Nightcrawlin' A Night to Remember

Tuesday April 22nd

NIGHTCRAWLIN'

I had a feeling poking my head out the front door to see if it was raining heavy, it was barely sprinkling, you could smell the dirt, the peeper chorus was loud, this was perfect night crawler weather.

James, Jason and I just got back in at 10pm (They're on vacation this week) we've been practicing the long lost art of NIGHTCRAWLIN'. 

We covered about an acre tonight of the front, side hill, and side yards scrambling and crawling around the yard on all fours s-l-o-w-l-y... Yes that slow...maybe just a bit slower. No time to worry about getting your knees dirty.


With the fishing derby this coming weekend it's good practice.

The teaching part goes like this...
Me with a headlight, slowly, no slower, don't get in the light, no stomping your feet, like a cat slowly, there's one dive for it, pinch don't pull, just pinch and hold him, did ya lose him, aww, there's another one, get him, aww missed him too, it's OK there's more, get that one right there see the shadow of my finger look, see him? Pinch him, don't let go, wait, who's got the worm can? there's another, grab 'em you have two hands, grab them both, when you can get 3 in each hand that's an expert, look there's two, it's been a couple maybe 40 years since I got three in each hand, don't let him go, oh look there's two more, git 'em', wait for him to let go or you'll break him in two, slowly...  he'll let go in a minute, pinch him, wait for him... oh, nice one!  Wait don't get to far ahead, oh you scared that one... there he is...

They're slimy Papa, and fast too. Yeah they are, but isn't this fun?  I got a nod from both of them, onward we went into the night...

James got the hang of it after missing the first 12 or so then finally came to the realization that pinching and letting up only to watch the worm go down into his hole wasn't making progress, dive, (he was diving like Spider-man out there) pinch the worm, resist the urge to let up, PINCH, HOLD IT, and when the worm starts to release his grip on his hole, slowly, you'll feel the worm release its hold on the worm hole, then AND ONLY THEN you can slowly pull up, if you feel resistance wait him out he'll let go... then you can you pull the remainder of the up to 12" long night crawler up out of the earth in one slow motion holding the prize up in victory for all to see.  Look at the size of this one Papa...

Jason caught on and pulled a few big ones out of the ground too, he was struggling with the pinch and don't let go part, but got the hang of it and did catch some, it is hard at first to remember this thing moving in your hand trying to get back into the round can't hurt you.  Jason was acting worm bucket holder, and part time spotter too.

We caught about 60 or so in the hour we were out...  A good night.  I had a blast... 

Learning is hard, but it is rewarding.