Easy Ways to Catch Nightcrawlers
Nightcrawlers are a type of large earthworm with a ringed body. These worms are a food source for many birds and mammals and are quite plentiful. Fish are fond of nightcrawlers, and they have become a favorite bait among fishermen. Collecting your own nightcrawlers will save you money; try gathering them in the woods and suburbs, or try "fiddling." This is an old method of collection passed down through the generations.
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Things You'll Need
- Tweezers or tongs
- Can or plastic container
- Flashlight
- Trowel
- Handsaw (fiddling method only)
- 30 to 36-inch stick or pole (fiddling method only)
Instructions
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Hunting Worms in the Woods
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Go out to a wooded area or park before the sun rises. This is most effective after a heavy rain. Fill the container you brought with a layer of damp soil.
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Shine your flashlight along the ground until you find a spot of exposed mud. Turn over a bit of soil with the trowel. Stop digging if you see a nightcrawler. Shine your light away from the worm while you get the tweezers and bucket.
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Shine the light back on the worm. Grab it with the forceps or tweezers and place it in the container. Do not pinch the worm too tightly or the body segments will be damaged. Continue to overturn dirt in this area; do not neglect to search under vegetation and rocks.
Hunting Worms in the Suburbs
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Line the container with damp dirt from a flowerbed or yard. Go out before sunrise.
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Shine your flashlight along sidewalks and streets that are adjacent to yards, medians and flowerbeds. When you see a worm, pick it up gently with the forceps.
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Examine the worm to determine if it is alive. Worms on the concrete are more likely to have been squished or drowned. Look at the body color and movement. If the worm looks very pale, is not moving, or is only moving slowly do not collect it.
Fiddling for Worms
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Line your container with a layer of damp soil. Find a shady place where leaves have covered the ground. Look for spots where the earth has been pushed up slightly, similar to an ant hill.
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Push the pole or stick into the ground about 6 inches. Use the trowel if the dirt is too dense.
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Pull the saw back and forth across the top of the stick as if you were sawing the pole down the center. Continue this motion for several minutes. Collect the worms that have come to the surface under the leaves.
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Tips & Warnings
Refrigerate the worms to keep them fresh. Cover the container, but provide air holes for the worms to breathe.
Place the nightcrawlers in a compost pile or worm box and the next time you want to go fishing, collecting them will be easier than ever!
References
Resources
- Photo Credit worm image by Ksenija Djurica from Fotolia.com
