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Author Topic: Leech trapping  (Read 36601 times)

Water Wolf

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Leech trapping
« on: Apr 06, 2005, 12:44 AM »
Hi everybody. I would like to try to trapping some leeches this year. Has anyone ever tried trapping leeches? What did you use to trap them and what bait do they like? What body of water would be best to find real jumbo leeches larger lakes or smaller sloughs/marshes? :blink:

Water Wolf

Pasquatch

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #1 on: Apr 06, 2005, 05:46 AM »
I catch mine from a stream but thats kinda weird lol. I take a large piece of meat, like large animal liver, attach it to a line an just toss it in. come back the next morning, and they should be all over it.  ;)

shrub

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #2 on: Apr 09, 2005, 05:25 PM »
take of you pants and shoes and go walking through a swamp and pick them of afterwords ;D ;D ;)
She said that if i go fishin one more time she was gonna leave me....whell im gonna miss her!!

Pasquatch

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #3 on: Apr 09, 2005, 06:07 PM »
take of you pants and shoes and go walking through a swamp and pick them of afterwords ;D ;D ;)
Don't laugh, I've done that, works really well, I always get atleast 2 dozen. Kinda weird though, I feel a little woozy afterwards...don't know why. :P

PERCH INC.

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #4 on: Apr 09, 2005, 10:28 PM »
You need a coffee can with the lid cut 3/4 the way around, tie a small 10ft piece of  rope to the can. Leave some old meat out in the sun for a day, put it in the can. Find some back water or swamp water and throw the can out over nite, check the can the next morning before sunrise!! The leeches should be on the meat!! Good luck.
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ButchT

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #5 on: Apr 23, 2005, 09:04 AM »
I found this on another site, don't remember which one, no plagerism intended.  I saved it because it sounds pretty reasonable, in that it targets ribbon leeches, the species of normally used as bait.  I've tried "bloodsuckers" and if you watch, a walleye will suck it in and blow it right back out, unlike ribbon leeches, which they hang on to.



First thing to look at is location.

Ponds are ok. Ponds with creek flowing in...even better. Set your trap just upstream of the inflow. Leeches find food by scent. If your trap is upstream of the inflow the scent is being pushed into the pond and all leeches in the pond will get a whiff of the scent.

To make a leech trap use a burlap bag the leeches will worm their way in. The are like a mouse. If they can get their nose through the rest of the body will follow. A can with holes is ok but the burlap sack is easier to work with and will let the scent out better.
Use bloodless meat. I use fish heads or whole minnows (dead). This also works well. Take an old pair of nylons and cut the foot portion off. Dump in a can of tuna or salmon and tie a knot in the nylon. Put that in your burlap bag. If you use meat with blood you will get blood suckers. Blood suckers (still leaches but not the ones you want) are softer and have wider body bands. When you pick them up the will just lay there while leeches try to curl up into a ball.

So put your bait into the burlap sack and add a rock (this will sink the bag) and tie closed the opening.

Check and remove leeches just before daylight.



Hope this helps.  I'm going to try it as soon as the water warms up a little.

oldken

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #6 on: Aug 03, 2006, 06:58 PM »
how do you keep your leeches after you catch them? old ken

blaque

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #7 on: Aug 04, 2006, 08:39 AM »
Yeah everyone loves the cup of leeches i keep in my fridge lol! Not! Its gross to visitors but at a quarter a leech......im not into throwing them overboard at the end of the day. Keep them on ice while out fishing in the heat, and change the water when ya get home and keep em' cool. They do great as Mac said, for a couple few weeks.

pikemaster789

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #8 on: Aug 05, 2006, 09:35 AM »
well i dont know how much it will help you, but i went for a 2 hour walk in a river and came out with a half dozen  :P


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Zorros shack

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #9 on: Mar 14, 2007, 01:38 PM »
 :wacko: Eeeeee! The leaches they are good bait and I'll use fake ones!

the Wizard

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #10 on: Jul 24, 2007, 08:22 AM »
 I tried the burlap and nylons trick, I used rainbow trout and walleye carcases .     When doing this, the bones from the fish tore little holes in the nylons and the leeches got in .     So I suggest  just try trout heads or  tuna, no walleyes [ sharp gill plates], ribs or spines.     For the most part I got plenty of leeches , both kinds.
    One more thing , bring rubber gloves because that trap is going to smell real bad.... ;)
Catch and release in a hot pan of grease.

Skipper

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #11 on: Jul 24, 2007, 02:31 PM »
One big dead minnow will do the trick for bait, no need to let it rot or anything. I use whatever bait is left over for this from my last trip or I use some of my frozen catfish cutbait stash. I drop the bait in a coffee can and pinch the opening shut the best I can. Sometimes I will stomp the can with my foot or hit it with a hammer, just don't get too carried away because the leeches still need to get in. I prefer to leave the can near running water in an oxbow or a backwater. If you catch what we call "horse leeches" throw them back or kill them because a fish wont touch them. They are usually very large and they have colorful streaks running the length of their bodies.

I apologise, I cant find any pictures of them..
     

Pasquatch

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #12 on: Jul 24, 2007, 08:26 PM »

Skipper

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #13 on: Jul 25, 2007, 02:47 PM »
It looks like it has the coarse skin texture, but it lacks the yellow and orange streaks. I have seen them 10'' long and latched onto someones leg. These things are monsters! There are supposedly 300 different species of leech, but I can only find pics of a few. ::)
     

Water Wolf

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Re: Leech trapping
« Reply #14 on: Jul 16, 2009, 07:57 PM »
Thanks for all the info guys. :)

I made a trap very similar to the one Skipper described.

I took a soup can added a few chunks of smelt, a rock for weight and attached it to a 5 foot piece of fishing line to tether in place.

I then flattend the end of the can and placed it in a dugout overnight.

I checked it in the morning and had all the leeches I need. ;)

WW

 



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