Earthworm Collecting

I use earthworms are a free source of fish food. I collect them after a rainstorm by the hundreds and store them. Chopped up they make excellent darter and sucker food. That was fine when I had hundreds of them. Now I'm out of worms, and am having a hard time collecting them. Does anyone have any information as to how I can collect lots of them? I have been waiting for rain and then scooping them off the blacktop. Is there any time of year that is more productive? Any time of the day/night? Does the ground have to be super-saturated...or is even a little rain suffiecient to bring the worms to the surface? Any help would be appreciated, my Central Mudminnow is counting on me.

I use earthworms are a free source of fish food. I collect them after a rainstorm by the hundreds and store them. Chopped up they make excellent darter and sucker food. That was fine when I had hundreds of them. Now I'm out of worms, and am having a hard time collecting them. Does anyone have any information as to how I can collect lots of them? I have been waiting for rain and then scooping them off the blacktop. Is there any time of year that is more productive? Any time of the day/night? Does the ground have to be super-saturated...or is even a little rain suffiecient to bring the worms to the surface? Any help would be appreciated, my Central Mudminnow is counting on me.

We always sprayd the lawn down before dark then about an hour or so after dark go out with a flashlight and get to grabbing the worms you can see at the surface.

HTH,
Tom

We always sprayd the lawn down before dark then about an hour or so after dark go out with a flashlight and get to grabbing the worms you can see at the surface.

HTH,
Tom

Thanks for that advice, but I think it's too slow of a solution. I want alot rather quickly...maybe it's not possible?

Place an old wet towel or other similer cloth on the ground. Keep it wet and check it often, there should be worms underneath.

I just flashlight any large grassy area (suburban parks are perfect). You'll find more than you can handle with a bit of effort.

my great aunt had a cool device we used... you get yourself some rebar or something metalic rod shapped... make a T out of it... then get an extension cord and cut off the female end... tape the bare wire the the end of the T and wrap with electical tap the top of the T to protect yourself... Jam the rod in the ground plug in and watch them come out of the ground!!!

And just how many relatives did you lose? Don't get on this aunties bad side.

There is a way do some kind of sound-based thing to "call" worms from the ground. This involves driving a thin board partly into the ground and rubbing another board back and forth accross the top (almost like bowing a violin). I have no other details, and I don't know how effective this is.

A couple things. If you are flashlighting worms, they wont hide from a red light.

If you live in a not so nice neighborhood like me, large pieces of old carpet(soft side down) seem to draw them like mad, especially if you keep it moist.

I also collect them but for freshwater bait. the best time to do it is at night. they will be out with little rain but the more the better.

I think I'm going to try the old carpet trick

I'm going to have to re look it up for the exact recipe, (I know it is on here: Great lakes worm watch somewhere) but there is a good method that we have used in the past to account of worms and their presence in various portions of our forest here on site...As you may or may not know worms in glacial forests are exotic introductions and actually a serious concern from a forest management perspective.

Basically it is just a mixture of Mustard and water that you pour on an area and the little suckers come right up to be collected at will.

EDIT: Found it here is the technique....It's Number 3...others may be of interest as well.. http://www.nrri.umn....hods_worms.html

Basically it is just a mixture of Mustard and water that you pour on an area and the little suckers come right up to be collected at will.

Hopefully your fish like mustard on their hot dogs...

I'm going to have to re look it up for the exact recipe, (I know it is on here: Great lakes worm watch somewhere) but there is a good method that we have used in the past to account of worms and their presence in various portions of our forest here on site...As you may or may not know worms in glacial forests are exotic introductions and actually a serious concern from a forest management perspective.

Basically it is just a mixture of Mustard and water that you pour on an area and the little suckers come right up to be collected at will.

EDIT: Found it here is the technique....It's Number 3...others may be of interest as well.. http://www.nrri.umn....hods_worms.html

Wow, I've never heard of that. That sounds really neat.

Hopefully your fish like mustard on their hot dogs...

Hahaha!

So, it takes a gallon of mustard water to sample one square foot of ground? There's got to be a better way.

I've head that if you stick an electrified rod into the ground the worms will come up. I think there was something like that you could buy just for that purpose. Another technique involving a rod stuck into the ground had something to do with transmitting a sound the worms didn't like. I can't remember how that was done. Maybe some of you old-timers remember?

I am a big advocate of water and a flash light. My father and I used to catch dozens and dozens of large night crawlers within a half hour by wetting the yard and flashlighting them. I would put a white piece of t-shirt over the light so the worms wouldn't retreat, and go barefoot. If you step on one you can feel it and catch it if your qucik and gentle. The only problem I have when I do this is I have trouble stopping !!! It's kind of addicting once I get going. I once caught (I am dead serious) a nightcrawler that was 10 inches when all scrunched up. Stretched out it was close to 2 ft. it was bigger around than a permanant marker. Found it right where we always gassed up the lawnmower...mutant worm? I wonder how old it could have been.

So, it takes a gallon of mustard water to sample one square foot of ground? There's got to be a better way.

I've head that if you stick an electrified rod into the ground the worms will come up. I think there was something like that you could buy just for that purpose. Another technique involving a rod stuck into the ground had something to do with transmitting a sound the worms didn't like. I can't remember how that was done. Maybe some of you old-timers remember?

A friend of mine used what we called a "worm shocker" in his research. Worked very well. Hard to come by, though. When I want fishing wormsI look under large potted plants we have in the yard. Would find lots in no time. My guess is that the piece of carpet (or plywood, or similar) would be your best bet. Might work even better if you put some old leaves under there and get them wet.