How to Make a Fishing Worm Bed

Healthy Bed of Redworms for Fishing

Fishing season can last for almost 10 months of the year, more even if you live in a more temperate area where the winters don't freeze. You will need to have a supply of fishing worms for your fishing excursions or you will be paying hard earned money for worms that you might not even catch a fish with. Keep the money in your pocket and make a fishing worm bed instead.

Things You'll Need

• Styrofoam cooler with lid
• Sand
• Shredded paper
• Leaves
• Cornmeal
• Grass clippings
• Screen
• All-purpose glue

Instructions

1. Open your styrofoam cooler and make a hole in on of the bottom corners about 1/2 inch up from the bottom. This will be your drainage hole that will keep your worm bed from getting too moist. Lay the piece of screen over the opening and glue in place with some all-purpose glue.

2. Set the cooler on a 1 inch rise by placing something such as a couple of rocks under one end. You will need to place the rocks under the end that is opposite the drain hole so that any standing water will flow through the screened hole.

3. Add a few inches of sand as the bottom layer. Layer some wet leaves over the sand. Use about an inch of leaves to make the second layer. Worms love organic matter and will eat it, forming a nice compost.

4. Sprinkle on a layer of cornmeal to your wormbed. This is great food for the worms and will produce long and fat worms for fishing. The sprinkling does not need to cover the leaves totally.

5. Layer on about 2 inches of green grass clippings. This will give them some nitrogen rich food that will help the decomposition process of the bed. Add about 3 inches of regular dirt to the worm bed. This will form a sturdy layer for the worms to lay their eggs in.

6. Make one more layer of each of the additions except for the sand. Lay down leaves, cornmeal, grass clippings and dirt.

7. Water the bed with 2 quarts of water, being careful not to wash a hole into the layer of dirt. Let the water run through the layers until it runs out the bottom. Your worm bed should now be ready for the addition of worms

8. Add Worms The ordinary red worms from a garden, are great for this kind of worm bed and are excellent for fishing. If you cannot find worms, you can always purchase a few to get your worm bed started. Place the worms on top of the soil layer of your worm bed.

9. Wait until you see the worms burying themselves into the soil before you close the cooler with the lid. The light will force the worms to seek cooler and darker surroundings and then they should stay under the surface of the soil.

10. After just a few days, you should start harvesting a few worms from your worm bed. Add a little cornmeal each week to make sure they are getting enough food. Try not to disturb the layers too much when you are taking the worms out.

Tips & Warnings

• Add vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen A recycle bin also works well for this project Add crushed egg shells if it starts to smell sour

• Don't add too much food

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish