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KarlBAndersen1
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04/01/2018 07:20AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
What are your most efficient methods of packing in leeches in containers that hold water without spills in your packs?
Insurance against this?
Then - your daily fishing storage while on the water.
 
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tarnkt
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04/01/2018 08:22AM  
Use a Nalgene bottle in the pack. Will hold one pound comfortably, probably more.

Once in camp time for the bait king. Tie off to a tree/rock on shore and they will keep for your whole trip.

If you have multiple boats you can use the leech tamer bags for individual outings, just don’t trust that seal to hold your supply overnight, learned that the hard way.
 
Savage Voyageur
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04/01/2018 08:30AM  
We carry a lot of bait, about Two to three pounds of Leeches. We just just a couple of bait kings to transport them. When going fishing each person has his yellow mesh bag for the days fishing. Not waterproof but works for us.
 
Mad_Angler
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04/01/2018 09:03AM  
I always bring leeches. They are quite easy. Get one of these. Have the bait shop put the leeches in a bag inside the carrier. Then, tie the bag shut with a rubber band and install the lid. Keep the leeches cool until you push off. Your leeches will still be alive when you get to your first camp site. Then, take the bag out of your container and just use the container.

I leave the big container at camp and just take a small leech bag fishing.

If you move from lake to lake, you can dump out most of the water before portaging. Just make sure to fill it back up.

I have never killed leeches this way (I've ha minnows completely die several times...)


This is the bag for fishing.



The big yellow thing is the can for transporting:
 
Savage Voyageur
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04/01/2018 10:10AM  
One trick I would suggest to all the People that use the Bait King. Drill through both sections of the bait king at the thread area with a small drill bit. Then insert a small cotter pin that is bent just a bit at the ends into the hole at the thread area. You will need to squeeze the bent ends to install it. This will prevent the bait container from unscrewing. We had one in our camp come unscrewed and lost all of the Leeches. I’m not sure if the last guy never screwed it down tight, or waves and rocks unscrewed it, or an Otter got into it. You tie some paracord to the cotter pin and to the top section so you don’t loose the pin.
 
04/01/2018 10:24AM  
Mad_Angler: "I always bring leeches. They are quite easy. Get one of these. Have the bait shop put the leeches in a bag inside the carrier. Then, tie the bag shut with a rubber band and install the lid. Keep the leeches cool until you push off. Your leeches will still be alive when you get to your first camp site. Then, take the bag out of your container and just use the container.


I leave the big container at camp and just take a small leech bag fishing.


If you move from lake to lake, you can dump out most of the water before portaging. Just make sure to fill it back up.


I have never killed leeches this way (I've ha minnows completely die several times...)



This is the bag for fishing.




The big yellow thing is the can for transporting:
"

+1 pretty much the same way. Bag in the container until camp. Bait King is tops imo.
 
KarlBAndersen1
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04/01/2018 10:44AM  
Savage Voyageur:Then insert a small cotter pin that is bent just a bit at the ends into the hole at the thread area. "


That's a good idea.

I just wish they made a smaller size. I'm going solo and, well, you get it.
 
Savage Voyageur
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04/01/2018 01:41PM  
KarlBAndersen1: "
Savage Voyageur:Then insert a small cotter pin that is bent just a bit at the ends into the hole at the thread area. "



That's a good idea.


I just wish they made a smaller size. I'm going solo and, well, you get it."


They do make a smaller size. I have both sizes.
 
missmolly
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04/01/2018 05:45PM  
I had leeches escape once from a Leech Tamer. Now I just use plastic bottles. Leeches are so hardy that I've never killed them: I do change the water about twice a day.
 
KarlBAndersen1
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04/01/2018 06:06PM  
Savage Voyageur: "
KarlBAndersen1: "
Savage Voyageur:Then insert a small cotter pin that is bent just a bit at the ends into the hole at the thread area. "




That's a good idea.



I just wish they made a smaller size. I'm going solo and, well, you get it."



They do make a smaller size. I have both sizes. "


I meant smaller than the small one.
 
BnD
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04/01/2018 06:12PM  
missmolly: "I had leeches escape once from a Leech Tamer. Now I just use plastic bottles. Leeches are so hardy that I've never killed them: I do change the water about twice a day. "


Multiple times for us on fly in trips. We won’t use Leech Tamers anymore. We use a combination of bait kings and leech lockers.
 
schweady
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04/04/2018 09:05AM  
Leech King (the smaller one). If you don't want to bring an extra, totally sealable container: at the start of the trip, have your bait guy put their plastic bag into the King, fill, add oxygen, and tie off. Pack with your other gear, maybe in the pack but outside your plastic liner. At first camp, dump the bait into the King but keep the oxygen bag. If base camping, you're all set. Tie off the King in some slightly deeper water along shore and use it to supply each canoe's Leech Tamer bag. Dump back into the King each night. If moving camp, lay a piece of the plastic bag or a zip-top bag across the screened portion of the King and screw tight. Repeat.
 
barehook
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04/04/2018 11:21AM  
From our last trip in early August, two canoes, base camping on a large lake....

