How to Store Live Fish Food

For those that like to fish, having bait on hand at all times is essential. Storing the worms, or fish food, can be done by making a compost container. Not only will you have worms at hand, but you will also have compost to keep your yard fertilized.

Supplies: 

• Plastic container (3 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet high) with a lid


• Scissors or a knife


• Bricks (4 or 5)


• Compost


• Manure


• Hay


• Sand


• Dead leaves


• Newspaper


• Vegetable waste


• Worms: Compost or manure worms, red wigglers or European night crawlers

Prepare the Container

Type: A plastic container should be used.

Size: The container should be at least 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, 2 feet high and have a lid.

Poke 1/4 inch holes in the lid and the base of the container, using either a knife or scissors. The holes should be at least 3 inches apart. These holes allow for aeration and drainage.

Prepare the Bedding Compost

1. Cut a newspaper into long, vertical strips. Then spread the strips out in the bottom of the container.


2. Add equal amounts of the following items: compost, dead leaves, manure and hay.


3. Add sand, but only use one half of the amount of the above items used.


4. Wet the material with water. Then, use your hands and squeeze out the excess water.


5. Let the container sit outside overnight. While sitting, the water will drain from the container.


6. The bedding should be damp and around 8 to 12 inches deep.

Add the Compost Worms

Types of worms to use: European night crawlers, manure worms, compost worms or red wigglers.

How many: Two pounds of worms per every pound of vegetable waste being added to the container each week.

Storing the Container

• The container should be set on top of bricks, which will allow water to drain from the container. 


• Make sure that the lid is securely fastened down.


• The container should be kept in a place that is cool and dry.

Feeding the Worms

What: The worms should be fed with vegetable waste from your kitchen.

When: The vegetable waste should be added once per week.

Remove the Compost

• The bedding should be checked every week. If the soil looks like compost, which can be dark brown or black, it needs to be removed from the container.


• Take the compost out and place it onto the lid of the container. Then, you can separate any worms from the compost.


• Place any worms back into the container.


• Replace the bedding, which is done the same way as before.


• It is important to remove the compost. If you do not remove it, it could cause the worms to die.

Remove Worms

The worms only need to be removed when you want to use them as bait for fishing.