I take them in and use them. But this link from the Minnesota DNR is a good explanation/reminder that you should never dump and leave behind unused crawlers. They ARE an invasive species and do adversely affect local ecosystems in subtle but real ways. Here's the link:

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialanimals/earthworms/index.html

(Somehow I am retaining an idealistic hope that this thread will simply taken as information, and not degenerate into an argumentative thread about eco-science, political correctness, etc.) As I said, I take them in and use them, and follow the DNR guidelines for disposal.

Interesting did not know that

How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?

I may/may not have inadvertently started a worm farm around Basswood lake back in the early 90's when I was in Boy Scouts.....95% of them were gobbled up by the fish. Thanks for the heads up......I've long since adopted stricter LNT practices and will add this to my policy list of "don'ts". I don't even like to pack in any live bait anymore .....it's just one more item that has to be carried across a portage when a twister tail or rapala can do the same job.

People have been fishing in the what is now the BWCA for well over 80 years. Much of the soil in many areas is not very deep, so any night crawler left will become a "Dock Spike" when the temperature gets below zero in the winter and the frost 6 feet in the ground. I strongly doubt that the studies were conducted in the conditions that one will encounter in the BWCA, and would be interested where they could find the damage they suggest?

The Great Outdoors: "People have been fishing in the what is now the BWCA for well over 80 years. Much of the soil in many areas is not very deep, so any night crawler left will become a "Dock Spike" when the temperature gets below zero in the winter and the frost 6 feet in the ground. I strongly doubt that the studies were conducted in the conditions that one will encounter in the BWCA, and would be interested where they could find the damage they suggest? "

I will disagree. I did the portage from Kiana into Insula last summer in the middle of an all-day rain. There were literally *thousands* of nightcrawlers coming up out of the ground on the portage trail. More than I have ever seen at one time. We went from Ima, through Thomas, to Insula that day. The earlier portages, which are less-heavily traveled and not connected to prime walleye water, as the Kiana-Insula portage is, had zero visible worms and nightcrawlers. Those thousands and thousands of worms on the portage to Insula did not appear just in June.

rpike: "

The Great Outdoors: "People have been fishing in the what is now the BWCA for well over 80 years. Much of the soil in many areas is not very deep, so any night crawler left will become a "Dock Spike" when the temperature gets below zero in the winter and the frost 6 feet in the ground. I strongly doubt that the studies were conducted in the conditions that one will encounter in the BWCA, and would be interested where they could find the damage they suggest? "

I will disagree. I did the portage from Kiana into Insula last summer in the middle of an all-day rain. There were literally *thousands* of nightcrawlers coming up out of the ground on the portage trail. More than I have ever seen at one time. We went from Ima, through Thomas, to Insula that day. The earlier portages, which are less-heavily traveled and not connected to prime walleye water, as the Kiana-Insula portage is, had zero visible worms and nightcrawlers. Those thousands and thousands of worms on the portage to Insula did not appear just in June."

Great Outdoors raises an interesting point, probably key sentence in his post was "...much of the soil in many areas..." Hmmm. I too would be curious about the specifics about what percent of soil lends itself to crawlers surviving the winter. Rpike's experience was clearly evidence that in at least 'some' of the BWCA, those conditions DO exist. On balance, I guess I'd be for erring on the side of caution. After all, doesn't take much effort to not dump the leftover crawlers. I'll still be taking them in, using them, but disposing of them afterwards.

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)

Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!

The Great Outdoors: "

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)

Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!"

---Like the action of dumping worms in BWCA, disposing of fish entrails in the water is inconsistent with DNR recommendations.

I do not purport to know better than the MN DNR BIOLOGISTS regarding this issue, so I will advocate that trippers follow their recommendations.

I believe that in the new LNT videos it states to pack out all unused bait.

There are 3 new videos that everyone should watch. Not sure which video it states what to do with unused bait.

I really don't know. But I can say that I found night crawlers in the mid 1980s under a lot on Vista Lake.

mvillasuso: "

The Great Outdoors: "

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)

Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!"

---Like the action of dumping worms in BWCA, disposing of fish entrails in the water is inconsistent with DNR recommendations.

I do not purport to know better than the MN DNR BIOLOGISTS regarding this issue, so I will advocate that trippers follow their recommendations. "

Well, I could give a long winded explanation, but will cut to the chase when it comes to putting fish entrails in the lake and be eaten by many species within an hour or less:
AND THAT INARGUABLE STATEMENT IS: "When a fish dies, it does not go to Heaven!!" :)

The Great Outdoors: "

mvillasuso: "

The Great Outdoors: "

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)


Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!"

---Like the action of dumping worms in BWCA, disposing of fish entrails in the water is inconsistent with DNR recommendations.


I do not purport to know better than the MN DNR BIOLOGISTS regarding this issue, so I will advocate that trippers follow their recommendations. "

Well, I could give a long winded explanation, but will cut to the chase when it comes to putting fish entrails in the lake and be eaten by many species within an hour or less:
AND THAT INARGUABLE STATEMENT IS: "When a fish dies, it does not go to Heaven!!" :)"

+1

Between using them all up with a walleye feed fest and a high mortality rate when left out in hot weather, I never have any crawlers left. Good reminder though.

