$Leech Prices$

[BotM-BouncR]

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he was telling me that the price for leeches is going to be outrageous this year due to a shortage. If I recall right I think he was saying in the low to mid $30 range for a pound of Jumbos. Just wondering if anyone else heard this.

BotM-BouncR

[Guest]

I live up north and have heard nothing about the shortage or the prices soaring. If they do, i guess thats the way things go and I'll be using nightcrawlers a bit more this summer.

warroadfisherman

[curt quesnell]

Last year there was supposed to be a shortage
(enough of a shortage to increase the price
a little). That shortage started a little
later in the season. Maybe it will continue
into this year.

Like WarroadFisherman said we can use more
crawlers.

Curt Quesnell

[andy j]

If it is true, it is a big load of ----. How can there be a sudden shortage of leeches. Give me a break, it sounds like a scam to me. How can someone in there right mind think they can charge $30 for leeches. I don't understand why prices in bait can be so high. I went into a bait shop last year in st. cloud. and paid $3.50 for a dozen nightcrawler, I asked the shop clerk sarcasticly, "Is there a nightcrawler shortage now" With no comment. before that I used to go in there all the time and get bait now I have not been in there since. I go over to stop-light bait and they are much more reasonable. I think bait shops would sell a lot more bait if the prices were more reasonable. I am 23 and think that the prices can be steep i can't imagine how some of the old timers feel about the prices. I know to some anglers its not a big deal but it you buy a lot of bait then it can realy add up. Leech shortage, come on, I would not be suprized if we have a crawler shortage next year. What do you all think? AJ

[fishinphyl]

Don't know about leeches - can't stand them. But last year the guy at the Cormorant store said they were short of night crawlers because there was a shortage. He said they come from Canada. I could not believe they could not find them in the good old US. Maybe I should turn my 10 acres into a night crawler farm!

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Phyl

[Guest]

Im with Phyl, catching your own nightcrawlers isnt a bad idea. Around where I live, all you have to do is ask around and you will find someone with crawlers in their yard. Wait for a rainy day then when night comes take a flashlight and a bucket and voila, your own crawlers.

warroadfisherman

[Guest]

OK let me get this straight...Last spring there was a minnow shortage,come summer there was a crawler shortage,and now ther is a leech shortage?I think that the bait suppliers may taking advice from the oil companies!!

[Surface Tension]

Somebody should tell the crawlers in my yard there's a shortage. I just picked 10 dozen in 20 minute's.
When I was a kid I picked them for my Aunt that had a bait shop. She paided me 1 penny a peice. After she paid me I'd stop at Mcdonald's and buy 2 hambergar's, small frie's and a coke for a buck.

[Ely Lake Expert]

I have not heard any of the high price rumers, but if it is true about the rediculous prices I think it is time to start catching my own. Thank god for the tiny pond full of leeches I found.

Ely lake expert

[Guest]

That's way too much work. Pick up some worm up, put it in a bucket in your yard, add a running hose, wait ten minutes and pick up all of the crawlers that you need. Can be done at any time of day. No flashlight needed!!!

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Paul
[email protected]

[kupcho]

LOL on the oil companies!!! In northern MN it is not hard to find crawlers by any means! I used to pick crawlers for 1 penny too as a kid. I had a lot of fun doing that... a couple bucks a night!!! LOL!!!
Have good crawler picking, hope there isn't a shortage!
People that may be coming from the cities, there are a lot of kids that do that same thing now. In the moose lake/floodwood area. $1.00 for a dozen, if you didn't want to take the time to do it. Sometimes I'd rather pay a buck. And help a kid out to get a gum ball or two.

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Kupcho's Guide Service
Upper Red, Winnie, Blackduck Area
http://fishingminnesota.com/blackduck/
Phone:(651) 426-1545
E-mail: [email protected]

[Terry Hagstrom]

The last couple of weeks have been stellar for picking crawlers especially this week.
I'm up to about 800 crawlers and will use all of them and more this year. I hope.

Last year went through almost twice that amount.

Terry Hagstrom
www.fishingmn.com/terrys

[This message has been edited by Terry Hagstrom (edited 05-09-2002).]

[ricbak]

I picked up my leeches in mankato and the prices seemed ok, the jumbos were $4 a dozen or $17 for a pound, the only problim i see was i didnt look real close at them and when i got home and put the leeches in a different container it seems my jumbos shrunk on the way, they didnt seem real jumbo, oh well. ricbak

[eyeballs]

I'm with PWALDOW on this one. That worm-up is like nightcrawler Viagra! Well worth the money.

[cdnfisherman]

What is "worm up"? Never heard of it.

[Rick]

I just received word that there will be enough leeches to go around. The supply can be tough, but for those who know where to look they're out there.

Also, a lot of bait shops are not happy with the rumor mill. Most have got plenty of leeches and really need your business right now. They had a tough winter and a tough spring so far.

If you don't want your favorite bait shop going out of business, get in there and patronize those hard working people.

Very few people get rich working in the fishing industry and they work hard. Don't begrudge them an extra buck at check out if they've always been good to you.

[Guest]

Amen,
good to hear the plug for the local bait purveyors! I have not yet looked into the supply problem but I am sure that my local bait shops are NOT into some type of price fixing sceme like so many other local businesses are into...

Worm up; visit your local asian food market, get some hot mustard powder, add 1:50 with water and sprinkle liberally on a non chemically treated lawn until saturated, worms (crawlers) will literally be jumping up to get out of the stuff.

[Guest]

Around the Hutchinson area bait prices have been outragious. Makes you feel like you are buying fish at a pet store, might as well, at the price they are charging you should name each one! They are pulling the leech shortage too, getting a premium price, funny how they don't run out though

[slick2526]

Geeze, I didnt even know leeches went 30 a lb. I buy them from a guy that traps his own for 5 bucks a lb. Guess im getting lucky huh?

[bigspike]

Here in the Twin Cities they are $21.00 a pound. And you can only get half a pound at a time right now. I was at the bait shop today. From what I read the reason for the leech shortage is that the ponds that they harvest them from had 100% kills this winter, and the ponds that are still producing are colder than normal. Just my two Cents.

[Capt'nJosh]

Hard to believe that the ponds had 100% winterkill this year. We had the mildest winter in years...

[wastewaterguru]

Hmm....

How hard could it be to raise leaches? I have a bathtub.

Wonder what the wifes reaction to that would be?

You know the more I think about that, the more I wish I hadn't gone there.

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John K., a.k.a. wastewaterguru
Prior Lake, Minnesota

[Surface Tension]

Leeches are $15 a lb. for jumbo's in Pike lake.
Good thing there not good to eat. I'm going to stick with Porterhouse at $6.50 a lb.