Grow Your Own Fishing Worms

Worms are the first thing most people think of as live bait for fishing. Smaller worms such as red worms are commonly used for panfish, while larger worms such as night crawlers are used for larger game fish such as catfish, bass, and walleye. Many fishermen buy their worms from bait dealers the night or morning before they go fishing; for frequent fishermen, this can run into a significant amount of money. You can save yourself some money, and also improve the soil around your house, by raising your own worms for fishing. The following steps tell you how to go about it.

Steps

  1. Build a worm bed. Building a bed to raise earthworms enables you to keep the soil in which you raise the worms contained. You have a choice of several materials to make your bed from, as well as the bed's size.
    • You can build the bed whatever size you're comfortable with. A good size is 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 m) long, 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) wide, and 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) thick.
    • You can build the bed either inside or outdoors, depending on your local climate. The bed should be somewhere at ground level in a shady spot where it won't freeze during cold weather. You don't need to make a bottom for the bed unless you make it small enough to lift; as long as the worms are fed regularly, they'll be less likely to escape. You may, however, add a roof to divert rain, as long as you provide a means to water the bed, or a wire mesh covering if you live in an area with anteaters or armadillos.
    • Wood is a good, natural choice for making a bed. You can use 1 x 12s for the sides. As you can simply replace a rotting board after a time, it isn't necessary to use pressure-treated lumber.
    • Cinder block can also be used for the frame of a worm bed, provided you plan to keep the bed in the same spot outdoors all the time.
    • Staked-in-place wire mesh also works for making a worm bed; however, you'll need to line the sides with burlap to reduce the likelihood of escape while still letting the worm bed breathe.
    • If you choose not to make an actual bed, a polystyrene foam cooler also works for a worm bed.
  2. Fill the bed with peat moss. There should be enough moss in the bed to provide sufficient cover from sunlight, in addition to shade above the bed, to keep the worms from drying out in the sun's heat. Filling the bed at least half-full of peat moss should be sufficient.
  3. Water the peat moss. A good initial soaking with a garden hose, followed by regular watering to keep the moss moist at all times, is what you want. Ideally, you should keep the soil as moist as a damp sponge.
    • Don't apply so much water that you leave standing water after you're done. Too much water will drown the worms.
  4. Fill the bed with worms. Choose a species of earthworm suited to your local climate. You can buy worms from either a bait and tackle shop or from a wholesale distributor. You want to have about 2 dozen worms per square foot of your worm bed.
  5. Keep the bed temperature above freezing. Worms will try to crawl out of soil that is too cold and will shrivel and die in soil that is too hot. You want to keep the soil at a temperature between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius).
  6. Ensure an adequate oxygen supply. The peat moss or other bedding should remain loose enough to allow air to penetrate the soil. If you have to use non-porous materials for the frame of your worm bed, provide air holes to further encourage air circulation.
    • Temperature also has an effect on oxygen levels. The warmer the soil or water gets, the less oxygen it can hold.
  7. Feed your worms regularly. Although worms will extract nutrients from the soil they are in, you should supplement those nutrients by composting the soil with such things as coffee grounds, grass clippings, manure, oat or cornmeal, or wet leaves. Use 1 pound (.454 kg) of compost material for every pound of worms in your bed. (Some anglers who grow their own worms recommend putting the compost food into the bedding soil before adding the worms to it.)
    • Too much feed will generate heat, which will cause the worms to dehydrate. While still wet, excess food can grow web fungus, drawing in ants, mites, and roaches, which in turn can draw in creatures that feed on these pests, such as anteaters or armadillos.
  8. Replace half the soil every 6 months. Using a stiff rake, comb through the bed to force the worms to one side. Take out the soil from which you have separated out the worms and use it to fertilize your lawn; replace it in the worm bed with fresh peat moss.



Tips

  • If you produce more worms that you can handle, you can sell the extras to a bait shop or give them to a youth group to sell as a fundraiser.
  • Although worms should be kept out of direct sunlight, if you find your worms want to escape by crawling up to the top of the bed, placing an artificial light directly overhead will discourage this behavior.
  • When taking out worms for fishing, take only the approximate amount you think you'll need for an outing. You can keep them in worm containers specially made for the purpose, which feature porous sides, or use an ice cream carton filled with either peat moss or worm bedding material, with air holes to let oxygen flow in.

Things You'll Need

  • Worm bed
  • Peat moss or other bedding
  • Water
  • Means to control worm bed soil temperature
  • Compost materials for feeding worms

Related Articles

  • Make a Free Worm Harvester

Sources and Citations

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