Worm Bait Alternatives

In winter, from both boat and shore, fresh worm baits reign supreme. However, if your trip coincides with small neap tides, very heavy ground frosts or snow, or a glut of cod and whiting, supplies will be poor, maybe non existent.

It's even worse if you live inland and have to take a chance on the word of the tackle dealer that your ordered bait will actually be there when you arrive. You need to have alternative baits in mind that will still catch you your share of fish.

A stock of frozen black or sewie lugworm in your freezer is an good starting point. It's no where near as good as fresh, but does catch fish, particularly those cod, whiting, and dabs. It does go stale though. Only keep it about three months, no longer, otherwise your catches will suffer.

Secure a supply by either digging yourself, or taking a fair quantity of fresh worms from a digger or dealer. Immediately you get home gut them, dry them out on kitchen paper, and then wrap them, without touching each other, in several sheets of newspaper.

It doesn't matter how far you live from the coast fish baits like mackerel and herring are relatively easy to obtain. But is it fresh.

Mackerel can be several days old when it finally hits the fishmongers slab. You need to look at the eye for signs of freshness. If the eye is glassy with a definite sheen and transparency then the fish are fairly fresh. Experienced anglers call this "live eye".

When the eye has turned milky inside, has little if any sheen, and the whole eye has turned red with congealed blood, then the mackerel is old and well past it's best. The same acid test can be applied to herring as well. Also, any yellow around the belly of the fish shows seepage of natural body oils which only takes place long after death.

If you buy frozen mackerel from a tackle shop insist on Ammo or Predator baits packs. Both these are blast frozen fully fresh and come highly recommended.

Dabs, whiting, dogfish, flounders, pout, and coalfish can be expected when fishing fresh or frozen fish baits from the shore. On the boats expect whiting, dabs, dogfish, even late rays. When fishing deeper water over rough ground odd big cod may be tempted as well as huss and late conger.

Also bear in mind that just taking a couple of frozen mackerel to catch the real bait is often the most successful method of all. A strip of frozen mackerel will take a small whiting, which, in turn, will interest a bigger cod.

Good bait for specific species

Frozen sandeels are a reasonable bait for whiting and occasionally flounders from the shore, but tend to interest too many dogfish for west coast anglers to use them seriously.

Squid is disregarded by many, but produces good bags of fish. It is available in 1lb and 5lb boxes. It's better to buy 5lbs and split it in to convenient bait sized packs for instant readiness. You can fish it in strips for whiting and dabs, use a strip to tip off a lug bait, or fish it whole in ones, twos, and threes for big jumbo cod on pennel rigs of two and three hooks when boat fishing over deep water.

For freshness, even when frozen, check for a wholly white to grey colouring. If the squid has become tinged with red and pink, then leave it alone for it is past it's best. Don't believe anglers that say that old squid is more effective than fresh. It isn't.

Frozen peeler crab can work out about 50% as effective as fresh if used within three months. It is good for cod working over inshore rough ground right through until late November, but then loses it's appeal to the cod who transfer almost fully over to worm.

Fully peeling the shell off, taking the lungs out, washing the meat in tap water, then wrapping it in cling film wrap is the accepted method of storage. It does work, but you can hardly tell the difference between this and a fresh crab fully frozen inside it's shell and used as it thaws out when compared with fish caught. Washing the shelled crab under the tap loses too much of the natural scent.

It's interesting to note that coalfish will hit the shell frozen crab better than a crab wrapped in cling film. It's about 50/50 for codling, but dabs prefer the shell frozen crab too. Much depends on keeping air out of the container. The less freezer burn the better.

Be very wary of crabs sold in tackle shops contained in plastic bags granny knotted at the top. These are always a third rate bait, often turning to mush when fully thawed. It's more than likely that they were long dead when they went into the freezer and massive deterioration had already begun.

Mussel are easy to obtain

Mussels are a much maligned bait. They are cheap and easily available at any decent fishmonger. They can be kept alive in a bucket with a damp towel over the top for several days if kept in a cool place. No excuse here, you have a fresh live bait that will really get you amongst codling and dabs from both boat and shore.

Prior to fishing, if you shell the mussels and put them in to a container loose they permeate in their own juices giving off a powerful scent. Contrary to what you read mussels are not only effective in the northeast, but virtually anywhere, it's just that few anglers use them with real intent.

You can freeze mussels too. Either complete in their shells, or already bound on to hooks with elasticated thread. A loop at the end of each hook length allows quick and easy change over when a new bait is required.

Razorfish are not the best of standby baits, but are worthy of mention. They are best frozen whole in their shells inside air tight containers. Some anglers blanche them in warm water and remove the shells. This par boils the razor and creates an alien smell to the bait. Blanched razors are not as effective as freshly frozen ones.

Flatfish will take razors, but few codling seem interested in frozen razor on it's own. However, they can be good as a tipping bait in conjunction with lugworm and mussel when bait is short.

Cockles fall into the same category, but can be deadly for flounders and dabs, or as a tipping bait for codling. These are easily raked inside estuaries and can be frozen after shelling.

There are other alternatives, but all these fall in to the "will catch fish, but don't hold your breath" category. Fresh is always going to be better, but given the mentioned alternatives you need not lose confidence in the chances of a days sport.

You can further help yourself by making sure you look after the bait you've got.

Any fresh or frozen bait, even in winter, benefits from being inside a cool box with a couple of freeze packs. Make sure though, that the freeze packs are not in direct contact with fresh bait or it will suffer. Frozen worm and mussel baits can be stored in a vacuum flask for easier carrying. This storage system also allows unused baits to be taken home none the worse for wear. Nothing wrong with being cost effective.

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