How to Make a Flat Leech Trap

Leeches have been used to heal sickness and predict bad weather, but their most frequent use today is as bait for freshwater game fish. Members of the phylum Annelida, or segmented worms, the 650 species of leeches are invertebrates, with bodies that taper toward the head and suckers at both the mouth and caudal, or posterior, ends. Many species of leech feed on worms, snails and insect larvae; others on the blood of fish, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl and mammals (including man). Leeches prefer still or slowly moving water such as sun-warmed ponds with ample plant debris, and are found predominantly in the northern states, particularly Minnesota, where they are trapped during the summer and shipped to other parts of the country.

Things You'll Need

  • Aluminum sheet
  • Metal hole punch
  • Hog ring tool
  • String
  • Bobber or weight
  • Beef kidney or liver
  • Rubber band
  • Pail
  • Sifting screen
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Fold a 2-foot by 2.5-foot sheet of aluminum into quarters, accordion-style, to obtain a 2-foot by .625-foot packet with three folds and four flat surfaces.

    • 2

      Punch a hole near the center fold at one end of the aluminum packet. Affix a hog ring through the hole.

    • 3

      Tie a length of string and a bobber to the hog ring if the leeches in your pond tend to congregate near the surface of the water. If they tend to be more submerged, leave off the bobber and add a weight, so that the packet will sink.

    • 4

      Place a small piece of leech bait in each of the folds in the aluminum packet. Beef kidney works well, as does beef liver. Use fresh, not rancid, meat. Grind it and cure it with salt to prolong its life.

    • 5

      Place a thick rubber band around one end of the packet to hold it somewhat closed. Don't seal it tight, however, to allow room for the leeches to find their way to the bait.

    • 6

      Toss the leech trap into the water near the edge of the pond, or at a spot where you have noticed leeches congregating. Traps are best set out in the evening. Tie the end of the string to a stick or other object on shore that will allow you to find and retrieve the trap early the next morning.

    • 7

      Pull the trap from the water, remove the rubber band, pull apart one of the folds in the aluminum and slide the trapped leeches into a pail of water. Repeat with each fold.

    • 8

      Sort the leeches by placing them on a section of floating sifting screen. Leeches that are too small to be effective as bait fall through the screen back into the pond. Larger leeches are trapped on top and can be returned to the pail.