Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:15:30 PM

Title: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:15:30 PM: I know they are cheap in the stores but I still refuse to pay for them. I still enjoy trying to sneak up on them at night, flashlight in one hand and the old sour cream container in the other. 20 minutes later, you saved $3 and great memories for a little kid.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: carpsniperg2 on June 22, 2011, 11:25:43 PM: Heck yes! I loved it when I was a kid. Don't fish with them much but after a heavy rain or flood from the garden hose :chuckle: You can catch plenty!!! I learned not to shine the mag light right on them really fast :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Annette on June 22, 2011, 11:28:26 PM: Catching nightcrawlers can be fun! When the kids were little we lived on the main drag to Silver Lake. My neighbor had kids the same age as mine so her and I would catch night crawlers every couple nights after her husband would water the lawn for an hour. We would sell the worms to fishermen all spring and summer then take the kids on a trip to the beach with the money we made! Our longest worm was 14 inches!
It will be something I'll do for fun with the grandkids this summer! :tup:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Wazukie on June 22, 2011, 11:30:08 PM: two probes, some wire and a car battery work well!
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:32:35 PM: Don't use them much myself either, especially with the new trout law. But when you are on a mission for perch, it's worth it. Light up the garden, look for shiney and use the outer light for the kill...Of course, sometimes you end up with really wet pine needles or slugs that way :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: bradslam on June 22, 2011, 11:34:05 PM: Don't do it as much as I used to, but it is damn near as much fun as fishing. I'm sure the neighbors wonder what the heck I'm doing wandering around the lawn in the middle of the night with a lantern.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:36:24 PM: Oh...and I always let the maters go...that's just wrong! :sry:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Annette on June 22, 2011, 11:37:13 PM: We used to ware our hip waders...the night can slip away and before you know it it's 4 AM!!!
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Annette on June 22, 2011, 11:41:08 PM: Quote from: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:36:24 PM
Oh...and I always let the maters go...that's just wrong! :sry:
OH...That would be half the catch!...Just put them in the worm box ..they won't even know you moved them!
We used to put the old coffie grounds in the dirt and we had the livelest worms.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: PolarBear on June 23, 2011, 01:39:47 AM: My kids have a couple of those big worm farms and have been selling them to their friends Dad's. After a snow melt or big rain they go out in the pastures and get them by the fist full. Last year I put 5 yards of steer manure on my garden and with every shovel full my youngest girl was there to pick out the biggest ones. She wound up with one of those big coffee cans full to the top with them. They sold out on their worms pretty early this year but I'm sure they will get another batch started.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: rasbo on June 23, 2011, 03:10:41 AM: I do,I have a bar refer Im going to bury in the ground to raise them in also.When I lived in Rupert Idaho you irrigated your yard by opening a valve and flooding the lawn with about 6inches of water..Then that night them boogers were everywhere...I have a small worm box I take fishing with worm bedding a little grass clippings.I put a tsp of cornmeal in every week or so,just keep the bedding moist and cool...
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: kbyers on June 23, 2011, 03:57:38 AM: Quote from: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:15:30 PM
I know they are cheap in the stores but I still refuse to pay for them. I still enjoy trying to sneak up on them at night, flashlight in one hand and the old sour cream container in the other. 20 minutes later, you saved $3 and great memories for a little kid.

Aside from saving money, the worms are better quality too
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: ICEMAN on June 23, 2011, 05:49:35 AM: Good memories.

I would sell worms from our dock on Long Lake (Thurston County) for many fishing seasons when I was about 12-15yrs old......

