keeping nightcrawlers?

[88fishing]

i was woundering if anyone buys or catches nightcrawlers and keeps them in a large container? i have a 4'x3' freezer fliped on its side i use for keeping shinners i was thinking about filling it and keeping nightcrawlers in it im my basement, anyone do this? dose it smell? lol i dont wanna be going to buy them everytime i go fishing because i have to go 15-20 minutes outa my way just to get them and there not all that cheap anymore any help would be awsome

[FishingNewEngland]

You can keep them in the fridge. I've had a tub in my garage fridge for weeks with no problems. If you want to farm them, there are kits you can buy.

[88fishing]

i wanna keep 500+ nightcrawlers that many wont fit in my frigde lol i fish for catfish at night alot and go thru alot of nightcrawlers

[FishingNewEngland]

i wanna keep 500+ nightcrawlers that many wont fit in my frigde lol i fish for catfish at night alot and go thru alot of nightcrawlers

Best bet would be to farm them.

http://www.homesteadingwithozarkguy.com/gardening/worms.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_4885811_make-nightcrawler-worm-farm.html

[TheDL]

i'm interested in this too; I'm sick of paying for bait - just started picking up nightcrawlers at night, after/durning a rain.  I willl read into those links, for now I keep them in newspaper/dirt in a large tupper ware in the beer fridge.  I check 'em every couple of days, you do need to change the dirt, they crap alot and it gets nasty.  They seem to do better if some air gets at them and they stay cool.  Any tips guys? 

How about keeping minnows?  I just started trapping them, I follow the rules (pretty strict) and have just been changing the bucket of water daily, and keeping an air pump flowing in there, some last better than others - any tips?

[FishingNewEngland]

How about keeping minnows?  I just started trapping them, I follow the rules (pretty strict) and have just been changing the bucket of water daily, and keeping an air pump flowing in there, some last better than others - any tips?

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=118602.0

[88fishing]

in the freezer i have i can keep 2-3 dozen without doing anything to them for 6 months i dont feed them or anything just leave them alone im going to see how the nightcrawlers will do if i just put them in the freezer with beeding and change it out every week and feed them and hope it works lol

[Damurpha]

I usually throw in some fresh coffee grounds with my night crawlers, makes good worm food (just make sure they've cooled off)

[SpaceGhost]

Crawlers are easy to get. Find good land. Old farmland, golf courses etc. Once the dew is out, they come out all over the place. The house i grew up in during my high school years, me and my neighbor would pick hundreds in an hour and they were the biggest d**n crawlers ever. Bigger than any i can buy from around here, thats for sure.

[spcantwell]

I buried a  18" wide x 30" long by 18" deep metal box under my deck.   i left about 2" of steel raised so that the crawlers can not get out and made a cover with drilled 1/2" holes in it.    i filled the box with compost and leaves and usually keep a few hundred crawlers in there year round.   being under the deck,  it keeps them out of the sun and cool all summer

[88fishing]

I buried a  18" wide x 30" long by 18" deep metal box under my deck.   i left about 2" of steel raised so that the crawlers can not get out and made a cover with drilled 1/2" holes in it.    i filled the box with compost and leaves and usually keep a few hundred crawlers in there year round.   being under the deck,  it keeps them out of the sun and cool all summer

thats what i would like to do but theres no place in my yard that dosnt get hit by sun thats the only worry i have dont wanna go catch a bunch to have them fry in the sun and waist them all im going to try the freezer and see what happens

[ricky riged]

i keep my worms in the fridge
 will they live in the freezer

[jtk2]

I bet he meant fridge. I used trout worms jiggin ice fishing and was to lazy to take the sled out of my truck. Had a solid puck of dirt and worms. They were all dead but still worked to tip the jig.

[lavaman]

just got 8 doz the other nite in 15 min. i put them in a styrofoam tropical fish box or cooler that will fit in the fridge. drilled a couple holes in the top cover. filled it with fresh composed soil and mixed in some old wet leaves and grass clipping then put in the fridge and they are good for the whole summer or until i use them all up. i save my old worm containers to put in enough to use in an outing. never save the 1/2 used worms they will kill all the good ones. good luck and i hope this helps.

[fishlessman]

i would go half loam, top half Sphagnum Moss, keep the moss damp. you will find the worms prefer the clean moss. look it up for a pic and then go to the swamp and pick some, thats how i used to keep them in a big box in the basement as a kid. a good trick for worms is stick a pitchfork in the ground in a good spot, pull back on the handle and let it go, it vibrates back and forth, do that 10 to 20 times and the worms pop out of the ground, up to 10 feet away if its a good spot, no digging necessary