I wish I could find jumbos! Every bait shop in my area only has medium mixes. I’m heading back to the BWCA tomorrow and we usually bring 3 lbs of leeches for a week trip. Luckily I was able to find the last large leeches in town. Still trying to find some jumbos before we take off tomorrow. We’d pay top dollar for them too.
They have us over a barrel now because you cannot even bring in crawlers
Didn’t they use to allow a flat of nightcrawlers in artificial bedding? I am pretty sure the reason they prohibited them was because they didn’t want our dirt, so artificial bedding was permitted. Now they won’t allow the worms either huh lol
Yes, you could bring in crawlers before unless they were in dirt. Now (starting last year) you cannot bring them in regardless.
Never been up there but can you grab a flashlight and catch them like here?
Just got back from a backcountry trip in Canada and if we were using live bait we’d have been out in about 15 minutes – and if hypothetically we could’ve kept buying more, we’d have spent about $1000 US at these prices. 3 or 4 gulp minnows lasted me the entire trip! $7.99 for a bag of twelve 4″ers!
Honestly I think I could’ve used gummy worms (or even gummy BEARS) the fishing was so good.
Just got back from a backcountry trip in Canada and if we were using live bait we’d have been out in about 15 minutes – and if hypothetically we could’ve kept buying more, we’d have spent about $1000 US at these prices dollars. 3 or 4 gulp minnows lasted me the entire trip! $7.99 for a bag of twelve 4″ers!
Honestly I think I could’ve used gummy worms (or even gummy BEARS) the fishing was so good.
My buddy said the same thing about gummy worms lol.
How much is the ticket if you get caught bringing them across?
Not sure but I think all live bait used in ND has to be bought in state also. You have to carry the receipt for leeches in ND I know that for sure!
How much is the ticket if you get caught bringing them across?
About 4 years ago, two of my Father’s friends were fishing on LOTW, on the US side. They only had MN angling license and they were using live minnows they bought here. They were hammering fish. They got so distracted catching fish that they drifted across the international border and within minutes the Canadian Authorities showed up to address it. They were each fined for not having Canadian angling licenses, their fish were seized, and the officers made them count out EACH minnow they had and they were additionally fined PER minnow. I don’t know how many minnows they had but their citation was almost 1000 bucks per.
My Father said the live bait in Canada was ridiculously expensive. Its always been more there, but its gone WAY up since just last season. They paid $85 for a pound of “medium” leeches. After that purchased, they said the heck with it and just used gulp leeches instead. Their bite rate went down some, but they still caught plenty of fish. Next year they might abandon the live bait all together up there.
In all the years we have gone to Canada we have never used any live bait. Never a problem catching all the fish we want without it. Where we go in Canada I doubt 99% of the walleyes have ever seen a jig and plastic, or any bait with a hook for that matter. They sure don’t seem like it by the way they bite anyway.
In all the years we have gone to Canada we have never used any live bait. Never a problem catching all the fish we want without it. Where we go in Canada I doubt 99% of the walleyes have ever seen a jig and plastic, or any bait with a hook for that matter.
I think that’s the direction they’ll be headed in the future too. Sometimes it just takes people a little longer to adjust. Teaching old dogs a new trick is tough.
The bait store here in Saint Cloud ( Stoplight bait and tackle ) said he has not seen a true Jumbo leech in 2-3 years. He says what retailers are now calling Jumbo’s would have barely been a Large in the past. Most bait stores don’t eben sort them by size anymore. When selling in Bulk most only offer a mixed size per Lb. Last lb. I purchased I’d say were 0 Jumbo’s. about 50% large, and the rest either medium or panfish size. I think most fishermen get to hund up about leech size. Its not like a walleye is going to swim up to one on a Jig and say ” Nope – that one is to small ” I’m sure they will take what is put in front of them.
Every bait store by Mille lacs has them sorted from Jumbo and Large to panfish.
I too would not bother with live bait going to Canada. I don’t canoe so probably won’t see me in the BWCA either.
I think I just paid $12/dozen for what they called super jumbo in Alexandria. Was actually impressed with the size. Their jumbos were $10.
DT
Every bait store by Mille lacs has them sorted from Jumbo and Large to panfish.
I too would not bother with live bait going to Canada. I don’t canoe so probably won’t see me in the BWCA either.
Do you know the price for a Lb. of the Junbo’s at that bait store?
Didn’t notice. Have just noticed Prince bait Garrison sports Tuttes and reeds has them all sorted.
Paid 21.99 per 1/2lb at Mille lacs this weekend for jumbos (they did their job well) Only about 50% were what I would call jumbo
I got jumbos at River Rat in Deerwood a couple weeks ago. Don’t recall the price.
