Amateur question for someone with 25 years of ice fishing experience

[perchking]

So why don't anglers use worms in the winter? 

[RebelSS]

Too hard to dig 'em!!!    I do, and caught rainbows on them. And sunnies. I'd guess because they maybe burrow in the cold like leeches, etc., and is not a "common" bait for the fish? Like "match the hatch?" Just my rough stab at it....

[perchking]

 I also thought of supply and demand, but I would be willing to guess most anglers buy their worms from a bait shop for summer fishing. I am assuming the major suppliers that supply these bait shops  do not dig worms like a lot of us hacks do. I am assuming they have worm farms that could be fairly easily be enclosed if they are not already.  

[monstermoose78]

I used crawlers for trout through the ice. I was looper fishing the north shore so bought them but used on a trout lake near ely. I caught trout on em

[RebelSS]

Used to raise 'em  (crawlers) year round.....in a styrofoam cooler down in the ground, full of sphagnum moss (which they eat). I'd pull it and put it in the garage in winter...

[perchking]

Reb the worm farmer, who would of thunk it... 

[RebelSS]

Have worm, will travel!   I have a florist buddy who would trade me bales of the sphagnum moss for free access to the crawlers whenever he needed some. He was a big bass fisherman. Worked out well.

[ANYFISH2]

I would try it if I had some.

I do think considering the fish are typically more neutral in the winter as Thier metabolism is slowed, that small presentations are nessessary(especially panfish).  A worm much bigger than wax worms may not garner the most action.

[leech~~]

I was raising some crawlers in a box in the basement one winter mainly for fishing the shore. Brought a few up to Mille Lacs for Walleye ice fishing in mid winter. Nothing!  

[RebelSS]

Maybe they weren't the right flavor. 

[PurpleFloyd]

20 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

I was raising some crawlers in a box in the basement one winter mainly for fishing the shore. Brought a few up to Mille Lacs for Walleye ice fishing in mid winter. Nothing!  

You should have tried putting them on the hook. 

[leech~~]

2 minutes ago, PurpleFloyd said:

You should have tried putting them on the hook. 

 

bahahahaha, ua Dh'o

[Jim Uran]

I think they'd work only if you buy them at Walmart and forget them in your vehicle from July until January... lol

[eyeguy 54]

I like to cut the crawlers from my yard into 2 inch little pieces in the fall after a good rain. Then I throw them on the trays and dehydrate them. when I go ice fishing I rehydrate them with a little WD40. Crazy good!  Maybe I should start selling to Walmart? 

[Mike89]

2 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I like to cut the crawlers from my yard into 2 inch little pieces in the fall after a good rain. Then I throw them on the trays and dehydrate them. when I go ice fishing I rehydrate them with a little WD40. Crazy good!  Maybe I should start selling to Walmart? 

interesting

[Pat K]

16 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

I like to cut the crawlers from my yard into 2 inch little pieces in the fall after a good rain. Then I throw them on the trays and dehydrate them. when I go ice fishing I rehydrate them with a little WD40. Crazy good!  Maybe I should start selling to Walmart? 

 

From the FAQ at WD 40 site:

 

Why not try it out?  Well for one all the evidence is anecdotal.  Plus, I am pretty sure that fish do not love the scent of petroleum distillates, which is what WD-40 is these days.  This of course is another issue with using it, and that is that you are dumping oil into the water every time you spray it on your lures and throw them overboard. Technically you are polluting the water if you use WD-40 on your lures.

[RebelSS]

Now look what got started...the dreaded WD40-for-bait -pollution-of-waters debacle...

 

[PurpleFloyd]

1 hour ago, Pat K said:

 

Technically you are polluting the water if you use WD-40 on your lures.

Or driving a 2 stroke outboard then as well correct?

[RebelSS]

And AWAY we go!!! I gotta grab my popcorn!!! 

 

[eyeguy 54]

LOL  !  HOOK LINE and SINKER.   my dehydrator is for jerky !  

[RebelSS]

10 minutes ago, eyeguy 54 said:

LOL  !  HOOK LINE and SINKER.   my dehydrator is for jerky !  

 

Yer not gonna wangle outta this one!! 

[lawnbuilder]

Tried crawlers one winter and couldn't get even sunnies and perch to bite that were going crazy for everything else. 

[Getanet]

For what it's worth, I was at Walmart in the metro the other night and they were selling night crawlers near the fishing/outdoors section. So if anyone wants to try lives ones for ice fishing, head to wallyworld.

[RebelSS]

Ya, plus if they break or don't work, ya can return 'em!!!   

[bobbymalone]

I'd like to try leeches but I guess they are not available in the winter.