05-16-2008, 11:10 AM
LITTLE ROCK - Most Arkansas fishermen, young old and in between, know that springs means plentiful nightcrawlers for fishing - if you get out and look for them.
<br>Nightcrawlers are right at the top of natural baits for fishing, and most anything will go for them - bass and bream to catfish and including walleye and trout.<br>
<br>A Conway resident recently was doing some dirt moving close to a creek bank with a tractor. But he had dismounted and was closely scanning some loose soil. Both hands were full.<br>
<br>A relative drove up, and the tractor worker asked, "Do you have a bag or a sack in your vehicle that I could use."<br>
<br>One was found, and he dropped in 8 or 10 nightcrawlers, some of them 12-inchers. "My sister has a worm bed, and I'll take these to her," he said. And he went back to looking for more.<br>
<br>His guess was the vibration of the tractor had brought thee big worms to the surface where he could easily pick them up.<br>
<br>Some Arkansas anglers swear by Canadian nightcrawlers or "cold worms." They are sold in bait shops, and the do catch fish. So do Arkansas nightcrawlers that are free for the person who goes out and hunts for them.<br>
<br>Best territory for nightcrawlers seems to be earth that is a little damp. Scratch away an accumulation of leaf litter under a large tree, and you are in likely nightcrawler territory. You can turn over the earth with a shovel or spading fork and move quickly to grab the big worms.<br>
<br>A couple of alternative methods for hunting nightcrawlers are fiddling and soapy water.<br>
<br>Fiddling is simply driving a wooden stick into the ground then rubbing it with another stick or something like a piece of metal rebar. This sends vibrations into the ground, and nearby nightcrawlers come to the surface.<br>
<br>If you have a likely nightcrawler spot, pour a bucket of soapy water on the area. Liquid dishwashing soap works fine. In a few minutes, the crawlers will come up to the surface for air.<br>
<br>Nightcrawlers are earthworms, cousins to the familiar red worm. They are highly beneficial because they aerate soil, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate into the ground. Their feeding and excrement helps recycle nutrients and fertilize the soil. Nightcrawlers also feed on thatch, a layer of live and dead plant material that can accumulate at the soil surface and reduce the penetration of water and fertilizer.<br>
<br>As nightcrawlers feed on soil and plant material, they leave behind a waste product called castings. Nightcrawlers deposit castings in their burrows or at entrances at ground level forming conical mounds at the soil surface. These mounds can be seen in early to mid-spring when nightcrawlers are most active and again during fall. During late spring and summer, when weather becomes warmer, nightcrawlers move deeper into the soil and are not seen as often.<br>
<br>If you gather a supply of nightcrawlers, a metal or plastic bucket with some soil in the bottom will hold them temporarily. Gardeners who have compost piles can dump nightcrawlers in these. For more extensive nightcrawler cultivation, a worm bed used for the smaller red worms will work. A metal box partially sunk into the ground works well.<br>
<br>Partially cover the box and add a bit of decayed leaf litter, a handful of corn meal or other organic material for food.<br>
<br>The nightcrawlers will be ready for fishing use, and you can use some of the enriched worm bed soil for potting plants.
<br>Nightcrawlers are right at the top of natural baits for fishing, and most anything will go for them - bass and bream to catfish and including walleye and trout.<br>
<br>A Conway resident recently was doing some dirt moving close to a creek bank with a tractor. But he had dismounted and was closely scanning some loose soil. Both hands were full.<br>
<br>A relative drove up, and the tractor worker asked, "Do you have a bag or a sack in your vehicle that I could use."<br>
<br>One was found, and he dropped in 8 or 10 nightcrawlers, some of them 12-inchers. "My sister has a worm bed, and I'll take these to her," he said. And he went back to looking for more.<br>
<br>His guess was the vibration of the tractor had brought thee big worms to the surface where he could easily pick them up.<br>
<br>Some Arkansas anglers swear by Canadian nightcrawlers or "cold worms." They are sold in bait shops, and the do catch fish. So do Arkansas nightcrawlers that are free for the person who goes out and hunts for them.<br>
<br>Best territory for nightcrawlers seems to be earth that is a little damp. Scratch away an accumulation of leaf litter under a large tree, and you are in likely nightcrawler territory. You can turn over the earth with a shovel or spading fork and move quickly to grab the big worms.<br>
<br>A couple of alternative methods for hunting nightcrawlers are fiddling and soapy water.<br>
<br>Fiddling is simply driving a wooden stick into the ground then rubbing it with another stick or something like a piece of metal rebar. This sends vibrations into the ground, and nearby nightcrawlers come to the surface.<br>
<br>If you have a likely nightcrawler spot, pour a bucket of soapy water on the area. Liquid dishwashing soap works fine. In a few minutes, the crawlers will come up to the surface for air.<br>
<br>Nightcrawlers are earthworms, cousins to the familiar red worm. They are highly beneficial because they aerate soil, allowing water and oxygen to penetrate into the ground. Their feeding and excrement helps recycle nutrients and fertilize the soil. Nightcrawlers also feed on thatch, a layer of live and dead plant material that can accumulate at the soil surface and reduce the penetration of water and fertilizer.<br>
<br>As nightcrawlers feed on soil and plant material, they leave behind a waste product called castings. Nightcrawlers deposit castings in their burrows or at entrances at ground level forming conical mounds at the soil surface. These mounds can be seen in early to mid-spring when nightcrawlers are most active and again during fall. During late spring and summer, when weather becomes warmer, nightcrawlers move deeper into the soil and are not seen as often.<br>
<br>If you gather a supply of nightcrawlers, a metal or plastic bucket with some soil in the bottom will hold them temporarily. Gardeners who have compost piles can dump nightcrawlers in these. For more extensive nightcrawler cultivation, a worm bed used for the smaller red worms will work. A metal box partially sunk into the ground works well.<br>
<br>Partially cover the box and add a bit of decayed leaf litter, a handful of corn meal or other organic material for food.<br>
<br>The nightcrawlers will be ready for fishing use, and you can use some of the enriched worm bed soil for potting plants.