For packing in, two 1 lb bags of leeches in the plastic bags from the bait shop, three big boxes of crawlers. This all fit into one of the collapsible reflective skin 'ice chests', with some dry ice. That in turn fit very nicely into one smaller 'single' pack. We always single portage, limiting ourselves to one big pack apiece. Thus, one person taking a turn without the canoe had his big pack on his back, the single pack with the bait hanging in front, and also carried a rod case. Very comfortable, actually. Left at 6, at campsite by 3, warm but not real hot day, bait all arrived in FINE shape.

At camp, we buried the crawler containers in a nice shady area, put a rock on the lid (seriously, do this, they will force their way out!), and a thick clump of moss on top. That was our in-camp storage for the week. We transferred what we needed for each day into the smaller styrofoam bait boxes, taking only what we needed and by day's end the crawlers got pretty limp! My only uneasiness about such a system is that a critter of some sort might come along and have at our main cache. It's never happened, but....

For the leeches, remembering we had two canoes along, we took along two leech lockers, one per canoe with 1 lb of leeches for each. Those hung in the lake while at camp, and we took them along in the canoe for fishing, with periodic water changes. No issues with mortality or liveliness. (I note the horror stories of otters and turtles, however). HOWEVER!!!.....on day two a fierce thunderstorm came up. We'd pulled back into camp and secured the canoes, but left the leeches in the lake, securely tied to a branch. The wind was blowing in, and the pounding of the waves somehow forced one locker apart, and most of the leeches were gone. Fortunately, one of the canoes had two guys whose preference was trolling lures and we also had enough crawlers along so this wasn't quite the disaster it seemed. All in all, seemed to be a very workable system for transport and bait management in camp and while fishing. FWIW, hope it gives some good ideas.
 
04/04/2018 07:17PM  
If you want a smaller container get one with 2 lids. Drill some tiny holes in the spare and run a cord with a knot at the end up through it. I have used the plastic lemonade/drink mix bottles for this to divide with bow partner etc. but not to carry in pack. Anything with lids and a good seal should work( Nalgene). I just do not know how watertight the spare unperforated drink mix lid would seal in a pack. They work well otherwise for a couple dozen leeches.
 
Bumstead
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04/05/2018 05:05AM  
Started by taking a pound of leeches in a quart thermos, but now have switched to 1/2 gallon thermos because I can fit my hand in it to retrieve leeches. Refresh the water a couple times day, keep in the shade when possible. $4 - $6 at Wal-Mart, easy to carry or strap to pack, seems to work well. Grab a dozen at a time and put in a ziplock bag for the other fisherman in the canoe.
 
KarlBAndersen1
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04/05/2018 07:14AM  
schweady: "Leech King (the smaller one). If you don't want to bring an extra, totally sealable container: at the start of the trip, have your bait guy put their plastic bag into the King, fill, add oxygen, and tie off. Pack with your other gear, maybe in the pack but outside your plastic liner. At first camp, dump the bait into the King but keep the oxygen bag. If base camping, you're all set. Tie off the King in some slightly deeper water along shore and use it to supply each canoe's Leech Tamer bag. Dump back into the King each night. If moving camp, lay a piece of the plastic bag or a zip-top bag across the screened portion of the King and screw tight. Repeat.
"



That is a really great regimen!
 
Grizzlyman
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04/15/2018 11:39PM  
Old Aluminum water bottle w screw cap from a garage sale (25 cents). Carabiner on the cap fastened to a length of rope. Bunch of small holes drilled all over. Drains when you pick it out of the water. Leeches can't get out. Tie it to the thwart and dunk them while you fish. Take them out of the water while traveling. Tie it to a rock and dunk them overnight.
 
Tyler W
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04/16/2018 02:25PM  
We use a Nalgene bottle with a spare lid. I can fit both lids onto the bottle, then fill the second lid with 1/8th inch holes. I've never had a nalgene bottle leak on me. Tie the bottle out in the water while you are in camp.

Also, please don't dig up the campsites and disturb moss. Obviously, that is not "leave no trace" camping.
 
04/17/2018 10:50AM  
We use the Leech King with the oxygenated bag from the bait shop inside to transport. Leeches will live a long time in tough conditions. Once we are at camp, we use the Leech King in the water tied off to a tree branch which keeps fresh oxygenated water flowing. In the canoe, we divide what we need for that excursion into 2 Gatorade bottles per canoe and we are good for a while.
 
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