How to Grow Trout Worms
Some fishermen prefer fishing for trout with live bait, but it can be inconvenient and expensive to have to buy worms every time you want to go fishing. It's much easier to raise the worms yourself, especially if you live near a lake or river and want to be able to go fishing anytime. Raising the worms yourself is a handy, easy solution and you can get started with a bit of effort and some starter worms.
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Things You'll Need
- 8 to 10 qt. plastic bin with lid
- Drill with 3/4-inch and 1/4-inch bits
- Razor blade
- Glue for plastic
- 22 fiberglass screen squares, 2-by-2 inches
- Black-and-white newspaper
- Bucket
- Handful of soil
- 1 pound of red wiggler worms
- Large tray (optional)
- Garden scraps, dead leaves and other organic materials
Instructions
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1
Drill 10 air holes in the bin lid with a 3/4-inch drill bit. Scrape the inside of the lid around each hole with the razor blade to rough up the surface and help ensure the glue will stick. Use caution when handling the razor blade.
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2
Apply glue around each air hole and press a square of screen tightly into the glue. Allow it to dry fully, about 24 hours, before using the lid.
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3
Make 12 drain holes in the bottom of the bin with the 1/4-inch drill bit. Scrape around each hole, apply glue, and cover with a piece of screen. Allow it to dry for 24 hours.
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4
Tear the newspaper into long strips, about 1 inch wide. Place them in a bucket of water and soak them briefly. To test, squeeze a handful of strips from the bucket. If you get just a few drops of water from them, the strips are ready to use.
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5
Fill the bin with enough soaked newspaper strips to come almost all the way to the top of the bin. Place them in loosely and don't pack them down. This is the bedding for the worms. Sprinkle a handful of soil over the top of the newspaper strips, to give the worms grit.
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Spread a pound of red wiggler worms over the top of the bedding. They will immediately begin to dig down into the bin, in order to avoid the light. Place the bin in an area where the worms will not get too hot or cold -- about 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is best. Set the bin on a tray if it is kept indoors, so any liquid that leaks out will not go all over the floor.
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Add food to the bin several times per week. Your worms will need about 3 1/2 pounds of food per week at the start, and more as they begin to reproduce. Bury the food in the bin to avoid attracting flies and other pests.
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Harvest the worms as needed for fishing, starting about 3 months after you set up your bin. Be sure to leave plenty behind to grow so that you will have an ongoing supply of trout worms.
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Tips & Warnings
An easy way to harvest is to dump the bin onto a tarp under a bright light. Remove layers of bedding and castings as the worms head to the bottom of the pile. You will soon have nothing but worms left in the pile.
Overfeeding of the worms can cause problems and can cause your worms to die. Give them only as much as they will eat each week for best results.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
