Worms have become pricey! When I bought some the other day at Ace Hardware, they were nearly $6 a dozen! Maggots and other baits are also skyrocketing! The Bait and Switch has become expensive.
When you buy your bait, check it out before you grab a tub or bottle. The worms need to be wet and wiggly. Maggots need to be plump and white. If they have turned black, they are too old and worthless. Meal worms also get dark when they grow. You want live and wiggly baits.
There are more choices for worm lovers. Nitro Worms are fed food that makes them glow and appear greenish in color. Red Wigglers are smaller and thinner in size. I have even seen foot long Australian worms!
With the price of worms as much as a 6 pack of cheapo beer, you need to take better care of your worms and bait. This is critical in the Winter when on the ice. Frozen worms are worthless.
Worms are sold in a flimsy Styrofoam container. You know the ones that break apart in your pocket or get blown across the ice. The first thing that I do is put the worms into my old aluminum worm can that has a spring-loaded lid. Not only does the lid stay closed, but it also won’t smash if you sit on it.
My old worm can is called the Bait Baffler, made by the HS Ross Co. I have had it since the 1950’s! A lot or worms have found themselves in my favorite worm can. It even has loops on it to slide onto your belt. Plastic containers crack and break.
Vintage, original Bait Bafflers are available on EBAY. I also saw some similar ones at Bob Wards. They are worth every penny, especially when it comes to keeping worms safe and secure.
One of my favorite features is that the spring-loaded metal lid will cut the worm into pieces. Instead of tearing and ripping them into pieces, you can make small bits for ice jigs.
When I get home from a fishing trip, I dump the days leftovers into a Worm Farm container. This Styrofoam tub is made to keep worms warm and happy at home. You can add some worm food into the special worm media. Corn meal or powdered milk will also feed the worms. Old, shredded leaf mulch is also a worm favorite. Lay a plain paper towel, moistened with water on top of the media and close the lid. You can leave them in the cool garage or somewhere where it does not get hot and freezing cold. This system is virtually odorless. You can keep worms alive for months.
Before I go fishing, I add a tsp. of used coffee grinds. This will make the worms more active. Normally I can get 4 ice jig baits from one average worm. If the worms fall off the hook, retrieve and reuse what you can. I keep the worm tin out of the sun or in a place where they will not cook or freeze.
Even if a worm is in pieces, they can regenerate and become a whole worm again. There are nearly 2 dozen hearts in a worm. If you diced up a worm carefully, one worm could be made into many more.
Keep your worms Fat and Happy!
Montana Grant
