Fishing worms make excellent bait for many fish species. If you’re tired of using artificial lures and want to try something new, you’re probably wondering, where can I get worms for fishing?
There are several ways anglers can obtain live worms for fishing. Buy worms for fishing at a local fishing store or order them online. Anglers can also get worms from someone who owns a worm farm or simply collect worms outside. There are many effective ways to catch worms if you’re up for it.
Keep reading to learn where to find live fishing bait and how to catch live worms in nature.
Ways To Get Worms for Fishing
There are several types of live worms for fishing, and they are readily available throughout the year. If you’ve only used lures for bait fishing, you’re probably wondering where you can find live bait worms.
Here how’s to get a supply of live fishing worms:
Stores
Most fishing stores sell some type of live fishing bait, and you should be able to buy worms from a local tackle store.
A possible issue you may encounter is that the store doesn’t sell the type of fishing worms you’re looking for. If this is the case, try other, better-equipped fishing stores in your area or drive to a nearby town.
A large pet store is another place you can look for fishing worms. Some better-equipped pet stores that sell exotic pets also sell food for them and may stock live worms.
How Much Do Fishing Worms Cost?
How much fishing worms cost depends on the species, size, and supply and demand. Current prices for different types of live fishing bait worms are:
- $10.00 for 100 European nightcrawlers
- $29.00 for 100 Canadian nightcrawlers
- $17.00 for 500 wax worms
- $10.00 for 500 spikes
- $40.00 for 500 super-sized mealworms
- $58.00 for 1000 composting worms
Worm Farming
Buying live fishing worms can create a severe dent in your budget if you’re an avid angler. Worm farming is an excellent way to ensure a consistent supply of fresh worms. It’s also a great way to recycle food scraps and create nutrient-rich compost.
Setting up a worm farm is easy. You’ll need a large foam or plastic container to use as a worm bed, shredded paper, potting soil as bedding, and your favorite bait worms for fishing.
Catching Worms
Catching live worms in nature is a great way to get live bait without spending money. Collecting live worms for bait is a great alternative if you aren’t in constant need of worms.
Earthworms are present almost everywhere in the soil, and there are several ways to collect them. But if hunting for worms isn’t your cup of tea, you may be better off buying live bait at a fishing store or using artificial lures for fishing.
Where Can You Find Earthworms?
Earthworms are found all around the world. There are several thousand species of earthworms, and most inhabit muck and mud around freshwater and soil on land.
Earthworms live in places with moist soil and dead plant material. These worms are abundant in rainy and forest areas but are also found in many habitats on land and in freshwater.
Most species of earthworms need moist soil to survive and inhabit the top meter of soil. Earthworms spend most of their time below the surface, in places rich in decomposing plant matter.
Some earthworm species come out of the ground at night when it’s damp enough for them to move. During winter and drought periods, earthworms go deeper into the ground to survive.
Ways to Get Earthworms to Come to the Surface
Getting earthworms to come to the surface doesn’t take much time and requires a few things you probably already have at home. You don’t need any special traps or baits to catch earthworms.
When you’re ready to go worm hunting, bring a container with holes in the lid or a bucket. Add an inch or two of soil and use the bucket to store and transport the collected earthworms home.
Here are several ways to get earthworms to come to the surface:
Catch Earthworms Using Cardboard
The easiest way to get earthworms to come out of the ground is to leave a flattened, wet piece of cardboard on the lawn overnight. The moisture from the cardboard will attract the earthworms to the surface for you to collect and use as bait for fishing.
Collect Earthworms During and After a Storm
Earthworms tend to surface when it rains for several reasons. Earthworms must stay moist to survive, and traveling from one area to the next is only possible in wet conditions.
Go out during or after a rainstorm and use a flashlight to locate earthworms if it’s dark. If you can’t see any worms milling around, use a shovel to dig into the ground. Using your hands, break the clumps of soil to locate live worms.
Dig for Earthworms
If there’s a stream nearby or you have a small lake or a pond on your property, dig around it for earthworms. These worms prefer to live in the mud, near bodies of water.
Look for earthworms under fallen logs or anything that preserves moisture, like under rocks, leaves, or rotting plant matter. Earthworms are sensitive to vibration, so don’t stomp around if you want to fill your bucket with a good supply of live worms.
Conclusion
Live worms are popular fishing bait and are readily available throughout the year. Getting live worms is easy, just order them online or buy worms in a fishing store.
Setting up a worm farm may be a great idea if you’re fishing often and don’t want to spend money on worms. Alternatively, you can collect earthworms in nature or in your backyard. Earthworms prefer moist conditions and are easily found after rain or under logs, rocks, or decaying plant material.