Garden Worms

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Has anybody used the common garden lobworm or dendras to good effect for sea fishing. I got thinking about this after being told buy an experienced angler that they are good in an estuary after there has been heavy rain washing soil in colouring up the river. I tried them but only got one small flounder, another angler told me that the river had to much cold, fresh water in it that day? Also lobworms can be collected on a damp evening very easily for FREE as they come out onto the grass! If only lugworms did the same:g: all that digging! Perhaps this is a good idea, after all it has to be worth a go as they are free, and i know how well chopped worm works for coarse fish. Any feedback will interest me

[Spitfire66]

They work fine in estuarys but bleach out fast.........the saltier the water the sooner they bleach out

[blankerman]

have heard that sole can go mad on them at times.might have to give them a try as i've several hundred in wormeries at the moment:blink: :)
did'nt somebody have a big bass at ogmore on garden worms about 18 months ago:unsure:

[fyshermen1001]

Has anybody used the common garden lobworm or dendras to good effect for sea fishing. I got thinking about this after being told buy an experienced angler that they are good in an estuary after there has been heavy rain washing soil in colouring up the river. I tried them but only got one small flounder, another angler told me that the river had to much cold, fresh water in it that day? Also lobworms can be collected on a damp evening very easily for FREE as they come out onto the grass! If only lugworms did the same:g: all that digging! Perhaps this is a good idea, after all it has to be worth a go as they are free, and i know how well chopped worm works for coarse fish. Any feedback will interest me




use them on the Ribble estuary all the time work for dabs /flounder and eels ,

the place where i was fishing is the docks in preston and i was fishing with a standard beach caster with fixed metal paternoster and garden worms had a few dabs and then a strange bite ended up catching a chub around 3 lb and 20 mins later another around the 4lb mark then caught a few more dabs and a snig {eel} but they do work and for 30 mins digging in the garden a free trip out




tightlines...........................daz

[flounder_al]

Used them all the time on the River Humber for flatties and eels. Do wash out quickly though.

[Flathead]

Not used lobs for years. Last time I did me and a mate were fishing for eel with peeler and when the fish didnt appear to be interested I sneakerly took out some worms from my bag and fished with them. Within 5 mins I was into eels. Still to this day he has no idea why he caught none.
Only problem they do get bleached but they stay alive for ages and I did catch a couple on the same worm.

[Pelamid]

The reference to sole got me thinking. I used to dig bait on the beach at Frinton-on- sea. On a few occasions garden worms were crawling from the grassy areas above the prom, across the concrete prom and onto the beach. No idea if they made it into the sea but there were thousands of them.
Perhaps they are not such an unusual food for inshore species.
In my teens I tried them as lug were to expensive for me, but as has been said they wash out very quickly. Caught eels though.

[King Of Leon]

just been out in the garden potting some plants and was surprised at the amount of worms in the soil. ive heard of people using them before for flounder, but has anyone tried them and are they any good! any free baits a bonus!!!!:g: :g:

[keef]

My brother and I used them a few times off the pier a t Kinlochbervie just in bunches on a 1/0 hook and caught good coalies ,pollack and a couple of small red codling. I must take some with me next time I go for the flatties, just to tip off with

[Rob]

There's a thread running in the baits discussion forum on this very topic.

http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59517

General consensus is that they are good for estuary fishing. Interesting reading. :)

[King Of Leon]

cheers rob, you may aswell close this one!

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Theres definately something in this. I will take some myself next time i got to Hartlepool perhaps they might even work from the pier, who knows. They seem to stay alive for a long time and as you say if anything else can be used as a cocktail to bulk out expensive lug baits.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Heres a thought. Apparently Berkley Gulp releases 400x more scent than natural bait. Perhaps used in conjunction with lobworms this could provide a scent trail while the worms produce the movement the Gulp bait lacks. Or perhaps they could be used with a homemade film canister feeder. Anyone has any good ideas please post them!

[m.b3]

Heres a thought. Apparently Berkley Gulp releases 400x more scent than natural bait. Perhaps used in conjunction with lobworms this could provide a scent trail while the worms produce the movement the Gulp bait lacks. Or perhaps they could be used with a homemade film canister feeder. Anyone has any good ideas please post them!

lobworms die rapidly once in seawater. no movement!

