Catching and collecting nightcrawler worms is easy. Each spring when it rains, numerous nightcrawlers will leave their burrows and crawl on the ground and streets. Collecting them is easy. Find a quiet residential neighborhood with little traffic. The best collecting will occur before sunrise and for the hour after dawn. Remember the saying "the early bird catches the worm". The birds will be your competition for the worms.
Step 1: The nightcrawlers will be crawling on the streets and sidewalks. They do this to escape drowning in their burrows and to find a mate.
Step 2: We like to use forceps with a bent tip to pickup the nightcrawlers from the street. The bent tip makes picking the worms up much easier.
Step 3: Do not squeeze the worm too tightly or you will cause damage.
Step 4: We place the nightcrawlers in a small plastic bucket. In a short period of time many worms can be captured. It is also good exercise.
The worms can be used later that day for fishing or stored for future use. Proper refrigerated storage is required to keep the nightcrawlers in top condition. Any damaged worms should be removed immediately and discarded.
