How to Raise Worms for Fishing

If you’re an avid angler, then you probably know live worms are some of the most effective baits out there. Almost every species that you can fish for will go for worms on hooks. But, constantly purchasing worms in tackle shops in your local area will hurt your wallet. You may also dislike having to go to a bait shop on your way to a fishing spot. Fortunately for you, we can teach you how to raise worms for fishing.

Raising worms for fishing can be made easy and fun with our quick guide on making your own fishing worm farm.

What’s a Worm Farm for Fishing?

Worm farms for fishing are collective communities of worms that are used as bait for fishing. Worm farms are also established by some as a means of recycling and composting food and any other organic waste.

In such a case, the aim is to create nutrient-rich compost and fertilizer for gardening needs. Worms don’t just help create compost for gardening, they also make excellent fishing bait.

If you also garden, learning how to raise worms for fishing will be a cool 2-in-1 thing as you can also use the worms in creating an abundant supply of compost and fertilizer!

Necessary Materials for Raising Worms

Before we dive into the steps on how to raise worms for fishing, gather the essentials which are the following:

• Worms: Of course, you’ll need to get some worms first. Buying some is necessary unless you’re willing to dig them up yourself. It’s recommended that you start off your worm with a couple of dozens of worms.
• Two Plastic Bins with Lids: To successfully learn how to grow worms for fishing, gather plastic bins with secure lids as they will serve as homes for your worms. Aim for containers with a width of 18 to 24 inches. They should be at least a foot deep as well. The larger your plastic bins are, expect to have a larger worm farm. Just make sure the bins you’ll be using come with snap-on plastic lids.
• Brick, Flowerpot, or Something Similar: You’ll be needing something like this to separate the bin from the other. Just have it ready and we’ll explain why later on.
• Drill: You’ll need a drill in making some modifications to your plastic bins so they’re ready for the storage of worms.
• Food Waste: A worm farm will need food waste and a lot of it. It will be the food of your worms. We suggest you use only veggie and fruit scraps. Try to avoid overly greasy bones, meat, and foods.
• Newspaper: This will be used as the bedding of your worms. The newspaper will also hold lots of moisture in the worm farm you’re growing.

Steps on How to Raise Worms for Fishing

As soon as you’ve gathered the necessary materials, you can now make your own worm farm for both fishing and gardening! Let’s go over each step for you to get the best results.

Prepare the First Plastic Bin

The first thing that you have to do is prep the first plastic bin for use. Remember that one bin will go inside the other.

Use a pen or pencil to mark 24 holes. The holes should be small and spaced evenly. You’ll use the drill later on to create the holes you’ve marked.

The point is to allow water and moisture to drain from the first bin. This ensures your worms won’t drown. You’ll also want to drill around 40 holes around the sides of the plastic bin.

Add 20 more holes to your lid. You also would want to allow for ventilation or optimum airflow. Make sure that you’re only doing this with your first plastic bin. Your second bin must stay unaltered.

Stack the Bins

Take your second plastic bin (unaltered), then take a cinder block, brick, flowerpot, or anything that’s similar and place it right in the center of the second bin. It should be inside the bin. Then, place the drilled/altered bin on top of the object.

The point of having a flowerpot or brick is to separate the drilled bin and the unaltered one, while letting the drilled bin drain out.

Prepare the Bedding

Now, prepare the bedding for your worm farm. Grab a bunch of old newspaper, then shred it into long, thin pieces.

You should have enough to fill about a third or half of the bin. Make sure the newspaper bits are loose. Don’t squeeze them down or compact them together.

Now, you’re going to take water to soak the newspaper. But, make sure that you don’t have some sort of lake going on. The newspaper only needs to be wet and spongy.

Add the Food Waste

Add your worm food or table scraps. This can be bread, veggies, and fruit. Worms will grow quickly and reproduce when fed fruits and veggies.

This will also ensure you have the best compost for your garden. Try to not add too many acidic food items such as citrus and coffee grounds.

Pour in the Worms

This is when you add your worms to the bin with the food scraps. You should have at least a dozen worms. But, the more, the merrier!

That being said, you don’t need to add a large number of worms if you have some time to wait for your worm farm to grow. A couple of dozens of worms can reproduce fairly quickly.

Conclusion

Making your very own fishing worm farm will help ensure you have an endless bait supply. Just follow the steps outlined above.

Also, make sure that you keep your bin sealed and secured. Store in a dark and moist environment. Lastly, be patient as it will just be a matter of time when you have a huge supply of bait worms!