Just got back from a backcountry trip in Canada and if we were using live bait we’d have been out in about 15 minutes – and if hypothetically we could’ve kept buying more, we’d have spent about $1000 US at these prices. 3 or 4 gulp minnows lasted me the entire trip! $7.99 for a bag of twelve 4″ers!
Honestly I think I could’ve used gummy worms (or even gummy BEARS) the fishing was so good.
I’ve been using GULP exclusively since its inception. I just returned from Lake of the Woods/NW Angle using GULP leeches that are up to 10yrs old! My last purchase was in 2018, a small package (not the container) in case I needed something fresher. No need at all. I have invested about $60 across the last 11 fishing seasons and I still have more than two dozen GULP leeches left from the original stock. I did transfer to a glass jar if the container started leaking but here’s the honest truth… my catch rate is every bit as good or better than the live baiters in camp and my out-of-pocket expense, ease of use, less mess, and less hassle alternative is still snubbed! I simply do not understand what the deal is… pride??? I catch a walleye and toss my spinner back into the water. They catch one, and they’re losing opportunities to me because they’re still rebaiting their hook! The bite offs… the “community bucket”… I just don’t understand the attraction. We have decided though, that anyone in the camp that insists GULP doesn’t put as many fish on their line must be fishing with an Ugly Stick, the most insensitive rod ever made, thus they don’t know they’ve got a fish on anyway! (Poking humor there…)
But seriously folks… I’m fishing “live” rigs for under $6/season and doing just as well as anyone else in my boat or in camp. I also use it for panfish, and have figured out how to do it from a bobber if you want to. Save time, money, mess, and hassle… start using GULP, because as long as it stays juiced, it doesn’t go bad or quit working!
P.S. – Almost forgot, I also learned that fish do not demand a full piece. I literally slip a 1″ chunk on the hook – YANK!
stillakid – how do you rig them on bobbers to be as effective as live bait? I’m curious to your experiences there. I only use leeches for bobbers in the bwca.
stillakid – how do you rig them on bobbers to be as effective as live bait? I’m curious to your experiences there. I only use leeches for bobbers in the bwca.
That would be the one case where it wouldn’t be as effective. The swimming leech under a slip bobber is what attracts a fish. But in most other cases, like on a spinner, snap jigging, etc, if you’re just going for a reaction strike, I could see a gulp leech working effectively. Years ago when I was running spinners with night crawlers, the panfish were constantly pecking the end of it so we switched to gulp crawlers to avoid that problem and still caught walleyes with them.
If there are any waves at all on the water, a gulp leech looks very real. The wave action causes the bobber to move and in turn gives the leech its action.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gitchi Gummi wrote:</div>
stillakid – how do you rig them on bobbers to be as effective as live bait? I’m curious to your experiences there. I only use leeches for bobbers in the bwca.That would be the one case where it wouldn’t be as effective. The swimming leech under a slip bobber is what attracts a fish. But in most other cases, like on a spinner, snap jigging, etc, if you’re just going for a reaction strike, I could see a gulp leech working effectively. Years ago when I was running spinners with night crawlers, the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>panfish were constantly pecking the end of it so we switched to gulp crawlers to avoid that problem and still caught <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes with them.
My solution ended up being a simple one… never put it on a bare hook. All you have to do to “spice up” the presentation under a bobber is give the fish a visual, like a Flu-Flu jig or a crappie tube. When the fish catch the scent, they will investigate. When the fish see something that looks like food, they will come investigate. When both triggers are present, they don’t seem to care and bite as often and anything live I’ve rigged up.
For me, small hair jigs, like a Flu-Flu, seem to give me the best results. Colors vary but I’m partial to chartreuse combined with a white, yellow, or black jig head.
Now, I just realized you spoke of the BWCA, so I assume you’re fishing walleyes? You would have to experiment with this and let us know how it goes. I was referring to panfishing under a bobber, which is most often a completely different game. I didn’t mean to mislead anyone, but I’ve never tested GULP under a bobber for walleyes. I have a lake with a night bite on it and I troll ’em up instead of bobbering.
For the Lindy riggers, I’ve also discovered bare hooks are rarely enough. Attaching the GULP to a Gummi Floater or Phelps Floater was much more effective.
Now, I just realized you spoke of the BWCA, so I assume you’re fishing walleyes? You would have to experiment with this and let us know how it goes.
I didn’t mention anything about the BWCA. That was someone else. The gulp night crawlers I used were on Mille Lacs years ago when the perch were constantly pecking the real ones, so we switched to them to avoid that problem and it was effective.
At this point artificial or gulp presentation is worth trying. I would never pay 85 bucks/pound for “medium” leeches. That’s highway robbery.
Yes, I was covering two replies there. Didn’t mean to cause any confusion.
$85/lb for medium leeches??? I have to agree, that’s outrageous! I just haven’t had to deal with any of the live bait issues for so long now, but reading that, I’m finding myself even more grateful for a product that works and helps me save a boatload of money!
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