A Worm Problem

[Cowboypirate]

Hi, my name is cowboy-pirate ? ☠ 

I have had a worm problem for 50 years now, but my addiction has expanded by logarithmic proportions in the last decade.

Unfortunately, my wife thinks I need professional help. 

Case in point. Last week I went into a local gas and grub for a much needed coke and snickers. I came out with a huge and two boxes of " Canadian" night crawlers. When my wife asked me why I was so happy, I told her I thought girls from Australia had cool accents that attracted men, so worms from Canada ought to make the crappie go nuts. After smacking me upside the head, likey the root cause of my health problems, she informed me that I was a sucker for worms in fancy wrappers and as expensive as my addiction was getting I need to start catching my own worms.

Bad mistake, Cookie, to suggest.... I then pulled out a bussiness plan I crafted at about 8 years of age ( thanks mom for keeping that) First, Cookie, i lectured, we raise rabbits and mink. We sell the rabbit and mink fur and feed the rabbits to the mink. Second we raise worms in the rabbit and mink manure and sell to them sportsmen. I then took her outside ( we now live in the house i grew up in) and showed her an ice box buried in the ground, where my carefully conceived plan came to fruition. I made a killing as a youngster selling Henefer, Hotdog-sized worms - bet someone on here bought them. 

She shook her head and sighed and walk slowly away mumbling the name to her therapist into her phone. I am not sure she sees the vision as clearly as I do. Perhaps addiction is not really a couples malady.

Oh, ya, and I caught 35ish fat gills at Pineview last week while exploring a couple differnt locations. They speak Canadian apparently. Caught on pugly perch bugs near shore in 3-8 ft of water. Some were harmed in the process,, as noted later in my frying pan. Did I mention this is a Pineview fishing report....

[jjannie]

Nice job at PV Cowboy! Not sure about that ole business plan of yours - you maybe needed to paint it a purty color to spark Cookie's interests in it -  

We tried raising our own nightcrawlers but it didn't pan for the effort even though we built spoofy contraption for them live in that I painted a purty color - do nightcrawlers have eyes, maybe I should have tried painting it a 'dirt' color  instead. Who knows.

[Bduck]

Australian girls, Canadian crawlers, must be a fishermans viagra. I fail to see the problem. 

[thatchergreg]

When I read the title I thought you were talking about your dog. I was going to say to feed it a cigarette, I hear that works.

[Springbuck1]

When I read the title I thought you were talking about your dog. I was going to say to feed it a cigarette, I hear that works.

 "Hey, Zeke, ya goin fishin'?"

"Yup."

"Ya got worms?"

"Yeah, but I'm going anyway."

[Kent]

My problem is that more night crawlers die on me than I end up using for fishing.

[Joe_Hill]

I've switched to European night crawlers. They are easy to keep alive, great for composing and multiple quickly. Canadians are bigger and fatter but I don't think they out fish the European ones.

[Springbuck1]

I've switched to European night crawlers. They are easy to keep alive, great for composing and multiple quickly. Canadians are bigger and fatter but I don't think they out fish the European ones.

  Where do you get those, Joe? 

 Honestly, I think worms are worms, as far as flavor goes.......but rigging makes the difference as far as size goes. 

  When I'm after BIG spring bluegills, I'm often wading, sneaking, and free-lining worms in shallow water, because the bigger gills can be surprisingly picky and shy of bobbers and sinkers.

 I can tell the difference in success when I use whole smaller garden worms or the "Big Red Worms" (in the paper carton at Wally's) vs pinching off 1/4 of a nightcrawler.  I thread them on a #2 or 4 Aberdeen hook as if they were small plastic worms on a worm hook, and that long natural shape and extra-slow fall drives bigger fish nuts. 

I saw a fellow on Youtube catching HUGE gluebills and shellcrackers by hooking whole smaller worm ONCE, right through the nose with a tiny little wire hook.  But, my first thought was, "I could never afford that many worms."

[Cowboypirate]

I have enjoyed the various comments to this post. However, my wife read it and just looked at me with that "look" and asked if I even think before I hit post. Then proceeded to lecture me about posting about worm problems and how it could taken wrong or as z personal problem and that Curt ought to reconsider me as a moderator as I likey cause him more grief than I help. Then she asked me if I got her new ice fishing gloves after my appointment today.

I love my bride. One lecture then back to fishing...got it good

[Joe_Hill]

I've switched to European night crawlers. They are easy to keep alive, great for composing and multiple quickly. Canadians are bigger and fatter but I don't think they out fish the European ones.

  Where do you get those, Joe? 

 Honestly, I think worms are worms, as far as flavor goes.......but rigging makes the difference as far as size goes. 

  When I'm after BIG spring bluegills, I'm often wading, sneaking, and free-lining worms in shallow water, because the bigger gills can be surprisingly picky and shy of bobbers and sinkers.

 I can tell the difference in success when I use whole smaller garden worms or the "Big Red Worms" (in the paper carton at Wally's) vs pinching off 1/4 of a nightcrawler.  I thread them on a #2 or 4 Aberdeen hook as if they were small plastic worms on a worm hook, and that long natural shape and extra-slow fall drives bigger fish nuts. 

I saw a fellow on Youtube catching HUGE gluebills and shellcrackers by hooking whole smaller worm ONCE, right through the nose with a tiny little wire hook.  But, my first thought was, "I could never afford that many worms."

---

I got them online. I've used Uncle Jims Worm Farm in the past for other worms. However last year I tried out the European ones and got them from a new company in Ohio. Can't find them on the internet now so maybe they went out of business. A pound is about 300-400 worms and I think I got them for $30. I have at least a thousand now in my worm bed in the garage even after using some for fishing and many more put into garden beds. I would give you a few hundred but I'm out of state. Hoping to move back to Utah in a year. Heck, PM me your address and I'll try to figure out how to mail you some if you promise to post your results - maybe compare success with these vs Canadian Night Crawlers.

[Kent]

I've switched to European night crawlers. They are easy to keep alive, great for composing and multiple quickly. Canadians are bigger and fatter but I don't think they out fish the European ones.

As stated above, I waste far more night crawlers than I ever use.  Too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry or too..., all of them seem to kill my night crawlers.  I just watched a video, on growing European night crawlers, and it looks like something I could handle.  Especially pleased that they are far more hardy than the night crawlers that I have been using, grow plenty large and supposedly out catch all other night crawlers.  I just ordered 200 off of eBay and I am going to go for it.

[catchinon]

Hey Lance, when I was a kid we actually all got the worms from running around the farm barefoot. I'm pretty sure there was a summer when I didn't own a pair of shoes except the ones I had outgrown. And like you I got into the bait business: I sold minnows that I trapped in our pond.

I've been interested in the European crawlers for a long time but didn't want to order so many. If anybody has any for sale or would like to go in on an order with me let me know. I too manage to kill most of my worms. I think I can count on one finger how many times I've used up all the worms in a container over the last several years.