[dab hand]

They are a good bait for common eels in the Cree estuary in S.W.Scotland, especially as it is usualy only minutes between bites at the right stage of the tide during the summer/ autum.

[Dave Oldman]

Not used lobs for years. Last time I did me and a mate were fishing for eel with peeler and when the fish didnt appear to be interested I sneakerly took out some worms from my bag and fished with them. Within 5 mins I was into eels. Still to this day he has no idea why he caught none.
Only problem they do get bleached but they stay alive for ages and I did catch a couple on the same worm.

remember them salt water dyke's we used to fish in when we was kids?loads of eels on garden worm's!i wonder if there are any eel's in them these days.

used to catch flounder's in the river swale (kent) on lobworm 20 years ago....dave.

[big guy]

they fish well for flounder and eels, especially in the estuaries. if you can i think chopped worm in a feeder will work really well for the eels.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Could these FREE Worms just not be used to bulk out the baits though? I have faith in cocktail baits, perhaps a lobworm and peeler bait would be a killer for flatties. Its free after all if you get your own crab!

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I can see your point though that they are probably best used in brackish water like estuary though. perhaps the main sea would be a bit to much but who knows untill you try it.

[codbasher3]

just been out in the garden potting some plants and was surprised at the amount of worms in the soil. ive heard of people using them before for flounder, but has anyone tried them and are they any good! any free baits a bonus!!!!:g: :g:

Used nothing else but when I was a kid down the river for flatties, always caught on them every time mate :) even had whiteys and colies off the pier with them lol
Oh and nowt like a bit of kipper either lol

[Flathead]

Its all worth a try. I cast out the same worm twice and caught 2 eels. When it was the good old days I caught, I think at least, 8 eels the last time I used lobworm.

[jassyfa]

very good for eels in the estuarys in early april.

[hibbdogg]

I shall try them for wrasse this summer as the tactics i use its only seconds in the water till you get bites and half the time i think they just grab at anything worm like.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Wrasse fishing was something i had never thought of. I bet they would work well for the smaller shoal wrasse. Perhaps they would make a good float fishing bait for pollock aswell, they take float fished jellies and redgills so i cant see why they wouldnt take a lobworm.

[thornbackflounder]

Blinding bait for eels ,as the high tides , HIT IN LANDS ,worms will be washed into the esturys ,thus a natural bait for eels and flounders

[keef]

Come on , someone who can (has some seawater) ,get a worm and put it in the water and see how long it wiggles for.....I think 2 mins plus.....give it a go, it would certainly add to this thread and put our minds at rest

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Think about the state our baits in when its on the deck though? I know that frozen black lug doesnt wriggle but it still catches plenty of fish. I doubt that even live lug and rag will last long after it has been impaled on our hooks and hurled out to sea. Also aswell as being predators most fish like flounders, dabs and bass are scavengers and will take a free meal. I think this must be worth a go atleast, chances are that fish will not come across baits naturally that resemble our hook baits?

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Great minds think alike! Rob has directed you to my thred

[bigscottie]

i had a try with some left over from a freshwater session and caught 2 bass, could't believe it, have not tried again since so may have been a fluke but i may take some along next bass session just to check

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I think that they will work to a certain extent in estuarys and fom piers. What i am wondering now is if they will work off the boat say on a shrimp rig, or from the open beach? if any has any experience of this then please post!

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I know this is going off the boil a bit but on mike ladles (the bass god himselfs) website me mentions that he has caught large bass on a woodlouse! Apparently they look like a small mollusc that bass search for in the weed?

[Bass-ic Instinct]

A good idea i just picked up froma course fishing friend is to turn your old shakespeare tackle box into a wormery. Aparently all you do is feed the worms on a dollop of Smash ready mixed potato and left over vegetable peelings per week. I thought this was useful as it could be a resourcfull bait lada for many anglers. Aparently they will bread and last for ever as long as they are fed and the dead worms removed. This could be really usefull for estuary anglers, and course anglers alike. If anybody uses garden worms in a session to good or bad effect then please post it here and let us know im sure people will be interested whatever the outcome.

