Your bait must be fresh or they will not like it. As the water temps warm up, you need to set your traps in the evening or the meat will spoil. Then one of the keys to catching leeches is checking your traps EARLY in the morning, at 1st dawn is best.

What time of year do you catch leeches?

Summer is the best time of the year to fish with these wiggling bloodsuckers. Some anglers are reluctant to fish with leeches, but they are a versatile bait that will catch a wide range of species, including walleyes, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, panfish and catfish.

Is there a season for leeches?

Summertime means more leeches. Leeches reproduce in the spring. The young leeches are out of their cocoons several weeks later, just in time for swimming season! While generally nocturnal creatures, leeches are attracted to water disturbance like that created by swimming and wading.