How to Make Fishing Worms Bigger
Vermiculture, or the method of turning organic kitchen waste into crumbly, nutrient dense compost, is also a great way to raise worms for fishing. Not only do you have free, soil-enhancing compost for house plants and to add to the garden, you have an easy way to recycle and a fun hobby. Raising your own worms will provide an unlimited supply of fresh, fat, firm and healthy worms for fishing.
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Things You'll Need
- 5 gallon plastic bucket
- Garden soil
- Hand drill
- Cornmeal
- Coffee grounds
- Kitchen waste
- Lard or shortening
Instructions
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Build a worm farm from a 5 gallon plastic bucket and lid. Drill tiny holes in the top of the bucket for oxygen and ventilation. Fill 1 to 2 inches of the bottom of the bucket with small pebbles or rocks. Add a couple of scoops of garden soil. Fill the bucket half full of finely shredded newspaper or cardboard strips. Sprinkle a little water on top of the newspaper to dampen. You want it moist but not soggy. Gently toss or turn the soil and newspaper while not disturbing the gravel layer, which is provided for drainage. Add some cornmeal or a couple of handfuls of kitchen scraps. Cover the bucket with the lid and place it in a sheltered location out of direct sunlight and in a spot where there is no danger of freezing. Worms prefer temperatures from 55 degrees F to 85 degrees F.
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Purchase worms online or from garden supply centers or bait shops. Choose Georgia Red Wigglers. They have hardy appetites and multiply quickly. These little guys are always wiggling, which sure appeals to a hungry bass.
Worms are sold by the pound. There are about a 1,000 worms to a pound, so a pound will provide an adequate breeding stock for your worm farm. -
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Make sure the worms have adequate moisture. The worm growing media should be damp but not soggy. Aim for the consistency of a wrung out sponge.
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Feed the worms cornmeal. Rich in beneficial nutrients, cornmeal will fatten up worms in a hurry. Add about 1/2 cup of cornmeal, sprinkled on top of the worm growing media. Within 24 hours, many of the worms will have come to the top to feed on the cornmeal, and it is easy to pick off the larger ones for fishing bait.
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Add 1/2 cup of lard or solid shortening, chopped in pieces, to the growing mixture. (Refrigerate the lard to facilitate cutting up the pieces.) Mix the pieces into the growing mixture.
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