Why European Nightcrawlers?

When it comes to fishing, what is at the end of your fishing hook is almost as important as your angling skills and techniques. In fact, the choice of bait can determine both the quality and quantity of the catch!

This is why experienced anglers always prefer certain fishing worms over the rest of the breed. The European Nightcrawlers may look and feel very similar to the red worms (except the size maybe), but there is something about these earthworms that makes them the best live bait for fishing. What works in favor of European Nightcrawlers is that:

• European Nightcrawlers are 2 to 4 inches in length (twice that of the red worm) and almost as thick as a pencil. They weigh about 1.5 grams when fully grown. This is the perfect size for bait and makes them easy to spot under the water.
• They are tough and durable worms with a long shelf life. They also stay active and alive on the hook for much longer periods.
• They can be stored easily at room temperature itself almost all round the year. There is no need to refrigerate them or create artificially hot conditions as in the case of certain other worms.
• These

fishing worms are easy to raise and breed as well. In fact, they are prolific breeders and increase their population very quickly.

• You can use European Nightcrawlers in varied fishing conditions with excellent results. They are about the only worms suitable for salt water fishing. Not only that, they can tolerate low temperatures. So you can stock your fishing tackle box with these worms from Southern Coastal states to Maine and use them on the lakes of our most northern states. Ice fishing is still an option with these worms.

In short,no matter where you choose to fish, you will never not have the opportunity to use ENC's. But that’s not all. European Nightcrawlers serve dual purposes – they not just serve as excellent fishing worms, but also prove extremely useful for organic composting.

Red Wigglers are certainly the best worms for composting. However, European Nightcrawlers are not far behind on the composting table. In fact, they can easily trump their smaller cousins when it comes to the appetite. Indeed, the European Nightcrawlers will eat almost any kind of garbage and can work their way through almost double the quantity of organic materials in the compost bin than what an ordinary red worm can manage! This translates into more compost castings for your pots, lawns and gardens.

Apart from this, European Nightcrawlers are top feeders and you don’t need to maintain very thick layers in the compost bin. They can tolerate temperature fluctuations and climate change pretty well. You will find them multiplying quickly too. But take care to maintain the pH level properly.

When it comes to finding European Nightcrawlers, you cannot just dig them up in the garden. You will not find them there anyway! You can breed them at home or just source them in bulk from a reliable worm farm. And you can start using them right away too!

The author is a passionate fisherman and writes extensively on compost bin, fishing worms related topics for fishing.