Thanks for the reminder...although I agree with a lot of the common sense things The Great Outdoors says...it kills me to say that :)...if their is any chance crawlers can damage the ecosystem let’s just not take chances. It isn’t that hard to take care of them. I don’t get too bent out of shape on fish remains put it on a rock, in the water, bury it...just please take it away from camp. I have had too many camps where someone cleaned tons of walleyes and the water is littered with carcasses—-they don’t always disappear at campsites...even worse is the same number of carcasses buried a few feet back away from camp left as an apparent bear attractant. All methods have merit if you use common sense, none of the methods are idiot proof.

T

Let's keep in mind that the laws as written apply statewide. There are no exceptions for the unique conditions of far northern Minnesota. Maybe there is no chance of earthworm infestation if one dumps them on the rocky surfaces around Gunflint lake, but can one be as certain around the lakes in the Fergus Falls area? Perhaps there is little concern about fish remains dumped in remote Lake Insula, but if it were allowed statewide can you see that there might be a problem at the boat landings on Minnetonka?

Legislators cannot reasonably be expected to draft laws that take into account every possible permutation and circumstance from Moorhead to Duluth, or Rochester to International Falls. That why we end up with one size fits all laws and regulations.

The Great Outdoors: "

mvillasuso: "

The Great Outdoors: "

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)

Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!"

---Like the action of dumping worms in BWCA, disposing of fish entrails in the water is inconsistent with DNR recommendations.

I do not purport to know better than the MN DNR BIOLOGISTS regarding this issue, so I will advocate that trippers follow their recommendations. "

Well, I could give a long winded explanation, but will cut to the chase when it comes to putting fish entrails in the lake and be eaten by many species within an hour or less:
AND THAT INARGUABLE STATEMENT IS: "When a fish dies, it does not go to Heaven!!" :)"

Amen, amen, amen, so much worry for nothing.

bwcasolo: "

The Great Outdoors: "

mvillasuso: "

The Great Outdoors: "

overthehill: "

walleyevision: "How about dumping them in the middle of the lake?"

?"

Well, you brought them in for fish to eat so dumping crawlers in the lake is a freebee for them!! :)

Just like putting fish entrails in the water near the shoreline, they won't last very long!!"

---Like the action of dumping worms in BWCA, disposing of fish entrails in the water is inconsistent with DNR recommendations.

I do not purport to know better than the MN DNR BIOLOGISTS regarding this issue, so I will advocate that trippers follow their recommendations. "

Well, I could give a long winded explanation, but will cut to the chase when it comes to putting fish entrails in the lake and be eaten by many species within an hour or less:
AND THAT INARGUABLE STATEMENT IS: "When a fish dies, it does not go to Heaven!!" :)"

Amen, amen, amen, so much worry for nothing."

My first response tends to be like yours, "so much worry for nothing".

But then I reflect on the changes I've seen in my 65 years in the outdoors (and having grown up on a farm). A few are positive (reappearance of bald eagles), but most aren't.

Just one example: the virtual disappearance in many locales of leopard frogs. And I just have a sense that we are reaping the consequences of an accumulation of 'nothings', which cumulatively amount to a real threat to ecosystems. So even when I, myself, am thinking, 'yeah, right, what harm can it do to pitch some fish guts in the lake and some worms in soil?", I feel drawn to make sure I'm not a tiny contributor to the problem.

And I say this with full disclosure that I still use lead head jigs (to me a 'tiny' thing), etc. etc.

barehook quoted: "So even when I, myself, am thinking, 'yeah, right, what harm can it do to pitch some fish guts in the lake and some worms in soil?", I feel drawn to make sure I'm not a tiny contributor to the problem."

As someone said, the soil in the southern part of the state may be more susceptible to having a problem with worms being dumped, is a question for discussion.

However, in answer to barehook's quote above, the only problem one may contribute to is the waistline of any Sea Gull, Eagle, Mink, Turtle, or other fish that chomp down on the offerings! If it makes some feel better, just think of it as Mother Nature's "Entrails Enchilada"! :)

Long time resident of Basswood Lake Tommy Chosa (rip) referred to bwca visitors from out of the area as invasive species. I never asked him if he was talking about white people or city people, I assumed it was both. Tommy and his family where the last Indians to live in the bwca.

I miss Tommy! It was nice having a friend with a cabin on Basswood when things got ugly.

The Great Outdoors: "barehook quoted: "So even when I, myself, am thinking, 'yeah, right, what harm can it do to pitch some fish guts in the lake and some worms in soil?", I feel drawn to make sure I'm not a tiny contributor to the problem."

As someone said, the soil in the southern part of the state may be more susceptible to having a problem with worms being dumped, is a question for discussion.

However, in answer to barehook's quote above, the only problem one may contribute to is the waistline of any Sea Gull, Eagle, Mink, Turtle, or other fish that chomp down on the offerings! If it makes some feel better, just think of it as Mother Nature's "Entrails Enchilada"! :)"

LOL, I'll never think of fish guts the same again....

Bushpilot: "Long time resident of Basswood Lake Tommy Chosa (rip) referred to bwca visitors from out of the area as invasive species. I never asked him if he was talking about white people or city people, I assumed it was both. Tommy and his family where the last Indians to live in the bwca.

I miss Tommy! It was nice having a friend with a cabin on Basswood when things got ugly."

Had you heard about the custody battle that is/was happening with his grandchild?

Yes I am aware. I think it is Tommys Great Grandchildren. It is complicated. Tommy was taken from his family when he was a little kid. As are many Indian children.