crawler picking HOW

[Cheers]

Am new to crawlers . Just wondering how and when is the best way to pick night crawlers ? And what to expect for #

[harvey lee]

I typically pick all my crawlers up on the street after it rains. I use a pencil or letter opener to lift them and put them in a bucket. You have to be careful when u pick them up so you do not squeeze them to much.

The area I pick, after it rains quite a bit, the crawlers get pushed out of the soggy ground. As far as numbers, depends on the area and how populated it is. With an inch of rain, I can in one area pick up 2o plus dozen without any problem but that is not the norm.

If they are in a grassy area, I usually pick at night with a flashlight. Then I grab them by hand and if they are half way down a hole, pull very lightly or they will break in two.

Golf courses can be a great spot to get crawlers after dark when the sprinklers have watered the area. Just make sure they allow people out there to pick them. When I was a kid and lived in the metro, we got all our crawlers from the golf courses.

I know some use a red lense for thier flashlight but I have never seen any difference if I use a different colored lense rather than the clear.

I know of a few guys who use steel rods and put them in the ground and then put some power to the rods and they say the crawlers will come to the top of the ground. Never tried that though.

[highlife4me]

The very best time to pick night crawlers is after a night of warm rain in the spring. They will be all over the place and easy to get on streets and driveways. You want to get out before the sun starts to come up. "The early bird gets the worm!" If the conditions are right you can get hundreds of crawlers in one outing if you have a large enough area to look.

I go to work at 4:00 in the morning and often times I will see people hunting night crawlers on the city streets after a thunderstorm.

[harvey lee]

I agree, I usually am picking before 5am and there have been times I am out after a rain after 10pm. Gotta get un before the cars run them over or it dries the street.

[luckydog25]

Your own lawn might be a great place to pick them. Put a sprinkler out an hour or so before dark and soak the ground really good. Wait for an hour after dark and go out with a flashlight and go really slow. I usually go bare foot to make less noise or vibration. They key is to walk very quietly, think of it like hunting. It's not unusual to get a couple dozen in my yard.

As a kid we used to go to the high school at night after an all day rain. I remember getting hundreds.

[DLD24]

I use knee pads and crawl along slowly with my headlamp...A dull light works better, you cant have the light on them too long or they'll shoot in...If I see one I'll usually shine the light next to him so he doesn't feel the light...Also I'll try and find where he came out the ground and lightly put my hand on him and then grab his head with my other hand and work him out of the ground...If you find a good spot for them you can get a ton in a hurry...Its addicting, you keep telling yourself one more..one more lol

[BFT]

Back in the 70s , we use to sell them at our house in Fargo , picked them at Island park after the rain. After the weekend at our lake place , we dumped what we did'nt use . Now we just turn the sprinker on and pick what we want. The bad thing about picking the crawlers off the street is that theres gas and oil and other stuff thats on the worm.

BFT

[my4x4yj]

the cemetery is a great place to get crawlers but you probably will get a visit from the local law enforcement, most will leave you once they know what you're doing but once in a while there is a grumpy one who will make you leave. There is a lot less chemicals used on the grass and they water just as often

[jjz]

Most important thing is to find a area with lots of crawlers. Easy to spot. Just look for lots of bumps on the ground from past crawlers surfacing at night to mate or get out of the ground. Best spots have two to four mounds per square foot. Wetter conditions they come out earlier, drier they come out later 3-4 A.M. My best spots yield 3/4 a gallon per outing (2 hours max). Dim light and soft steps are very important.

[harvey lee]

Back in the 70s , we use to sell them at our house in Fargo , picked them at Island park after the rain. After the weekend at our lake place , we dumped what we did'nt use . Now we just turn the sprinker on and pick what we want. The bad thing about picking the crawlers off the street is that theres gas and oil and other stuff thats on the worm.

BFT

IN all the years I have picked them on the street, I have yet to have any that die early or won't boat a fish due to petro smell.

[goblueM]

red light is the way to go, doesn't ever spook them. I've noticed a huge difference over a white light

[Gordie]

I think its easier now to pick them with the innovation of the headlamps today rather than the old stand by flashlight of yesterday.

Use to be that you could just walk around town after dark and pick crawlers in just about any yard that had them; now you had better ask permission to pick crawlers or you could end up in trouble for trespassing or even shot as a intruder.

I use to pick crawlers and sell them to a few bait stores in the 70's and 80's it was a great way to make a few extra bucks to buy fishing gear. I still pick them today but not nearly as many.

[fishingstar]

We turn on the hose and put a blanket out the top of it come back in 30 to 45 minuets and they will be laying on top of the grass.

Dan

[gwiff100]

Whew!! finally got our rain, and finally grabbed some crawlers.. 22doz should last a couple days.. now if i could only pull shinners and leeches from the ground.

