Grow Your Own Bait

Worms have been used for fishing bait for as long as people have fished. You can grow your own worms with little effort and little cost, right in your basement or garage. All you need is an old cooler or box. If the cooler has a lid, drill a couple dozen holes in it for air…..if not cut a piece of plywood to fit and drill it. Then fill the cooler half full with moist bedding. Spagnum moss is best but if you can’t find it use Buss bedding or something similar. Be sure to squeeze all the water out and leave the bedding moist.

The next step is to buy a couple of boxes of redworms at your bait dealer. Dump them in the box and leave them for a week. Check them for moisture and then sprinkle dry Coco Wheats, Malto Meal or Cream of Wheat on top and put them away. Check them and when all the food is gone, dump them to check their health. By now the box should be full of baby worms and big fat healthy worms for fishing.

From now on, take out the big worms and feed the rest every week or so and you’ll have worms for almost no cost to use the rest of the summer and all winter. If your worm box gets too full, get a second one and divide the worms into it with new bedding.

This is a great way to save money and it’s also kind of fun to do. Try it you’ll be glad you did.

Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"
http://www.southwest-wisconsin-real-estate.com/