Anyone had any luck keeping leeches over the winter? If so would like to know how you did it. Can you feed them? No idea what to give them. Had them in fridge at 37 degrees since spring and gave fresh water twice a week. Have over a lb and hate to toss them.
I just can’t see it being worth it so I’ve just dumped them.
I just can’t see it being worth it so I’ve just dumped them.
Well yeah?
Not that I’ve ever known anyone to use them ice fishing. Never tried, so who knows?
Yet…I’ll still go with minnows, shiners, fatheads, and suckers through the ice and/or waxies/spikes for panfish.
Toss the leeches along with the nightcrawlers and get fresh one’s next spring for a few bucks.
I’ve done quite well with leeches in cold water. Late late fall, spring opener. Never had em in winter but I’d certainly be using them if I had em!
I’ve done quite well with leeches in cold water. Late late fall, spring opener. Never had em in winter but I’d certainly be using them if I had em!
Years ago on an opening day we had both minnows and leeches. I don’t know what the exact water temp was, but it was cold. We didn’t catch much that day, but I remember when we pulled our lines in the leeches were rolled up in a tight ball on our hooks.
Since then I always followed the “jig and minnow” recommendation in cold water.
They ball up in cold water. And since all the action from a leech comes from it swimming, they are not effective when they ball up.
They ball up in cold water. And since all the action from a leech comes from it swimming, they are not effective when they ball up.
Acclimating your bait to the water most always gets em good.
They ball up in cold water. And since all the action from a leech comes from it swimming, they are not effective when they ball up.
Yes, that’s what I figured back when and where!
Acclimating your bait to the water most always gets em good.
How do you do that? When we take the leeches out of the fridge, I figured they’d be cold enough to begin with.
How long does it take to acclimate “your bait”?
When you pluck them out of the container, they’re short, tight and sluggish. Hook them in July and drop them in the warm water, they stretch out like an erection.
When we tried this in early May with the cold water, we’d sink them for 15-20 minutes and bring them up to only find them balled up and wrapped around the shaft. 
How have you figured out how to avoid “shrinkage”… 
Not sure Andy why they like me better. Keep em cold for long time I guess. I have a tendency to leave em in the truck on those cold fall and spring nights bc of shorefishing. Sometimes it takes a double hook thru to keep em from squirreling around too much.
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