I want leeches with me on my Labor Day trip to Iron, but I expect the supply in Ely to be just about extinguished by the time I get there. My local Gander Mtn said they're done stocking leeches for the season. My question is, has anybody ordered leeches online before? Did the leeches arrive alive? Would you do it again?

What? Never heard of that.


Use gulp

There is a school of thought that since leeches are unavailable to trappers, they are unavailable naturally to fish as well, and therefore are less effective as bait. They do curl up if the water is too cold.

try crawlers.

Didn't know Lawyers had gone into that buisness. ;-(

quote apugarcia: "I want leeches with me on my Labor Day trip to Iron, but I expect the supply in Ely to be just about extinguished by the time I get there. My local Gander Mtn said they're done stocking leeches for the season. My question is, has anybody ordered leeches online before? Did the leeches arrive alive? Would you do it again?"

Certain shops offer crawlers or leeches to be ordered on line, and they usually arrive in good shape.
However, there are very few leeches available now, so the chance of any mail order suppliers having any is zero.

If the leech thing doesn't work out for you fish crawlers with confidence. All four of these fish were caught this summer or last summer on night crawlers I picked from my yard. I always use a whole crawler and usually condition them first. Of course leeches and minnows work great for walleyes also. I've caught big walleyes on all three options. If you are after smallmouth mini marshmallows work as good as anything.

Wow, nice fish. Were those caught in the BWCA?

So I have a mid sept trip coming up. Am I going to be hard pressed to find leeches?

If you provide the bait's "action", GULP! leeches are a VERY good option. We've used them with spinner rigs and jigs with excellent results. And they are ALWAYS available.

conditioning night crawlers was mentioned and was wondering what you meant, cardio or strength conditioning, seriously what do you do to condition them?

We will be switching up the bait this year in Sept if no leeches are availabl. Water temps were plenty warm the last few years for leeches. So hope finding crawlers is not to difficult.

What are those gulp leeches made of?

How do you condition a nightcrawler? and mini marshmallows really?

Mini-mallows are deadly on stream trout in lakes, especially the pink ones. Use a slip-sinker and the mallow floats up above the bottom. Canned corn also works good on trout, but don't use it to chum as the trout can't digest it and it makes them "blow up" and die. I'm serious (for once). Besides, chumming is illegal.

quote walleye_hunter: If you are after smallmouth mini marshmallows work as good as anything.

I caught my wife on a smore!

why worry yourself over something like leches? You are going to the Bw are you not? If you cant catch a walley on artificials there, where ya going to? If your next question is. How do I catch walleys on artificials, then im your man. If you still think leeches and crawlers would make up for a fishing defeciancy than talk to TGO.