Leech season

[Curtsyneil]

Has anybody had any success with leeches this spring ?

[mlee]

Put my traps out last night....will grab them tomorrow night and see. Usually get about 30-40/trap in a couple days this time of year. I just use 2l pop bottles with the top inverted and whatever meat I have laying around.

[Citytaz]

Was told that they will be in short supply this year from the past suppliers.
Get them while you can.

[Curtsyneil]

Yeah I usually set my traps this time of year also but have not tried yet. Was just curious if guys have bin trapping yet and getting them. Wasn’t totally sure if I should wait for the water to warm up a bit more. I’m not sure on suppliers this year but I usually trap enough to last all year long.

[OL_JR]

I'll probably start trapping this weekend to see how it goes. Started trapping a new pond last year that has a range road splitting it. Water is right up to the shoulder on both sides so super handy and the traps were always full of leeches.

I think it was a leech thread on here last year that made me realize that I had been catching mostly horse leeches. In the new pond I catch almost all ribbon leeches. Conventional wisdom says that horse leeches are garbage but I've caught a lot of fish on horse leeches in the past.
Honestly over the last years fishing season I didn't notice much difference at all using mostly ribbon leeches. I'm gonna try to catch a lot of both for this season and do a bit more head to head comparison.

[Freedom55]

I have been putting my traps out for a week- well actually a little more- but they have started to produce. 5 of my traps equals 1.8 pounds per night on average of large or better. Mostly better. I leaving in an hour to collect todays harvest and I have bartered away 5 lbs. already. Neither Cabelas nor the Fishin' Hole have leeches in stock.

I will be at Turtle Lake on Saturday. Place your order and meet me there.

Free (not free)

[Worm]

My regular spot is much dryer this year so I hasn't produced like normal.

Curious for those of you getting them. How deep do you find your most productive traps? I've usually got them quite shallow on the very edge, but that isn't working in my spot this year.

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[mlee]

I have been putting my traps out for a week- well actually a little more- but they have started to produce. 5 of my traps equals 1.8 pounds per night on average of large or better. Mostly better. I leaving in an hour to collect todays harvest and I have bartered away 5 lbs. already. Neither Cabelas nor the Fishin' Hole have leeches in stock.

I will be at Turtle Lake on Saturday. Place your order and meet me there.

Free (not free)
That's our destination Saturday as well.....still some ice from what I hear though.

[SamSteele]

I have been putting my traps out for a week- well actually a little more- but they have started to produce. 5 of my traps equals 1.8 pounds per night on average of large or better. Mostly better. I leaving in an hour to collect todays harvest and I have bartered away 5 lbs. already. Neither Cabelas nor the Fishin' Hole have leeches in stock.

I will be at Turtle Lake on Saturday. Place your order and meet me there.

Free (not free)

PM'd you.

[Freedom55]

[QUOTE=Freedom55;4370434]Neither Cabelas nor the Fishin' Hole have leeches in stock.


Update April 20, no luck still too cold
April 26-28, success @ 0.8 lbs
April 29-May 2--, average 1.8 lbs per day (5 trap total 20'x6" surface area)
To date approx 10 lbs but size is decreasing as are the numbers.
Still plenty that are bigger and healthier than anything you've ever seen in a tackle shop so get them traps out if you're gonna.

Free

[Freedom55]

That's our destination Saturday as well.....still some ice from what I hear though.

I talked to two people yesterday one of whom claimed there was still lots of ice and the other that said he was standing on his beach at Powm and saw none. Go figure; I'm bringing a boat.

[mlee]

I talked to two people yesterday one of whom claimed there was still lots of ice and the other that said he was standing on his beach at Powm and saw none. Go figure; I'm bringing a boat.

I saw pictures as of Sunday...south bay up to Powm was pretty open still some ice in the middle....still iced up between Indian point and horseshoe....north end was wide open. Been warm and windy all week my boat is loaded....hopefully I'll have bait.

[SamSteele]

I saw pictures as of Sunday...south bay up to Powm was pretty open still some ice in the middle....still iced up between Indian point and horseshoe....north end was wide open. Been warm and windy all week my boat is loaded....hopefully I'll have bait.


Satellite image from yesterday shows ice, but it looks pretty weak.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210506/26689599068ba92aeb1914ae1853a51c.jpg

[AlbertanGP]

I've never trapped leeches, but I wouldn't mind giving it a try. The wife bought me a bar fridge for the shop at the lake because she didn't like all the bait in the fridge in the house. Might as well get to work filling it up. :)

Is trapping leeches a first thing when the ice comes off only thing, or does it work all summer as well? Any general spots in a body of water or certain traps people find work better than others? Thanks for any info.

[mlee]

I've never trapped leeches, but I wouldn't mind giving it a try. The wife bought me a bar fridge for the shop at the lake because she didn't like all the bait in the fridge in the house. Might as well get to work filling it up. :)



Is trapping leeches a first thing when the ice comes off only thing, or does it work all summer as well? Any general spots in a body of water or certain traps people find work better than others? Thanks for any info.Typically cold water is better....I've never had much luck once the water warms up.
I've always been told if there are beavers there will be leaches....the 2 sloughs I trap are both infested with beavers and I usually do well.

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[kenh]

That's our destination Saturday as well.....still some ice from what I hear though.

pretty iced up as of yesterday, need a good wind. would think it will be open by next weekend

[mlee]

pretty iced up as of yesterday, need a good wind. would think it will be open by next weekendSo what you're saying is I should go with plan B for Saturday?