We also used to go at night and gather crawlers off the manicured lawns at the Capitol Grounds.... That finally got ended by a couple of troopers... :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: hunterlady on June 23, 2011, 06:44:55 AM: I have so many of the little critters that you can just about twist your ankle walking across the yard. Mowing the lawn is like driving down a wash board road. I also have the mole hills and gopher mounds that come along with the territory. Can’t beat night crawlers for walleye bait and catching them youself just adds to the fun. I keep them in an extra refrigerator in an insulated cooler filled with commercial worm bedding. I always put a layer of damp newspaper on top of them and feed them grass clipping and worm food. They last for months.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 23, 2011, 07:29:21 AM: Man when I was a kid in P.A we would stay out all night catching crawlers.. fill 5 gal. buckets full.. sneak in the neighbors yards with flashlights like we owned the place ... remember being very quite so no one would hear us .. :chuckle: lot of memories from then ... Plus the boys catch them in the yard to go bass fishing.. our yard is loaded with them ....how many guys go at night .... thats the best way after a good rain ... pick up sheet loads at night ////
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 23, 2011, 07:31:22 AM: Quote from: ICEMAN on June 23, 2011, 05:49:35 AM
Good memories.

I would sell worms from our dock on Long Lake (Thurston County) for many fishing seasons when I was about 12-15yrs old......

We also used to go at night and gather crawlers off the manicured lawns at the Capitol Grounds.... That finally got ended by a couple of troopers... :chuckle:
yeah thats how I did it Iceman ...night time ...sneaking in the neighbors yards ... :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: quadrafire on June 23, 2011, 07:38:58 AM: :hello: I still do. Caught a bakers dozen last week for a short fishing trip.

I had a bad birthday celebration years ago, and ended up hunting them in my underwear in the rain, Don't remember catching any, but my wife reminded me of the event the next day :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: MtnMuley on June 23, 2011, 07:49:36 AM: Turn the sprinklers on for 20 minutes, then shock the ground. Best walleye bait ever.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Camp David on June 23, 2011, 08:20:28 AM: Found out by accident that when you back wash the pool filter and that chlorinated pool water hit the grass, those guys would come out quickly. We used that tactic when we forgot to get worms the night before. Just make sure you rinse em good quickly. But getting them at night in grandpa's back with my brother was the best :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: rasbo on June 23, 2011, 08:54:01 AM: Quoting Iceman below...

We also used to go at night and gather crawlers off the manicured lawns at the Capitol Grounds.... That finally got ended by a couple of troopers...

Iceman I tried that,up early the next morning to go fishing,the worms I caught on the state lawn wouldn't work on Saturday, stating it was in their union contract,and they damn sure were not going to work before 8:00am...The public sector worms that I caught, rose to the occasion and were glad they had a job to do.....This created civil unrest with the state worms because non union worms were put to work in their place.This resulted in a class action lawsuit in which the biggest worm of all Jesse jackson made an appearance and spoke out,seems I used no red worms at all.. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: TheHunt on June 23, 2011, 09:00:31 AM: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Alan K on June 23, 2011, 09:00:49 AM: I only did it a couple times when I was younger, but it was a blast. I remember catching some monsters that you'd never get in a store bought can.

If I remember right we'd mix up a 5 gallon bucket of water with some soap and pour it where we wanted to go, then wait a half hour or so.

Good times catching them, even better times fishing with them! :tup:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: goosegetter79 on June 23, 2011, 09:28:26 AM: Caught many worms in my younger days at night in pullman. It made it alot nicer having a garden 36'x48'. Caught dozens of worms every time i'd go out. I'm surprised I haven't had the police called on me (living in spokane now) with my flashlight in hand creeping around the house looking for them at midnight.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: lokidog on June 23, 2011, 09:34:18 AM: Quote from: rasbo on June 23, 2011, 08:54:01 AM
Quoting Iceman below...

We also used to go at night and gather crawlers off the manicured lawns at the Capitol Grounds.... That finally got ended by a couple of troopers...

