Leaches...In the Great Northwest

[Fat Walleye]

I have never used leaches before, out here in Washington the are hard to find. So I ask all of you Mid-West folks,

How;

Do I keep these things alive?

Do I hook them on?

What type of leech do I use?

How long can I keep these things alive?

And any other info that might help.


Thanks
Fat Walleye

[Hunter]

Leeches are very easy to keep alive. Just change the water weekly and they will last for several weeks if not months. Usually I hook them through the sucker but hooking them in the other end also works from time to time. Don't use lake leeches, use ribbon leeches instead. They range from brown to black with black being the best. They are available through some mail order dealers.

[WAeyes]

I too am in Washington. If you are looking for some place in the state to buy them, try Mardons Resort on Potholes Reservoir. Some years they sell them and some they don't. I emailed them last week to see if they had any but no reply yet. I think in certain situations they outfish nightcrawlers by far. Try them under a slip bobber.

[mlc]

They were also available last year at a small bait and tackle store in beautiful downtown Sprague. I hook them through the lip of the sucker as they tend to stay untangled and do not roll up into a tight ball or knot around the hook. My favorite way to use them is to attach them to a floating jig, like a Lindy Floating rig and backtroll them at very slow speeds.

mlc