TLC for Leeches???

[Ohio fisherman]

Where I live, leeches are not readily available - I must either order them in or drive 3 hours to pick them up. So, what I want to do is get a good supply to last awhile and keep them happy and ready to go fishing. What equipment do I need to do this? What do I need to know? Would it be best to keep them in an aerated tank or in a refrigerator? How long will they last? Is this a feasible option? Thanks, Ohio fisherman

[Dave S]

I have managed to keep my leeches alive since early May. Have a 9 x 13" cake pan with approximately 1.5" of water in the refrigerator. Keep the refregerator temp between 32 - 38 degrees. A simple refrigerator thermometer can be purchased to check the temperature. If the temperature gets above 40 degrees they will spawn (will see white slime in water) and will die after a few weeks. Change the water every few days. I have a ice cream pail filled with water all the time. Eliminates the problem with chlorine in the city water. When I want to change the water, dump out old water, pour in water at refrigerator temp from ice cream pail, and replentish water in ice cream pail. I have not feed mine and they seem to be fine. If you feed them you will have to change the water more frequently.

[rigs]

Check out www.fatnsassy.com , they make a leech bedding that has worked well for me this year. Biggest plus to this product is not having to change water every other day because the bedding absorbs their waste products. Read about it in in-fish this spring, according to them leeches spend 95% of their time buried in mud which this product iminates. Good leeches are always hard to find this time of year. Stocked up with 2 pounds of jumbos just after the 4th of July and their still doing well in the fridge hoping to make them last well into September.

[figkms]

Do you have these leeches in a container, (ex. Leech Tamer) or do you just leave them in the bottom of the pan? If loose do they not crawl up side of pan and end up all over fridge? Thanks in advance for your response.

Good Fishing to All!!!:)

[Jigging 5]

I agree with rigs this stuff is great. You can keep leeches all summer as long as you keep them cool.

[Dave S]

I have the leeches loose in the pan. I have a Leech tamer (Great product!) but seemed like I was loosing more leeches in a long term storage condition (Storing for a number of months) with the leeches in the leech tamer all bunched together. If you get the water overfilled within 1/2" or so of the top of the pan an occasional leech will crawl over the side of the pan which my wife sometime finds before I do!.:-( Keeping the pan only half full seems to prevent this. Also a lid would also guarantee that the "Litl critters don't get out! :)