Leeches

[Bottom bouncer]

Has anyone ever used leeches through the ice , I know they're great F/wallies in spring and fall. just wondering , don't even know if you can get em in winter?

[fishercat]

The problem is they just ball up in the cold water.

[fozsey]

Not available to us here in the Midwest. We can't even get red wigglers. 

[Bottom bouncer]

Just curious , thought the would be tough and stay on hook a little better, for those hit and droppers.

[Pasquatch]

Nope cold water makes 'em ball up and uneffective. Good thought though

[big walleye]

  I tried leeches at first ice last year and had great success. The key is first ice. 3 -4 inches of ice. I tried again in mid December and they tend to roll up on you. The perch sure loved them at first ice.

[trapperdirk]

 I can only wish they were available to me here in the wintertime . 

[Kodiak Commando]

I don't know why they would just ball up because they seem to do well here in very cold water and the trout love them. Most of the trout caught here are on eggs in the winter but when you gut the fish they are full of leeches.

[grumpymoe]

Hmmmmm..Big Walleye.....i know thats your favourite bait...and i know that you stop using them when it gets cold....but i do know that where i fished last winter, leeches were available...just like anything else, the biggest mistake we can make is having any bait in water/containers that have too much of a temperature difference..leeches dont hibernate just like minnows dont....keep em iced just the same with minnows, and they will not ball up very often....Grump

[jaymzthefisher]

I have also used leeches ice fishing in place of Waxies. Just used a very sharp Knife cut off little piece and tipped on a Genz worm. the perch loved it and I didnt have to bait up as often.



                                       Jaymz

[OTIS]

I seen freeze-dried leaches in out local Wall-Mart, has anyone tried these?  Wonder how long you'd have to soak them to get them back to a hookable texture?

[Kodiak Commando]

No but i just tried some perserved leeches i ordered from cabelas and they are a much better option than freeze dried leeches. As for live leeches i have heard from a fellow kodiak ice fisherman that if taken care of properly they should not ball up and are dynamite in small lakes with little baitfish and few weeds. A lot of lakes are like that here and it seems most of the trout are full of leeches in winter.