Catching Leeches

[pikergolf]

Any advice? Mostly looking for what would I look for as far as good ponds, although other advice is appreciated as well.

[Freedom55]

I have the most success in beaver ponds using printers tins folded into an accordion shape with 3 'pockets' for the bait (liver). I put the traps in late afternoon and pull them early the next day. Larges only; the rest go back.

Printers tins are available at the newspaper print shop and measure 2'x3' Paper clips to hold one end together after folding and a long sting to close the other.

Works every time.

Free

[Coiloil37]

I use a minnow trap with liver in a piece of pantyhose. For ponds, somewhere/anywhere with leaches. I have a little water feature in residential red deer that I catch mine in but they’re wherever you find them. Ten years ago I saw a ton of leaches in that little spot and have been filling my bait well ever since.
I like a bit of hamburger in pantyhose if I’m also catching minnows, seems to work better then liver.

[Mr Flyguy]

A road block on 109 Street will usually pick up a few!

[BuckCuller]

Usually ponds with a dark silty bottom have the best leaches. Just keep trying ponds until you find one with good leaches and when you do you’ll never have to look for another. They will always be there.
I’ve used an ice cream pale with a rock in the bottom with holes about three inches from the top and a piece of deer liver.
Good luck.

[FishHunterPro]

If you have a inflatable boat or mattress just tie a rope on it and send it sailing in a beaver pond. When I was a kid we use to go around the beaver ponds with are inflatable boat and when you pull it out of the water when we were done it was covered in leeches.

[pikergolf]

Well I got back from checking my traps an hour ago. Shut out, I was so excited I woke up at 4, couldn't get back to sleep.
But I was shut out, one small leech. Try another pond tonight.

[Freedom55]

Took me three or four years to locate the pond I need. Ducks, a beaver family plus a trickle of moving water. It doesn't freeze solid. And no floating algae beds or alkali.

Commercial trappers I know use canoes to pull traps so they are dispersed across the whole pond. I wear waders and lots of bug spray.

Free

[Kim473]

Strip down to your shorts and go stand in a weedy pond for 10 mins. You should get at least a few in that amount of time. Always worked when I used to water ski. Check under shorts is a must !

[moose maniac]

Put some bloody meat in a burlap sack with a rock and chuck it in a pond it works well

[pikergolf]

Got shut out last night in a different pond. Will have to think of others to try.

[fishn_palmer]

Metal coffee can, use a nail to make some holes all over the can,put some liver wrapped in burlap inside, wire the lid on. Always had good luck with that. Best of luck!

[trigger7mm]

Would most sloughs around Alberta contain leeches?

[mikevv]

look for healthy sloughs with established bull-rushes, set in 8 inches of water to 24 inches. Set your traps in or near the bull-rushes.Set in the evening and pull in the morning.
Mike

[BPman]

Originally Posted by moose maniac

Put some bloody meat in a burlap sack with a rock and chuck it in a pond it works well

Yup - works for me too.

[Puma]

Originally Posted by fishn_palmer

Metal coffee can, use a nail to make some holes all over the can,put some liver wrapped in burlap inside, wire the lid on. Always had good luck with that. Best of luck!

Same, use a new paint can, small holes all round, add a rock, liver, put lid on, tie a rope to the bail, toss her in overnight.

[threeforthree]

D, go behind kin coulee park baseball diamond, in that still water by the hill, get lots there with beef heart and liver..keep right of skate board park. Its getting late in season though,, had best luck in spring, keep trap in 1-2 ft of water