How to Find Nightcrawlers
Worms serve many useful purposes, but fishermen love them because big fish love them even more. Nightcrawlers, so called because they tend to come up at night, are primary bait stock. Finding them at night is easier if the temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the soil is wet. Their lack of tolerance for wet ground forces them to come up to the surface.
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Instructions
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Search for nightcrawlers after the ground is saturated with rain. If there has been no rain, use a garden hose to water a wide stretch of grass and dirt. Soak the soil deeply since the water must go far into the ground to annoy the worms.
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Go back outside a few hours after the sun has gone down with a flashlight and bucket. The worms are sensitive to bright light. Use a flashlight or headlamp with a dim light, or tape a piece of yellow construction paper over the light.
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Walk slowly since the vibrations from your feet could scare the worms. Shine the light around the ground. When you find a nightcrawler, shine the light about a foot away from the worm.
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Slowly crouch down within reach of the nightcrawler. Use your fingers to grab the thick end of the worm. Do not attempt to scoop under it, as it will slide back underground faster than you can grab it. Try not to squeeze the crawler. Gently pull it up and out of its hole. If you pull too hard, the warm will break. The living part will slither underground, and you will be left holding nothing useful for bait.
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Place the captured crawlers in a sealed styrofoam bowl with holes punched in the top. They can be kept in a refrigerator in advance of a fishing trip. They do not survive for long in temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Tips & Warnings
To get a better grip on the worms, dip your hands in a bag of sawdust before attempting to grab them.
