catfish. Just remember that your worms are a living animal and proper should be taken to insure a successful situation.
If you enjoyed this content and would like to learn more about making your own fishing bait, then you need to make sure to read our article: Homemade Catfish Bait Tips