Well the rain stopped, winds kicked up and temps dropped down, all three factors making last nights crawler operation a tedious one at best. I was able to score some, but had to work way to hard for it. Late night and 15 bucks at the bait shop short. That’s what I had to pay Saturday at the bait shop for nightcrawlers. I ended up just mixing those with the dozen or so I got last night.
If you have never kept your own crawlers for a season here are couple of quick tips that may help you save some bucks and keep you in worms all through the summer months.
I start out with Frabill worm bedding. Its basically some type of newspaper bedding where you add water. The key is not to have it sopping wet, if that happens mold and rotted worms are the results. Its fairly inexpensive and easy to mix up quickly. There are other alternatives, but this works for me.
I keep them in an old fridge down in the basement in one of the original Bait Canteens. I still have three of them, but may have to work on replacing a side or two in the next few years. Even so, not bad for the 30 or so years they have been in the family. Today there are foam alternatives, and Frabill makes a wide range of sizes to fit your needs, and there are still variations of the ol’ Canteens around too.
Finally just place your crawlers up on top of the bedding. They will work themselves down into the mix. Frabill and a few other companies make worm bedding food, and I use Magic’s worm food. Comes in a shaker can like parmesan cheese. Once a month I will feed them, and shake up the box by turning it upside down and giving it a few quick jolts. It keeps the bedding from compacting and seems to keep the worms alive. If the bedding begins to dry out, and in the frost free fridge’s they will, just ad a couple of ice cubes on top and let them slowly melt into the mix.
