How to Make a Shocking Rod Night Crawler

FIshing with night crawlers is a time honored tradition in bait fishing. Night crawlers are found throughout most of North America, and are tempting meals to hungry fish. Many ways exist for gathering night crawlers. If you want to play scientist and use a different method, make a shock rod and bring the night crawlers up to the surface for quick and easy gathering. Shocking rods use electric current to send through the ground, shocking the earthworms up to the top.

Things You'll Need

  • Two 18- to 24-inch metal rods (discarded rebar, small metal dowels)
  • Rubber gloves
  • Electrical tape
  • Duct tape
  • Cutting tool
  • Wire strippers
  • Extension cord with plug
  • DC battery (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Slice the non-plug end of an extension cord of the rubber casing, going down approximately 10 to 16 inches. Pull the two wires apart.

    • 2

      Strip between 3/4 inches of the rubber casing off the wires, leaving exposed wire on both sides of the cord.

    • 3

      Wind one side of the exposed wire to one of the metal rods. Wind tight coils up to five or six times. Repeat with the other wire and rod.

    • 4

      Wrap the entire length of the exposed wires (attached to the rods) with electrical tape. Do not leave any section of the rod or wire un-covered from the tape. Leave the non-wire coil portion of the rod exposed, but triple- or even quadruple-wrap the wire-rod areas with electric tape. Cover the tips of the rods with the tape as well. Cover the electrical tape with a thick wrap of duct tape.

    • 5

      Cut the plug off the cord, if using a DC battery for the electric current. Push the metal exposed ends of the rods into the earth. When ready to use the rods, wrap the positive wire around the DC battery's positive terminal and the negative around the negative. Wear rubber gloves when powering up the rods.

    • 6

      Collect the worms as they come to the surface after the slight shocks.