[cap'nhaddock]

researcher, Day quotes lobworm as bait for wrasse; written prior to 1904.

'nothing new under the sun'

[t0ny]

With most of our summer league matches being fished in the lower tidal stretch of the Aln, I'll be giving lobworms a go.

I seem to remember many, many years ago when I was a young`un using lobworms here and catching flounders and eels.

We'll see what happens !

Tony

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I have caught large flounders on cockles in the river Aln too. I bet lobworms would work well there and also on Warkworth pier.

[Big_Jay]

i'v caught bass and big mullet on garden lobworms in the river neath also in port talbot docks you catch schoolie bass over the side one after another on lobworm if you find the rite spot

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I have just looked in my wormery and my dendrabenas from last year still seem to be going strong. I will put them to the test tomorrow fishin from Hartlepool. I am going to use them in conjunction with rag, squid, clam, mackerel and herring baits to see how i get on. I plan on using a inline feeder rig filled with mackerel flesh, chopped worm (both rag and dendra), or maybe just plain worm or perhaps alternating to see what works best. I will report on my thread tomorrow detailing how i get on. In the mean time if nybody else goes fishing with lob worms please can they post any catch reports?

[Fisher_Nick]

try and get a woodlouse on a 2/0 though lol

can't see why bunches of big fat lobworms can't catch either!

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I have seen how light they fish on the continent. They use size 12 and 14 coarse fishing style hooks and 4ld hooklinks. The mind boggles its a whole different approach over there. I am more than game to try it over here though, and you know what i bet it works aswell!

[levent]

Hello My Friend
i use garden worms for striped sea bream,gilt-head bream ,seabass etc.its really do a good works in shores of Fethiye/TURKEY

[top cat]

ih gonna try some from the east arm newhaven as the fresh water from the river comes out , it really colours up the water there

[dean_gifford]

In swansea marina ive had gobies, bass and wrass on garden worm, im looking at fishing the river and testing maddies agains garden worms to see which comes out better, only porblem is if the fuzz come down and think im fishing for salmon with the garden worms, oh well a risk i will take (no salmon in the dam river anyways...)

[Juan Dogee-giza]

Top bait for eels in my local rivers the Thames and the Crouch!! :)

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Success. I fished off Steetly today and caught about 15 smallish Dabs and two nice plaice about 12-14oz. Most were caught on a mixture of rag, tiped with dendrabena and a small cube of herring or squid. Of note though both plaice came on the ebb tide, one on just two lobworms tipped with a squid strip as well. There seemed to be a few fish about and i will go and try it out again hoping for more of the same on Sunday.
Tight lines! Iain

[m.b3]

well done! gonna try em soon myself. have read an article on a lad using them on the sandbanks for plaice and dabs with considerable success.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Thanks! I will be out using them this coming Sunday. No doubt i will report my finding. I fished them on a light three hook flapper rig (accompanying picture to follow shortly). It was constructed of;
5ft 70ld Ulitima Powerflex rig body,
80ld Berkley top szivvel,
Genie clip (to attach lead),
3x 45ld black Berkley snood swivvels,
Mustad aero beads (NOTE: positioned with powergum stop knots! not crimps)
3x 12inch snood of red 20ld Amnesia,
Each snood had 3x Sea match 5mm beads on and 2no. 8 x 5mm Power Storm lumi beads, finished with a mustad pearly sequin and held in place with powergum,
3x Sz 2 mustad blue aberdeens hooks

Hopefully this may help, you don't have to use these exact components its just what i prefer to use.

[Goosey]

I recently read in a Self-suffiicency book about using a woollen net around the size of your fist containing common earthworms/lobworms. Hung on a line to catch eels and garfish - the thread catches in their fine teeth, (so wool works better than nylon fruit nets, for example).

Don't forget, if you don't have a garden 'worm farm' handy, just pop out onto the lawn on a wet night/after rain and collect them with ease. Then keep them safe for your next trip!

[Jamie Donnelly]

so how can you keep worms? if i go out in the rain a collect some, how can i keep them for up to 4 weeks??

