What are you guys paying for a pound of leeches these days? I just picked up bunch and either the price has gone through the roof or I just can’t recall what I’d been paying the past couple years. What are you guys seeing out there for price on a pound of medium – large leeches? I’m not talking about the jumbos. Just your run of the mill stuff.
Thanks in advance.
19.00 this year I think last year I was getting them for around 13.00.
I dont know if I want to tell everyone where to find the best deal 
I have been known to stop in at Trails End Bass Pro in Fridley and stock up on my bullhead bait..
Mediums(nice) are $6 per 1/2 pound
Large(very nice) $8 per 1/2 pound
I havent been there when they had jumbo’s in this year, but I would guess around $10/half pound.
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Mediums(nice) are $6 per 1/2 pound
Large(very nice) $8 per 1/2 pound
OK… this is more like what I’m used to paying. I hadn’t heard of a shortage or anything so the jump just caught my eye so I figured I’d ask here.
Leech prices have gotten crazy the last few years… $18-$25 per pound on large seems to be about the average.
Down here we picked up a pound of jumbos Friday for $22. The large I have been getting localy have been running $10 1/2 pound up a couple bucks from last year.
Leeches
Large 17.99lb
Jumbos 19.99lb
I buy all my live bait At Westerlunds Cenex Malmo,Mn
geez! I paid $12.99 1/2 pound large ones at Johnson’s Portside. Seemed like they were giving me the shaft, but $24.99 for a jug of Captain and that kind of completed the dirty feeling I had after I put some gas in the boat. I think I paid enough gas taxes these last two weeks to drive on both sides of the road. 
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I dont know if I want to tell everyone where to find the best deal
I have been known to stop in at Trails End Bass Pro in Fridley and stock up on my bullhead bait..
Mediums(nice) are $6 per 1/2 pound
Large(very nice) $8 per 1/2 pound
I havent been there when they had jumbo’s in this year, but I would guess around $10/half pound.
Don’t be afraid, the guys up there deserve a little attention. I don’t know of a better stocked Mom & Pop in the metro.
I paid $16.00 before the opener for medium/larges. I called a couple places right down the road and they had $29.00 per pound. I drove to Blaine cheaper.
gander in woodbury $10 for a half pound jumbos $20 for a pound
Has anyone ever tried to trap there own leeches. I had a chance when I was in high school, it was fun and also a lot of work! I can see why the price of leeches has gone up over the years. Most likely because its a lot of work to trap these leeches!
I would like to start to do the trap thing again…Anyone got any good ponds around the cities area???
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Has anyone ever tried to trap there own leeches?
I’ve never done it and I guess I don’t know anyone that has done it. Can you briefly explain what one needs to do it and the areas you target?
Ive seen leech traps made out of coffee cans or pvc pipe etc.Make a small opening for them to get in and tough to get out.Never done it myself but I can tell you this.Most ponds have very small leeches and with gas at 3+ a gallon it might be hard to make it pay off unless you had a pond close by.I also heard that bait distributors get them small and let them grow for a while.A lot of leeches are traped up north by the indians.
A garbage bag with a bunch of holes in it works too.. sink the bg with some bait in it(meat) and go check it early in the morning… small dead lakes(no, or minimal fish) are best.
I dont know of anywhere around the metro, but I’m sure they are somewhere. I think they are more numerous in northern minnesota because the water doesnt get as hot.
$21 a pound is what I am paying this year. A lot of the stock ponds dried up last year in the drought so Jumbo leeches are hard to come by this year and are driving up the price. If you think leeches are hard to get now, they will be really hard to find at the end of June.
How’s the willowcat spots lookin’?
I was just up at Cass Lake last week and paid $16.00 / lb for “river run mix” leeches. Small, med, large, jumbo all mixed – not sorted. Not a bad buy, most were pretty good sized. Fish just wouldn’t bite on them.
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How’s the willowcat spots lookin’?
Low water=lots of cats
I suppose I should actually get out there and get some one of these days.
Sounds like you’ll need help. Let me know when you want to go dipping. No need to thank me for offering to help you out. I’m that kinda guy. 
Sounds like you could use some cats. I haven’t scooped since before the Mississippi FLW. Should be excellent right now.
Seriously… I’m up for an adventure and I can keep a secret. Just ask Bluefleck. When we going?
How do you go about finding willow cats?
You scoop them from vegetation in small streams & back water areas.
It is a DIRTY job.
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You scoop them from vegetation in small streams & back water areas.
It is a DIRTY job.
I just wish my wife was that dirty
Ahh, Did I just say that
Just follow James……………he’ll lead you to Scot………. who will lead you to the Willow Cats. 
I spent half a summer looking for areas that hold willow cats. I have some very good spots but I don’t beat them up. I get some when I need some other than that, I let them grow. As James mentioned, it is a DIRTY job. After a day of scooping a day on the couch is in order 
I was told by a bait distributor that the lower water and lack of running water is causing them to work harder harvesting the leeches which = higher prices. Do the VHS law(s) have any thing to do with our prices either? We are probably paying a fuel surcharge in there somewhere also…
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We are probably paying a fuel surcharge in there somewhere also…
That is for sure!!
Where is Trails End Bass Pro located in Fridley? I live in the Afton/Hastings area but work up in Fridley. Just curious.
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