Leeches

i've never used them personally m8, but i met somone fishing them on Badshot Lea. five cats in a night smallest 23lb says it all really. i'm not sure i they're worth the money or not, but they definately catch their share of cats. i don't think there's a massive difference between leeches and worms as far as smell or movement goes but the big reason they're so popula is that they last a long time, eg at least three cats on a leech, and no other species seems to like them.
hope this helps.

I have been using Leeches for years now & on certain clear waters they can be awesome but, on others there not interested.
They may be expensive but they are re-usable & last for years if you store them properly & keep on top of the gell changes.
I caught 5 cats on Longlake @ Lakemore last year on the same 2 leeches i was using all weekend with no probs.
The main differene between them & worms is leeches give off far more vibration than worms & also they dont die in the water.

i didn't know they gave off more vibration. i think the biggest benefit of leeches is that the bait thieving perch don't nab them.

Yep Leeches are quite motionless untill you stick a hook in them, even then there not to bad but, when you put them in the water they strech to about 5-6 times their lenth & wiggle like fook.

must ay i didn't know that, m8. i might get one for next season.

yer this is one bait im gunna try out next season. theres a really hard water near me which everything else has failed on, several times... so really looking forward to trying these out. i heard there more a early season bait tho? is tht true?

yeah it is, apparently you struggle to find anything more effective when the cats are fry feeding april-july.

THE TRUTH IS LADS leeches work best when the water temp is around or above 60, below that there a bit lathargic... like...... Sas...When i next get some i will make a quick video for you lot & show you how to hook them WITHOUT killing the expensive little s***s.

guys try looking on boggy patches of land next to your local river thats were i get mine

haha gonna grow some on from baby's a think if a dont kill them that is lol

russ, not that i wat to ruin your fun, but i'm pretty sure they were an endangered species last time i looked! you'd better check with the EA, you don't want to be done in for poaching an endangered species.

if they were endangered they would not be able to sell them as bait

Your right Nick the ones they use for medical proceedures are an endangered species and they are protected they can only sell them because they are bred commercially. It is illegal to take them from the wild. Having said that I think there are other species that are not protected but they are much smaller than the ones the labs sell. Just google leeches and it will tell you all about them

your right there. it's only the bloodsuckers that are endangered. the crustacian (worm/water snail) eaters are okay to take from the wild, but they are a bit differet from the blood sucking veriety. apparently a piece of liver in a trap like a crayfish trap is the only way to catch them as they inhabit deep water.

no mate they are easy to get just turn over a few rocks in streams ect ect n ur bound to find some. were i shoot ducks there is a small stream that meets the marshland and i just tern over a few rocks and get a few.

yes the ones you find there are the endangered ones. the ones your allowed to take are the ones that live under water. just the way it goes, i'm afraid. a hell of a fine if you get caught nicking the blood suckers, m8.

yea but who's gonna catch ya

if you don't get caught then it's a lot of money saved. thing is if there happens to be a baliff there then it's a serios fine.

thats easy do it wer nobody goes not near bailif areas