Jamie

[Corndawg]

so how can you keep worms? if i go out in the rain a collect some, how can i keep them for up to 4 weeks??

Jamie

Easy.


Give them plenty of air circulation around the bag they are in,and keep them cool.....
Also in a dark place.........

I have got a bait tub with worms in from nearly three months ago,and they are still going strong !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

don't forget to feed them.

Mashed spud,minus milk,butter,and salt,a teaspoon a week,will keep them going......

[dabcatcher]

Success. I fished off Steetly today and caught about 15 smallish Dabs and two nice plaice about 12-14oz. Most were caught on a mixture of rag, tiped with dendrabena and a small cube of herring or squid. Of note though both plaice came on the ebb tide, one on just two lobworms tipped with a squid strip as well. There seemed to be a few fish about and i will go and try it out again hoping for more of the same on Sunday.
Tight lines! Iain

well done. but you really need to try them on there own to be sure they actually want the lob worm and not the cocktail.

i also fished steetly last night and had dabs on rag tipped with mackerel but if i put a bit of lob in the middle i still think it would be the other bait they were after.

if using a multi hook rig use one hook exclusively for lob worm and then see what baits they are actually going for. you might get a totaly different result.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

True Dabcatcher. It wasn't really a fair test, but it has proved that atleast lobworms can be used to bulk out more expensive sea baits such as lug and rag, perhaps something for those of us anglers who have to work on a tighter budget. I think i will need to trial them over the next few months on a reglar basis over different marks though to see if they actually area that, good and to make sure that that session was not a one-off 'fluke' although i am confident it was not. I will keep you all posted and let you know of my findings though, and promise to be 100% honest with my findings (if i blank i will say so, its all part of the learning process we call fishing). Perhaps even you could try it this weekend Dabcatcher, its been wet today so I am sure there will be some lobworms on the grass tonight.

[dabcatcher]

True Dabcatcher. It wasn't really a fair test, but it has proved that atleast lobworms can be used to bulk out more expensive sea baits such as lug and rag, perhaps something for those of us anglers who have to work on a tighter budget. I think i will need to trial them over the next few months on a reglar basis over different marks though to see if they actually area that, good and to make sure that that session was not a one-off 'fluke' although i am confident it was not. I will keep you all posted and let you know of my findings though, and promise to be 100% honest with my findings (if i blank i will say so, its all part of the learning process we call fishing). Perhaps even you could try it this weekend Dabcatcher, its been wet today so I am sure there will be some lobworms on the grass tonight.

i definately wont be using garden worms for bait. i have a healthy supply of fresh,free sea worms.

plus.

i,ve fished in the sea for over 35 years and seen people try this before. dont you really think that everyone who struggled to get sea worms hasnt already thought of this.
when i was a kid we didnt have the money to buy bait so if you didnt dig you didnt fish. people then tried everything including garden worms.

my conclusion on this subject is.

yes you will get the odd fish on garden worms but you will get the odd fish on anything you put in the water.

while you got an odd fish on them you might have bagged up had you used a normal sea bait.

cost...... an average size squid costs around 10p. cut this into worm size strips and you have quite a few. i guarantee you will definately catch on it.

there are times when lob,s will fish well in near fresh water for flounder or eels because they are in that situation a natural bait.

i think you could spend many hours missing good fish. if it worked the shops would already be selling them for sea baits.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

Rest assured i am not doing this because i am skint, i spend a lot of money on top quality tackle and faced with a normal situation will always pay for good quality fresh sea baits as i believe that this maximises the potential of catching fish (something i am sure you agree with yourself). However since posting the thread as a bit of daft relating ot a coversation i had with my mate in a pub about how fish will eat anything that remotely resembles food. It has since therefore become a matter of principle to test them and see if they do actually work. The subject of 'alternative baits' has fascinated me, and given me a good laugh at the same time! Perhaps to put it best what i am going is testing common myths to see if there is any underlying truth to them. Looking at other threads though, rest assured i will NOT be lobbing out a large piece of black pudding or a whole Craster kipper next time yopu see me at Pools.