I'm getting 1 lb of leeches for my dad and me on an upcoming trip. What's the easiest/cheapest way to transport/store them? I have a leech bag for use in the canoe, but am not sure on what to use while portaging & at camp.

As always, thanks in advance for the help!
Pat

Be careful with your leech bag. They can leak leeches. I prefer a little plastic container with a screw top that I found in Kenora. I bought two, one for the camp and one for the canoe. However, leeches are so hardy they would probably survive a portage in your leech bag.

I have a leech bag but if you get sand/grit in the velcro, it will open and you're chumming for walleyes.

As far a using a jar with a screw top lid...would a peanut butter jar work for 1lb, or should it be bigger?

The small size gatorade bottle has worked for me the past couple years. 1/2 pound leeches per bottle. Just change the water twice a day and keep em cool, we always tie our bottles up so they stay in the lake overnight. Store the bottle upside down while fishing, unscrew the top and the bait will be stuck to the inside of the lid down to the last couple in the bottle. If you don't, they can be tricky to get out.

I picked up a leech container for six bucks that held a half pound of leechs without a problem for five days last week. I carried them in the bait shop bag until I got to camp then put hem into the holder. It worked great.

Lock & Lock is the brand, I get them at Wal-mart, but they are plastic containers that are leak and spill proof and come in different shape and sizes. They snap lock on all sides of the lid and are the best air tight container I have come across. I have a bunch and use them for transporting leeches, cameras, wallets, keys etc. They are clear containers.

For transport (and storage of most of them at camp) I drilled holes in the top an old Nalgene bottle (pre-BPA free that I don't use for water anymore).
To seal it for transport I put a plastic bag over the top before screwing the lid on. It hasn't leaked so far...

This is big enough for a half pound...maybe a pound but you wouldn't want to leave all of them in there for your whole trip, just to transport.

quote kanoes: " "

This is how we do it, put them in the nalgene for portages, if its a long day just change the water a few times, then into the leech locker at camp, and then each guy has a leech bag when were out fishing.

Awesome, thanks for the feedback!

What size Nalgene bottle are you using? 16oz - 32oz - 48oz?

quote findim: "What size Nalgene bottle are you using? 16oz - 32oz - 48oz? "

1 quart or 32 oz...

Ok, I've decided to take an old 32oz Nalgene bottle, add an additional lid for portaging and drill holes in the other one for storage in the lake. As far as the holes, I've seen something on another threa that said 1/16" holes should be ok. Anyone else try this?

Then we'll use the bag with the daily amount that we plan to use in the canoe.

We bring a cooler. The leeches stay in their air bag, in the cooler the whole trip. We don't change the water as long as the ice is still keeping the water very cold. The leeches will curl up in little balls and keep very well. We take out 1 days worth of leeches each day, and keep the day-use batch with fresh water a couple times per day. They liven right up in the warmer water.

As far as the day use, I just use one of my mess kit pans, or a larger cup, or anything that will hold water, while I'm out in the canoe. A dozen or two will keep pretty well like that, if you change the water a couple times. We usually have a couple pounds in the air bag.

Warning. It is damn cold reaching into that cooler-air-bag in the mornings.

Tuna,

1/16" holes in the top of a Nalgene lid should work fine.

Thx Hank!

I just got back from my trip. I spent a lot thinking about what i was going to make my homemade leech container out of. After posting about it and getting a bunch of advice,and making my own. I bought a cheap juice bottle and made it. So it was pretty funny when I was heading out of Voyager North Outfitters John handed me my pound of leeches in a Leech King container! All that trouble for nothing! Oh well. VNO for the win!

We use a leech king brand storage container, I think The Great Outdoors in Ely has them for storage. Then we just put some in a leech bag for the days fishing.

Ended up going with the Nalgene. Bought an extra lid for 2 bucks. Drilled a bunchodd 1/16" holes and added the modified lid (camp) to a Nalgene with a normal lid (portage). Saved $8 over buying a leech locker and I can just wash the Nalgene and use it as normal when not using leeches.

Pat

The large plastic containers that Tang or Lemonade Mix comes in works well. Drill a hole in top center of screw-on lid and thread a cord through with a knot on the inside. A few holes high around the jar and all set for a 1/2 lb. Make two, and one is handy at each end of a canoe. Works for us.

quote TeamTuna06: "Ok, I've decided to take an old 32oz Nalgene bottle, add an additional lid for portaging and drill holes in the other one for storage in the lake. As far as the holes, I've seen something on another threa that said 1/16" holes should be ok. Anyone else try this?


Then we'll use the bag with the daily amount that we plan to use in the canoe."

Tried this last september...changed the water every other portage. Trailed the bottle in the lakes when paddling. Half the leeches died after the first day. Very dissapointing.

I have had better luck then you Richwon4. I have kept a 1/2# in a nalgene for 5+ days with no casualties on a half dozen trips. Make sure you keep them out of the sun. They can be a little tough to get off of the bottom of the bottom though. A stick will help.

they were not looking good when we bought them but I thought it was normal for that time of year ...september.

The bait shop has always told me to just leave the leeches in the bait shop plastic bag and not to take them out until you reach camp. Once we reach camp we transfer them to the leech cage thingabobberdeal that sits in the water. It's always worked fine for us.

Get a Leech King:










Your bait dealer will put his plastic bag inside, fill it with leeches, give it a blast of oxygen, and secure it with a rubber band. You can tuck this into a pack for transporting; it won't leak and the leeches will be fine for a reasonable length of time.

When you reach camp and are ready to fish, keep the bulk of the bait in the Leech King and sink it off shore. Put enough for each outing into a Leech Bag:






Don't keep them for very long - especially not overnight - in the Leech Bag. Critters will find them and you will have one less bag and no leeches.

Of course, if you're moving on to another site after you open the plastic oxygen bag, you'll need to transport the Leech King in a manner that won't spill water out through the cover's screen and all over everything. You could troll it, but an occasional dunking works just as well, and is better for keeping it out of the way while traveling.

To prevent spilling the Leach King remove the lid and put either a quart or gallon size ziplock bag upside down over the base and screw the lid back on.

quote TwoByGreenCanoe: "To prevent spilling the Leach King remove the lid and put either a quart or gallon size ziplock bag upside down over the base and screw the lid back on. "

There ya go. You figured out by now that we usually are a one-stop basecamp group, eh? :)