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[wildalberta]

what are you guys making your traps out of. last year i used clean 1 gallon paint cans and chucked them in with rope. not bad but they rusted out quickly.

[mlee]

what are you guys making your traps out of. last year i used clean 1 gallon paint cans and chucked them in with rope. not bad but they rusted out quickly.

I use 2L pop bottles....cut the top off, invert it and tape closed. Put a few rocks in the bottom with some meat. I'll put 3 or 4 on a stringer and leave for 2 days.

[Curtsyneil]

I use foil pie plates then just fold in half and clamp with binder clamps poke hole on one edge of plate to tie rope to then thrown in water along shore Super easy. pulled my traps today and had loads of horse leeches and probly 50 ribbon leeches. Goin to try using better meat next time. Last year I did well with deer heart.

[wildalberta]

I have lots of saved deer livers for my leach trapping lol.

[Strikemaster]

How long do leeches live if refrigerated? Any recommendations on how to store them?

[Worm]

They survive all summer for me in the fridge. When you catch them water needs to be changed often until they clean themselves out. After that change once a week and they will last. Only issue I've ever had is when I forget. Don't use tap water though, I collect rain water.

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[OL_JR]

They survive all summer for me in the fridge. When you catch them water needs to be changed often until they clean themselves out. After that change once a week and they will last. Only issue I've ever had is when I forget. Don't use tap water though, I collect rain water.

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They will last a long time for sure, still have some in the fridge from last year. As mentioned change the water regularly. Only thing I'd differ on is that tap water seems to work just fine for me. Used to go down to the creek for water once a week but started shifting to tap water for the winter and honestly haven't noticed all that much change in dead ones. Seems that I lose a few every week regardless.

[Worm]

Good to know! I thought the chlorine would kill them.

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[English Setter]

What do you feed them in storage and how often do you replace it?


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[Worm]

I've never fed them, I'm sure they are hungry but they last without any food.

Curious if anyone has had success feeding them to get the smaller ones to grow though.

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[Team Beef]

Good to know! I thought the chlorine would kill them.

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Tap water will kill them !!!!

If you leave a container of tap water overnight in the fridge it will then be safe to use.
Wash ( rinse ) your leaches before moving them to a clean container.
That will help to keep them longer.

Water change at least once a week. More often at the start of storage.

[Jims83cj5]

Couple of newby leech questions, do you place the traps near weeds or is a grass shore with a mud bottom okay, do muskrats ever destroy the traps?

[OL_JR]

Tap water will kill them !!!!

If you leave a container of tap water overnight in the fridge it will then be safe to use.
Wash ( rinse ) your leaches before moving them to a clean container.
That will help to keep them longer.

Water change at least once a week. More often at the start of storage.



Yes forgot to mention this as well as not temperature shocking them to bad when you transfer them. I get a little less diligent with it as time goes on and it seems to be the same 1-3 a week average that I lose. My containers aren't air tight though so that may help as well.

[mlee]

First few nights were kind of dry....maybe 15-20per trap. Went to a different slough with some new traps and got a good haul last night. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210510/29236a4954326a9e31991b6b72dcf7d0.jpg

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[English Setter]

I haven’t had luck with them lasting more than a couple months with water changes weekly. That’s why I asked about feeding them


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[Freedom55]

The leeches die after a couple of days with no oxygen. The slime and other waste they produce quickly makes the water anaerobic. 2 days max. in my experience. I'm shutting down after tonight's haul. The store size and smaller don't interest me and there are a lot of babies to sift through now.

Free

[buckkiller321]

Is anyone will to share what these traps look like or how to build one?

Thanks 🙏

[AlbertanGP]

Is anyone will to share what these traps look like or how to build one?

Thanks 🙏

Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYXgqgMOso) you go.

[Whitetail200]

Has anyone used the gunny sack method for catching leeches & how it is set up .

[Whitetail200]

Has anyone used the burlap sack method & how to set it up .

[Whitetail200]

Oops ! doubled by mistake

[Freedom55]

I'm all but done over here. I cull and return the mediums and smalls and keep only the large or better and this morning indicates a big change in quality. Better for the life of my water and the jumbos won't survive the winter anyway. I've got an order for a couple from an elite client- if I can get them. Now I can get to lindy rigging my personal stash.

Free

[OL_JR]

Finally got some traps out to be checked early in the am.

Was kickin around the idea of utilizing an old aquarium that we have laying around this year so curious if anyone has tried that. My thoughts are that without being able to keep the water cold they wouldn't go dormant and not last due to being to active, but it would be nice if I didn't have to change the water out and the aquarium is just sitting around doing nothing.

Thoughts/experiences?

[trigger7mm]

I have tried a few spots without much luck, but have one dugout that is crawling with leeches. I can catch several dozen in each trap in a night, but they are all small ones. Do they get bigger as the summer goes on?

[Worm]

My experience is they get smaller as the season progresses. I have always got the largest ones early season.

Just tried a new dugout today and average size was much larger than I've ever found before. Lots of shade and trees on this one. Not sure if that is a factor or just dumb luck.

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[simmered]

Found this leech trapping interesting. Threw a few traps out last night, and this morning to my surprise, between three traps there were about a doz worth keeping and one that was the biggest leech i've ever seen!!
For the guys that do this regularly, is it better just after the ice is off the ponds? Do you trap all year? or just for a few weeks in the spring?
Thanks