Iceman I tried that,up early the next morning to go fishing,the worms I caught on the state lawn wouldn't work on Saturday, stating it was in their union contract,and they damn sure were not going to work before 8:00am...The public sector worms that I caught, rose to the occasion and were glad they had a job to do.....This created civil unrest with the state worms because non union worms were put to work in their place.This resulted in a class action lawsuit in which the biggest worm of all Jesse jackson made an appearance and spoke out,seems I used no red worms at all.. :chuckle:

You crack me up! Way too much time on your hands. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: tmike on June 23, 2011, 11:03:53 AM: I just built a worm box for my boy. Is it true you can feed them coffee grounds? or is it ever necessary to feed them at all?
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: lokidog on June 23, 2011, 11:00:56 PM: Quote from: tmike on June 23, 2011, 11:03:53 AM
I just built a worm box for my boy. Is it true you can feed them coffee grounds? or is it ever necessary to feed them at all?

Probably depends on how fast you use them. Just throw some of your kitchen left-over vegetables in there for them to eat. You will also end up with some great worm compost.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: rgalanti21 on June 25, 2011, 09:40:11 PM: Quote from: Mossy on June 22, 2011, 11:32:35 PM
Don't use them much myself either, especially with the new trout law. But when you are on a mission for perch, it's worth it. Light up the garden, look for shiney and use the outer light for the kill...Of course, sometimes you end up with really wet pine needles or slugs that way :chuckle:

Whats the new trout law? :dunno:
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: FC on June 25, 2011, 11:16:21 PM: If caught on bait each fish is supposed to be counted towards your limit whether it is retained or not. When you have caught your limit you are supposed to quit fishing for trout, I've never heard of anyone getting stung for it but it's the rule.

On another note: I nabbed a whole bunch of nightcrawlers out of the yard a couple nights ago.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: Sportfury on June 26, 2011, 07:46:20 PM: When I was a kid we lived on Orting Kapowsin Highway going to Kapowsin Lake. My dad starting selling worms and night crawlers to the fisherman as they went by. It was good business for a couple years. I can remember going down to Orting and going out on the football field in the rain. We filled many a five gallon bucket. It was great as a kid because we got to stay up late and have fun. I remember my dad got creative and made a shocker that he hooked up to his little Honda generator. We really got the crawlers then.
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: brew on June 26, 2011, 08:19:50 PM: Quote from: Annette on June 22, 2011, 11:28:26 PM
Catching nightcrawlers can be fun! When the kids were little we lived on the main drag to Silver Lake. My neighbor had kids the same age as mine so her and I would catch night crawlers every couple nights after her husband would water the lawn for an hour. We would sell the worms to fishermen all spring and summer then take the kids on a trip to the beach with the money we made! Our longest worm was 14 inches!
It will be something I'll do for fun with the grandkids this summer! :tup:
your longest worm was 14" :yike: I think WSU was doing a study on those prehistoric beasts a year or so ago....what type of fish would takle that garden snake ?
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on June 26, 2011, 08:30:39 PM: Quote from: brew on June 26, 2011, 08:19:50 PM
Quote from: Annette on June 22, 2011, 11:28:26 PM
Catching nightcrawlers can be fun! When the kids were little we lived on the main drag to Silver Lake. My neighbor had kids the same age as mine so her and I would catch night crawlers every couple nights after her husband would water the lawn for an hour. We would sell the worms to fishermen all spring and summer then take the kids on a trip to the beach with the money we made! Our longest worm was 14 inches!
It will be something I'll do for fun with the grandkids this summer! :tup:
your longest worm was 14" :yike: I think WSU was doing a study on those prehistoric beasts a year or so ago....what type of fish would takle that garden snake ?
definately a world record .... :o
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: BLKBEARKLR on June 26, 2011, 08:57:27 PM: I have been showing my two year old how to catch them, fun times, got to get her to stop diving at them it is quite funny. Then the wife was helping her and I got out my predator calls and laid into them a lil. it is quite funny when the momma drops the bucket and the two year old says it just daddy momma its ok. Now pick them back up.....
Title: Re: Who still catches night crawlers?
Post by: sirfunkeybut on June 26, 2011, 10:57:18 PM: haha funny you should mention, Me and the old lady are heading out right now. The ones you spend 2.50 on at the store are really small. nothing compared to the big uns you catch at your local park.