# Leeches



## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Can anyone tell me how to catch them, other than hanging out where they hang out and peel them off of you? I know them make good bait, but right now I would like some for a Micro-biology class I am taking. There used to be a pond here were I live that was loaded with leeches on the lower side of the spillway. It was an old mill pond that had a weir in the dam, and you could go below the dam, stand in the falling water and get all the leaches you wanted. Well, the pond is dry now, but the creek is still there, and I am assuming so are the leeches. Any help is welcomed. Thanks.


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## Limon (Aug 25, 2010)

Try the bloodiest piece of liver you can find at the store or butcher. I remember that's what they fed them when I was in college and the suckers loved it. Attach a line to one end, drop in the water, come back a little later and see what you have.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

And put the liver in a permeable sac,, and it is a matter of picking off the leeches and replacing the bait.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Cool. Thanks! I'm going to try tomorrow. I actually found a video in YouTube that used a pit plate folded in half, tied to a string, baited with liver and anchored to a peg and thrown out in the pond. I'm going to try that method, as I had a pie tin  I'll be sure to give y'all a follow up.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Ok, I put out six traps in six different creeks and ponds. I only found leeches in one of them, and kept a few. They were very small though. Do they get bigger later in the year?


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Could it be that they are not as active in the winter? I don't know how cold it gets were you are but up here when cold weather hits it's nap time for most cold blooded creatures.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

My thoughts too. The one place where I had success was the very shallow head of a pond. But also, it was a newer pond below a now gone dam of an old mill pond, where we got leeches when I was a kid playing in the "water fall" below where the water wheel would have been. I'll try again in a couple months.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

this time of year leaches are not very active , here they are burrowed deep in the mud bottom of course you can drive your truck across the lake so it's kinda cold 

there are a number of wholesale bait shops that will ship most any where if you need a bunch of big ones soon


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

Thanks. Nah, I don't need them bad. I just got to wondering and checking it out, and now I'm kinda hooked on learning how to get them 
Edit: in the videos I found on YouTube they would get a handful from every trap after leaving it set a couple hours. I'm sure that would vary with time of year and location.


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