Canadian Nightcrawlers - Lumbricus Terrestris
Canadian Nightcrawlers - Lumbricus Terrestris - Nothing beats Canadian Nightcrawlers "Dew Worm" as a live bait. Fishermen enjoy the Canadian worm because of its size. These nightcrawlers are approximately 7-8" in length, and can measure up to 14 inches when fully extended. The Canadian nightcrawler is used for catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, carp, trout, catfish, sunfish, walleye, and other freshwater fish. One dilemma with the Canadian nightcrawler is that, it will not survive in temperatures above about 65* F. Therefore, they must remain refrigerated, and attention must be given to ensure that the worms are not left in the hot sun while fishing. The canadian nightcrawler may deposit only 5 or 6 cocoons a season and take 30 or more days to hatch, mainly due to its' habitat of living in low temperatures. You can use these nightcrawlers as food for reptiles, aquarium or pond fish, and turtles also. If you're wanting to keep and raise some of these, here are a few ideas to help out:

1) Obtain a container that will fit in your refrigerator, such as a small plastic bucket or tub. Some people will use the plastic Sterilite brand "shoe-boxes" purchased at wally world. Drill some holes in the lid for air. You can fit at least 50 adult worms in each shoebox, not to mention hundreds of baby worms. Bedding should be at least 6-8 inches deep. Peat moss, organic leaf litter, or regular potting soil can be used as long as it doesn't contain any pesticides or chemical fertilizers. You may want to add a little gravel at the bottom of the worm bin to allow for drainage
2) Put a fish tank thermometer in the container and keep the temperature in the bin at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Very important! Do this prior to purchasing your worms. These worms can even live if ice crystals or frost starts to form inside of the bin!
3) You may store up to 1 lb. of nightcrawlers for every square foot of bedding in your container. Please DO NOT buy them at wally world as some people suggest.
4) Top feed your nightcrawlers organic material, including fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee and tea grounds, chicken mash, either chick starter or laying mash.
5) Check on your nightcrawlers every two to three days and remove any old or rotting food. Moisten bedding with a mister if needed. Keep bedding damp, but not wet.
6) Aerate the bedding by flipping or turning the dirt every two to four weeks. Ten percent of the bedding should be removed and replaced with new bedding every four to six months.
7) It may not hurt to write "Live Nightcrawlers" on the container just in case someone needs a snack in the middle of the night!

Continue