My fiance and I love to go fishing, and I usually use night crawlers as bait. But instead of buying them several times throughout the year, we catch them.
My Mom has been doing this for years! They are sensitive to the sound, light and movement and if you aren't careful they will crawl into their holes and you will get frustrated.
First, get a flash light and a styrofoam container. I use a cooler, because we get so many, and some might want gloves because you get dirty.
Now, after it rains is the best time to get them, but they do come out after dark. Go out into your yard and slowly walk and shine the light down...you will see them everywhere! They will be all stretched out.
Now, this is the tricky part...slowly reach down and once near the night crawler, grab it quickly and firmly (remember they are quick!)...the are slimy and squiggly...now slowly finish pulling it out of the hole. Put him in your container and you're good to go.
Store them in a cool dark place and make sure they have air holes. You can keep them in dirt or soil, and be sure there is enough in there for them to crawl around through and cover them.
What you don't use for fishing, throw into your garden.
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My husband is so quick getting crawlers. He has a light that clips onto his hat on the front and that way he has both hands free to get the crawlers. Then he buys worm bedding at Walmart and puts that in a styerfoam container and keeps the worms in that. They live forever in that bedding. He keeps the container in our old refrigerator that we keep in our garage. They never get out of that with the lid on tight. He always has a supply of worms when he wants to go fishing.
My brothers and I grew up on the lake so we used to turn on the yard sprinkler a little while before dark, then after dark get out the flash light and go after them and yes you sure do have to be fast.
Ohh it that why my doggies go out late and walk in
the grass slowly like they are stalking something then they stick their noses into the grass and come
up chewing....is this bad for the dogs?
My technique involves a little ingenuity on your part, so here goes: you'll need an old power cord, like an appliance cord. (lamp cords are a little too flimsy for this), and two 2-foot long pieces of steel rod about 1/4" diameter. bend each of the steel rods like an "L" with the short end of the "L" about 6". after stripping away a couple of inches of insulation from the used cord, wrap one end of the bare wire around the short end of one of the "Ls", then do the same with the other "L" and the remaining bare wire. I then solder the wire to the rod, and then carefully wrap the entire short end of the "L" with electrical tape and continue wrapping about 6 more inches down the long "L" shaft. as an extra safety barrier.
I also place a 12" piece of used garden hose over the wrapped section; the hose will easily slide over the bend in your "L". if you're still with me, you're ready to begin your quest! I wear tennis shoes because of the rubber soles, although I seriously doubt it's necessary, then, when the ground's good and moist, (not soaked and certainly not in standing water!) push down on the short end of the "L" driving the long end about a foot into the soil. Do the same with the other "L" about 2-3 feet away from the first one. Plug the assembly in and wait about 10 minutes or so. If the area you're probing contains night crawlers, they'll push themselves out of the ground and will lay atop the grass in order to escape the tingle of electricity. Be patient! Sometimes one or two will pop out right away, still other times you'll have to wait 10-15 minutes before they show. The tingle they feel won't actually harm them, and this technique can be used, (actually recommended) during daylight hours. Have fun!
I caught this one about three weeks ago on a plastic worm at Buddle creek at High Rock lake.
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