Horse leeches

[Doctor J]

I live in northern MN on a walleye lake. We have these 6-8 inch leeches swimming on our beach. They are really floppy when you pick them up, not like the jumbos I buy at the bait shop. I could get 1/2 to a dozen at almost any time by wading out. I have heard them called ribbon leeches or horse leeches. Anyone know if walleyes bite on them? They look really good swimming around.

[pikestabber]

I know the ones you are talking about... I have heard them called horse leeches, too, but I am not sure if that is a legitimate name ore not (Ribbon Leeches, on the other hand, are actually the common bait variety and are not found in lakes)... I do know that these "horse leeches" are just a variation of a blood sucker, not a true leech. I am told that fish won't bite on them, but I have never tried them. I say bring a few with, but start by fishing with regular leeches. If you are catching fish on regular leeches and switch to these guys and they work, you have a new bait source; if they don't, you aren't out anything. Seems to me, though, the ones I have seen are pretty big for walleyes, IMO, but who knows?

[Jim Uran]

If they are that big and really squishy feeling, I call them blood suckers, or Jelly Belly's. Haven't even tried them out, and most people around here just don't bother with them.

[BucksnDucks]

I've seen a few swimming by while fishing on mille lacs. Put on on with no luck, if that answers your ?

[Rick G]

Biggest one I ever saw was while night fishing on Mille Lacs some years back must have been 10-12in or more.

[Chris Haley]

Don't waste your time. They are horse leeches and they secrete an enzyme that is distasteful to other fish.