Temperatures and live bait

[sean]

Could someone please remind me what the temperature break down for minnows, worms and leeches is?

I want to use leeches early this early, I think I can due to the temperature outside. But I cant rememer what the temp is for leeches so they dont srivel up into a little ball.

Thanks in advance.
sean

[sean]

thats supposed to be..."early this year".

opps

[Brian Marko]

Nightcrawlers are tunnel dwellers and move up and down their tunnels till they find 55 degrees F or get flooded out by rain.

[cisco]

Call me a cynic, but I believe the bait industry has foisted the notions about temperature on us, and we've swallowed it the way a muskie takes a perch. Leeches work beautifully in early season, the problem -- bait dealers can't get them. So, they told us "minnows, too early for leeches." If we could get them, there's no reason leeches, crawlers, fatheads (or shiners or chubs or etc) from early season, thru summer, into fall. We buy the bait that's available.