Hey guys, I'm having a problem with catching live leeches in utah lake. Can anyone please give me some tips on catch some leeches for bait. And I will only be able to catch them in utah lake. And I will be using the leeches for walleye bait. Thanks guys.
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Fresh meat, beef, inside a fine seine minnow trap. Try to use the larger sized leeches only for bait. They are good Walleye bait, but trying to keep the kitties off of them is a tough proposition. Even whiteys will snap them up in mass.
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Where do you go to catch leeches in ul?
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I don't know but I'm trying the pelican bay marina.
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And here - I thought you were talking about lurkers . . . haha
I know this doesn't answer the question you asked, but have you looked at the Gulp products? They have some leeches that come in that juice - and look really realistic, stink up good, and stick to a hook real well.
[cool][#0000ff]You've been reading too many fishing magazines or watching too many TV fishing programs. Leeches are an easily obtainable and effective bait for walleyes in many midwestern waters. But they are way down the list of preferred foods in Utah Lake. Small walleyes and other species rely on them to stay alive during times when there are no baby white bass or carplets to feed on. But they are like tofu to the real meat eaters. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Leeches in Utah Lake are not the same species as the big nasties from the cleaner and weedier waters of the midwest. They seldom get big enough for serious bait and they are never plentiful enough to count on getting any kind of quantity. There are some small ponds and ditches around the lake that offer better odds but WHY?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have never bothered with leeches because I know some walleye guys who have tried them...and who weren't impressed with the results. Some guys have even spent serious bucks to get imported ones delivered by mail...with so-so success. No reason to go to all that trouble...or expense...for something that is just a novelty and doesn't work any better than plain old crawlers.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Worms and leeches are closely related and they both give off similar scents. And in a murky lake like Utah Lake the scent is a big part of the attraction. In clearer and cleaner waters you can get a sexy flutter by pinning a leech on the end of your line...or on a jig. But a crawler will do about the same thing if you rig it right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There will likely be some folks who challenge my opinion. No problem. I have known guys who have caught walleye on just about anything and everything ever used for bait...at one time or another. The true test is whether any given bait or lure will consistently catch more fish than any other bait at the same time and under the same conditions...and/or under all conditions. Ain't nothin' that can make that claim.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]So...if ya gotta scratch your leech itch, go head on 'til your head hurts. If you can find enough for bait and they are actually big enough to use you WILL catch fish on them. But at the end of your noble experiment you are likely still to be without walleye if you can't catch them on anything else.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Better to wait until the warm summer temps cool down and the walleyes get active again. Then fish proven spots with proven lures and baits and take your chances with everybody else.[/#0000ff]
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By the time you figure in all the gas and meat to trap them you can have a pound of them delivered to your house in a couple days for less. Jumbo`s too. TD is right on crawlers can work just as good but sometimes when everyone else is using crawlers it is nice putting down something different. Good luck......Fishon
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+1 on what everyone has said a crawler will always produce than not, but if you really want to go the leech route i will 2nd the gulp leeches, just put em on a 1/8 oz jighead and have a hayday, have gotten big browns and smallmouth on em and even a few fiesty perch. i think they run about 7 dollars a pack of 12, they sure are stinky though[crazy].
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Try the Gulp! brand leeches from Berkley. They are amazing for many species. I think both the Gulp! brand minnows and leeches are even better than real ones.
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There used to be a great leech pond just off the first Spanish Fork Exit, but they filled it in. There are some in the Salem Ponds and in Santquin City Res., but as TD stated, you are not going to be pleased with the result. They are difficult to keep alive, difficult to hook up, and a pain in the dorsal posterior over all. Good ol night crawlers are by far the best overall bait, easy to get, easy to keep, and easy to use. Besides, leeches and crawlers are both annelids, so not much difference. The gulp variety is a good sub too !!!
The best trap is a one gallon coffe can with a plastic screen mesh cone. The screen is to small for the buggers to get out of . I used to use duct tape to fasten the cone into the top of the can. Chicken liver or calves liver was the best bait, they home in on the blood. You can catch tons of small ones, that make great bluegill bait. Put a couple on a small jig or hook and toss em up against the edge of the weeds on UL. They are tougher than the red wigglers and night crawlers, but are a b...h to hold on to, to hook up. Hook through the sucker end and they will wiggle for ever on the hook !! Use a very fine wire hook, with a very sharp point to minimize the damage. You have to keep them cool, so put them between layers of wet newpaper with ice packs on top and bottom.
I think they are good bait for eyes, particularly in the spring. When the water i still really cool and they are just milling around the spawning areas, leeches can pick up some fish no doubt.
BUT.... I don't want to bet any money that crawlers would catch fish just as good. They wriggle and move just like leeches do and put off scent as well, so my guess is a rig with 2 crawlers would work just as good as a rig w/ a leech (on the bottom).
"You catch fish on what you throw".
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