Chapter 18
How to Care for Minnows and Worms
Minnows and worms for bait need to be kept fresh and lively. For minnows on short trips I recommend a puckering string, canvas bucket with an inside wire cage. On warm days place a piece of ice on top of cage under puckering string. On cool days or after ice has melted, dip bucket in water often enough to keep canvas damp. Water should be changed about every hour. When in camp remove cage and submerge in cold water.
On long trips I recommend a large bait pail with removable inside cage. Place a piece of ice on top of pail in such a way that the steady drip-drip-drip from it into the pail will supply an artificial means of injecting oxygen into the water and keeping it cool. On arrival at your destination remove cage and submerge in cold water.
The catalog copy for Bean’s Angle Worm Food explained that “fish will take a lively worm when they will not notice one that is half dead.”
Angle worms and night crawlers should be packed in moss in a good size container. Get an eight quart galvanized pail, put in a large piece of ice and place container of worms on top. Then cover pail with old piece of damp cloth. Renew ice as needed. When bait fishing, I see to it that my minnows and worms have very careful attention.
There are two kinds of garden angle worms, light and dark. The dark worms are much better as they keep fresh and lively much longer than the light worms.
Night crawlers and angle worms can be kept all winter in a wooden box filled with damp moss, in the cellar.
A little oatmeal, coffee grounds or cornmeal makes good food. Feed them every two weeks. (Regular worm food is now available in small cans.)
Sitting and wishing won’t change your fate- The Lord provides the fishing but, you have to dig the bait.
BILL GORMAN > Live bait is still widely used, but today’s anglers also have a choice of synthetic flies, worms, and frogs. L.L. Bean carries only biodegradable plastic lures, so you don’t have to worry about lost lures being consumed by fish and endangering wildlife.