Leeches storage / CB questions

[jrdumbaugh]

A couple of questions.
1. Since I’ve never used leeches, what do we put them in when we purchase them and how do we store them at camp for the week?

2. My group of 10 will have 2 boats and a jet ski. Are CB’s the best method to communicate or should we try Motorola Radios, or are both a waste of money with the trees nothing will work of any significant distance?

Thanks.

[T-Bone]

Leeches have to be in a small amount of cold water, but the water has to be cold...like refrigerator cold water. Only use lake water, and get it cold in the fridge before changing out the water in the container...maybe every couple/few days. Did I mention the water has to be cold? 

The Motorola radios work fine...we use them with no issues.

[Jay Thomas]

In the case of buying leeches by the pound, you will typically be given a plastic bag with a pound of leeches in a quart or more of cold water. Where you are buying leeches by the dozen, you will typically be given a small lidded styrofoam cup with the leeches in some cold water. Regardless how you buy the leeches, as T-Bone said, you must keep them cold. As well, you must also change the water every other day as a minimum. In my experience, one easy method of storing and maintaining leeches is to place the leeches in a Leech Tamer Bag - see https://www.cabelas.com/product/Leech-Tamer/700133.uts?slotId=1 and keep the Leech Tamer Bag in some water in a cooler with ice or in the refrigerator. The Leech Tamer Bag facilitates cleaning the leeches by simply running clean cold water through it. Our group has been using Leech Tamer Bags for years.

We also use Motorola two-way radios to maintain contact between boats.

Jay

[Hodgey1]

The only thing I will add to the already good advice is, we used a smaller igloo lunch cooler to store our leeches with great success. I kept the cooler in our camp and changed the water every other day with lake water. The other key that worked well for us was, I used two water bottles to keep them cool, one in the freezer and one in the leech cooler and swapped them out daily. I'm planning on adding a leech bag to the equation this year "thanks Jay"

[CaptainCrappie]

Last several years I have used a two piece minnow bucket.... One where there is a strainer bucket that fits into the slightly larger bottom bucket. Makes changing water a snap. We'll put some leeches in a leech tamer first. The remaining leeches we keep in the  minnow strainer bucket, and put them into the bottom bucket filled with clean water. After a couple days take the minnow bucket down to the dock, replenish your leech bag, lift the strainer bucket up and replace the yucky water in the bottom bucket with clean lake water, then put the leeches (in the strainer) back in the new water.  Put em back in the fridge again. Do this 3 times a week.  That's it.  Just remember to grab the right handle when you take the bucket out of the fridge or you'll have a mess to clean up.  Don't ask.


C.C.

[puckster_guy]

Geez all I can think is worms are lower maintanace and crankbaits even less. Maybe add a fishtank areater to your cooler to keep it oxygenated, you prob won't need to change the water as often.

[Hodgey1]

Geez all I can think is worms are lower maintenance.

Yea, but walleye luv them leeches! Small price to pay for great fishing action, to have to baby sit leeches for a week while on vacation. 

Hold the phone, I kinda do that when I'm not on vacation!