Question on obtaining leeches........

[Alan]

How can I catch my own leeches this summer for bait? Are ponds or streams your preferred targets of interest? Also, what is the easiest way to distinguish the differences between the "blood suckers" and "ribbon" leeches without handling them first? I purchased some Eagle Claw Featherlite 1/0 Nickel Teflon coated circle hooks for hooking the leeches. Will they suffice or should I opt for a larger/smaller hook? Finally, what is the best method of removing a leech from your skin once it is attached? Thanks and sorry for so many questions :-).........Alan

[s.f.]

gosh, i wish i had a dollar for every leech i handled...
leeches are found in isolated areas. mostly, in central and western minnesota. these areas supply most of the fishing world. they can be ordered into any location, from late april to october. that said...unless you are in that region, you might have trouble trappin' them. if you do, fresh fish fillets work best. the oilier the better.
suckers are most commonly used. they love trout and salmon.(some use red meat) blood suckers are very soft and have a wrinkled skin. leeches will be firm and smooth and somewhat flat in shape. fishing leeches on a plain hook rig, the hook should be small and light enough to allow the leech to control the hook. i commonly use a #10 and no bigger than #8. #1/0 is waaaaayyyyy too big. and lastly...it's easier to hook the squirmy things IF they attach to you.(hook them through the suction end) then just kinda scrape'em off. no harm done! okay?
keep a tight line...
#49

[Alan]

Maybe I should save those 1/0's for lip-hooking some larger bait like 4" chubs or shiners. Also, do you have an address or web address for the place to puchase those leeches? Thanks......Alan

[s.f.]

one of the largest suppliers of leeches in minnesota is todd's bait.
he usually has a few thousand pounds on hand. his # is 320-592-3615.
and by the way...eliminate the 1/0 hook from your walleye arsenal. anything bigger than #2 in any walleye world will not bode well for your livewell content.
#49

[Alan]

Thanks for the help! Can you please explain the reason for recommending I eliminate the 1/0 hook from my walleye arsenal? Why do they make spinners with hooks bigger than this if they are not of recommended size? Not trying to be smart, just asking. :-) Thanks again and good fishin'.....Alan

[retire55]

Alan:

I just started using leeches last year for walleyes. SF has provided some good advice re hook size. I was using #6 VMC light wire hooks (leeches were 4-5 inches long) with the wide gap (V7105). A good web site for leech prices as well as information on how to look after leeches is http://www.vadosbait.com/leech.html

I personally found that the best way to hook them was as SF said - hook them thru their sucker. Just put the leech on your thumb so that the leech grabs on to your thumb nail. Slide the hook along your thumb nail to hook the leech. As for trapping them, I'd buy them instead. A lot less work and you need quite a few leeches depending on how long your fishing trip is. Good fishing! Jay

[Alan]

Thanks Retire55!

[Brian_MN]

Hey Steve,

Do we all hook our leeches by the sucker because of some hard research into what works best, or is it just the way we've all been taught since the beginning of time? After reading an In-Fish article about tail-hooking minnows to make them struggle more against the hook, I started wondering if the same thing might apply to leeches. So far, with some experimenting, I haven't come to any conclusions. My guess is that it won't matter for spinner rigs, but it might for Lindy's or slip bobbering. What do you think?

[Alan]

You said "I just started using leeches last year for walleyes." What kind of results have you had as apposed to fat-head minnows, crawlers, etc....Are they worth the trouble to acquire and keep or have you NOT noticed an increase in your catches? Thanks a bunch!.......Alan

[s.f.]

brian...fair question. my answer to why one hook 'em on the sucker end is, it works...
now, first off , the leeches eyes are on the pointed end, therefore they are more capable of 'controlling' the hook by being able to swim in forward gear. just like the tail-hooked minnow. obviously, the tougher end is the suction end which also adds reason for hooking there, but isn't near as important as the swimming forward scenario.
bottem line...it works! (just to tease...there are a couple other tricks you will never know)
#49

[retire55]

Hi again Alan:

Our group of fishing enthusiasts have been trout fishermen for the last 30 years. A couple of us, who had migrated here from other areas, had some experience walleye fishing and so we suggested a walleye trip. Our first attempt in 2000 wasn't a success. Our one week 2001 trip for walleye was much better.

At first, we tried techniques with which we were familiar without a lot of success - like those you mentioned and others. Our success rate was not good. Fortunately, another fisherman asked us if we wanted to start catching some walleye - well - ah - yes was our response. You gotta use leeches and here's how to do it. Once we were shown how to fish with leeches, our success rate rose exponentially.

Consequently, we'll have lots of jumbo leech on our 2002 walleye trip.
Leeches are relatively easy to purchase here and they aren't very much trouble to look after. We like to use sterofoam containers (4 inches in diameter by 6 inches high) for about 2 or 3 dozen leeches. Keep these containers in a cooler with ice or in a fridge. Change the water daily with lake water not tap water (chlorine will apparently kill them). Its really pretty simple. The best part - leeches work. Jay

[Brian_MN]

I think I might know one or two of those tricks, but I'm not talking either!

[Alan]

Drop me a line guys.....I'd love to hear 'em.......For my own personal use of course.....;-)......webmaster@theoutdoorsmansworld.com