[harvey lee]

Found 13 dozen this am and we only had a tenth of an inch. Fridge is starting to get full. Hope there is not a limit on the crawlers I have in the fridge.

[leech~~]

Am new to crawlers . Just wondering how and when is the best way to pick night crawlers ? And what to expect for #

Some may have already covered these? I start by placing the hose on low in a plastic pail and let it slowy flood an area I have picked. I let it soak for a while then come back with the flash light so it quiets down a bit. I always look for the tail end because as they try and go back down the hole you have a little more time to grab them then going for the dark head end which pulls back fast. When they are stuck in the hole, I just hold on to them lightly stretched out and wait until I feel them give a little before pulling so you don't rip them in half! Seems to work pretty well. Also, if your grass is long you may want to mow it ahead of time so you can see them better.

[Sifty]

Went last night and got 6 dozen.

I tried the red light vs the white light and it seemed to help a little with them not heading back down the hole after the light hit them. But it was harder for me to see them. Stinking old age

[fishnowworknever]

Found 13 dozen this am and we only had a tenth of an inch. Fridge is starting to get full. Hope there is not a limit on the crawlers I have in the fridge.

Give it a couple weeks...

[Cheetah]

I walk down the street and pick them up. Some baseball diamonds and parking lots are also good.

[Scott M]

Picked up enough for this weekend this morning in the street in about 5 minutes.

[CANOPY SAM]

As leech says above, there is kind of an "art" to pulling crawlers gently out of the ground. Once their little creeper legs have grabbed ahold you have to really take your time to ease them out without ripping them in half.

If you do accidentally break a worm, don't put the "half" in your worm bucket with the others. That piece will quickly die, and subsequently rot and kill your other healthy worms.

It's really a bonus after a heavy rain when you can find them on the street somewhere. It's easy pickin's then. Most often you'll likely have to pick crawlers in the yard. As stated above, try to find an area with short grass, or mow it yourself before you plan to pick. Also, walk very softly, as they can feel the ground vibrate with your heavy steps, and will be gone in the blink of an eye if you're not being stealthy.

I used to pick and sell crawlers for money as a kid. That, and a paper route, is how I bought all my fishing equipment when I was young. Now, my old carcass can only handle an hour or so of picking before my back starts to say enough!

Picking your own crawlers is a great way to save money today if you fish a lot. At $2.50 - $3.50 a dozen you can save yourself $50.00 in bait in only a few minutes of picking. Don't over-pack too many in a container, use a little discretion and only pick what you'll use, and keep em' cool in the fridge and they should last a long time.

Funny story...I once picked around 10-12 dozen crawlers and had them in bedding in a large gallon and a half sized styrofoam cooler. While in the boat, my brother decided to use the cooler as a foot rest, and inadvertently cracked the side of the container. Not thinking anything of it I put the container in the back of my suburban for the night. It was a cool, rainy night. Next morning I go out to my truck, open the driver's door, and out falls a night-crawler. Long story short, nearly the whole container full of crawlers had crawled out overnight into my Suburban, and were happily crawling everywhere...including UNDER the carpeting. That truck never smelled quite the same again.

[WIMN]

If I want to pick some between now and 5/20 (going to the Boundary Waters on the 20th), what's the best way to package them in the fridge? Just use some old butter tub containers and dirt from the garden? Do I need to change how they are packed for when I bring them with in the BWCA?

[harvey lee]

I have found that if you use worm bedding, you can nuy it in the store, about $3.00.

U add water to it so it is damp, I use ice cream pails but I put 12 dozen in those pails.

This bedding will keep thewm for quite a long time. Some of the bedding does have food in it, if not, add some coffee grounds to the mix.

I like the worm bedding alot better, no wet dirt in the boat and the worm bedding cleans up very easy.

Not sure on the regs for the BWCA.

[leech~~]

Funny story...I once picked around 10-12 dozen crawlers and had them in bedding in a large gallon and a half sized styrofoam cooler. While in the boat, my brother decided to use the cooler as a foot rest, and inadvertently cracked the side of the container. Not thinking anything of it I put the container in the back of my suburban for the night. It was a cool, rainy night. Next morning I go out to my truck, open the driver's door, and out falls a night-crawler. Long story short, nearly the whole container full of crawlers had crawled out overnight into my Suburban, and were happily crawling everywhere...including UNDER the carpeting. That truck never smelled quite the same again.

Kind of a similar story. I use-to kept a small cooler of them under the wash stink in the basement because it was cooler down there. Until one day I heard all kinds of screaming from my wife when washing a load of clothes! They can really get out of some small cracks!

[RawHog]

Today in Roseville there were scattered, heavy showers and yet little to no sign of crawlers in my yard. I turned the hose on full blast next to my driveway and in a few minutes there were dozens of fat ol' worms everywhere for easy pickin'