Night crawler worm bed

[3Roosters]

Can any of you yahoos provide some expert guidance starting one of these?
Back when I was a snot nosed little tyke my folks had a cabin on Leech Lake in Mn and we would hunt crawlers at nite with some type of electric prod to entice the crawlers out of the ground.
I think i know how i want to construct my worm box..using shredded paper, cardboard egg cartons, soil, used coffee grounds, leaves, etc...anything else i am missing?
Any new tried and true methods of collecting them to put in worm box? i was thinking of buying a few dozen and add to it my finds thru the summer.
It is mostly clay soil where i will be exploring... any special issues there?
I may involve the neighbor boy and his sister as they sure have fun fishing off the dock so think they would like helping collect and see how the worm bed develops over the summer. Their parents may like to see them involved in some learning as well.
I see earth worms are listed as invasive species.. how about crawlers for fishing?
This is in northern Mn country by the way.. bash away...hahaha
Any crawler advice would be appreciated. #$%^&>
Thanks

 

[1lessdog]

For someone that wanted to limit nonresidents, You must be one

[h=2]Non Resident license reduction time for fishing? hunting?[/h]

With other states more infected than ours, is this the time to limit/reduce/eliminate non res licensing this year? and go.​

Originally Posted by 1lessdog
The way I see it is, you don't like out of state hunters and using your own personal agenda to stir the pot.




ahhh,.. you are incorrect. I was just bringing it up on a public forum for discussion as it has been mentioned and also about requesting returning snow birds self quarantine for 14 days upon returning. Figured this is a good place to discuss.

 

[3Roosters]

For someone that wanted to limit nonresidents, You must be one

Non Resident license reduction time for fishing? hunting?

With other states more infected than ours, is this the time to limit/reduce/eliminate non res licensing this year? and go.​

Originally Posted by 1lessdog
The way I see it is, you don't like out of state hunters and using your own personal agenda to stir the pot.




ahhh,.. you are incorrect. I was just bringing it up on a public forum for discussion as it has been mentioned and also about requesting returning snow birds self quarantine for 14 days upon returning. Figured this is a good place to discuss.

ahhhh wrong again troll..

 

[Davey Crockett]

I've tried rearing them in coolers and raised beds but you have to tend to them like a bucket of minnows so IMHO it's tough to beat mother nature. I throw down a piece of thick carpet on low ground and every once in a while pull it back and pick up a few and put them in a small container in the garage fridge .

 

[1lessdog]

ahhhh wrong again troll..

Your nothing but a hypocrite

 

[stalker]

I used to collect them and store them in a Styrofoam cooler in the basement. They were in worm bedding and I probably put food in it once or twice. I thought they kept just fine. Whatever you do, don't dump them out in your yard. I regret letting them go years ago at our farm. Mowing the yard gets to be a real tit jiggler.

 

[SDMF]

Buy the commercial bedding and worm food, skip any soil altogether. Mix up the commercial bedding with either rain-water or deionized water.

3-4 damp sheets of newspaper over the bedding, then put the top on your worm-bed.

SOOOOO much nicer in the boat to not have ANY soil mixed in w/bedding. The commercial bedding dries up and either blows away or is easily vacuumed up.

IME/IMO, there's almost no stink created by worms in commercial bedding. Dirt gets a "stink" to it after a while in the fridge.

 

[gr8outdoors]

I catch quite a few every year out of my garden. I put them in a styrafoam cooler in my fridge with fat and sassy worm bedding, it also has food in with it. They will last quite a while, easily a month. Just have to lightly wet the bedding when it seems to be drying out. Oh, they will get really soft and tear easily if ur fridge is to cold. So best, if possible to get a fridge just for them, like a dorm fridge, and not ur ice cold beverage fridge.

 

[Meelosh]

I used to shine those things on nights after a rain. Almost as fun as the fishing itself. Come to think of it, I'm gonna have to get my kids started in this summer I think.

 

[sl1000794]

I used to shine those things on nights after a rain. Almost as fun as the fishing itself. Come to think of it, I'm gonna have to get my kids started in this summer I think.

I've never had any luck shining at night after a rain storm, but at Metigoshe most of the cabin access road do not have ditches so after an all night rain the 'crawlers are out on the AC on the low side of the road where the ground is the wettest.

Gonna make a net this summer to pull behind my boat in an attempt to catch minnows. If it works I'll let you know.

 

[Allen]

Gonna make a net this summer to pull behind my boat in an attempt to catch minnows. If it works I'll let you know.

Not to be a stick in the mud, but I don't think Mr. Game Warden would like this idea.

 

[sl1000794]

Not to be a stick in the mud, but I don't think Mr. Game Warden would like this idea.

Is it against the law to catch minnows for your personal use? Guess I'll go to the G&F website and see what I can find. If it's questionable you won't see anything here!

 

[Ristorapper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2-kfbjxKLc

 

[mikef]

any idea how to get rid of these dang things in a yard? i thought maybe fertilizing would drive them away but nope

 

[1bigfokker]

Fish more.

 

[Allen]

Is it against the law to catch minnows for your personal use? Guess I'll go to the G&F website and see what I can find. If it's questionable you won't see anything here!

You can trap minnows, but the traps are very specific in size, etc. A seine (net) as you described would require a commercial bait trapping license. Even then, I am not sure about the legality of pulling it with a motorized boat. One can't even use a cast net in ND under the current rules.

 

[3Roosters]

Your nothing but a hypocrite

Does someone piss in your Wheaties on a regular basis pal? I didn't know where i have lived in my lifetime was such interest to you. If i ever write a book i will be sure and put you on the mailing list so you can get a copy.

 

[SDMF]

1st time @ a buddies home, he'd just gotten a new boat and wanted to show me. We're walking across his back yard and I make the comment, "Wow, you must have a great yard for catching nightcrawlers." He replied, "Yep, tons of them.". This guy fishes a LOT so I ask him, "Do you catch your own then?" He replies, "I learned about 25yrs ago that a flat of crawlers in commercial bedding costs about the same as a trip to the Chiropractor after a night of bending over in a cool drizzle......."

Apologies to the Chiro's on the board.

 

[3Roosters]

Haha.. agreed..thats why i think me and the youngsters dad can supervise to make sure they are collecting them correctly each nite! With a can coozie of favorite beverage of course.

 

[Ristorapper]

see above. harvest 'em yourself. i'm one of those too that dumped them in the yard after a fishing trip. What a mistake. My lawn turned into a rough lawn in a hurry.