yellow tails

**mudway** · 13-03-2007, 18:13

i got a few yellows left over from the weekend and i'm looking to keep them alive for another few days.... just changed their water now and some are shot so removed them, some of the surviors look strong whereas some look like they could go soon (a bit thin and weedy) whats the best way to keep them alive? i dont have access to a fridge just kept in the shed in shallow trays. (the shed has concrete floor so maintains a good medium temp)

**Bob C** · 13-03-2007, 18:55

Without a Fridge you will be pushing it to keep the water at about 4 deg. at this time of year which is about where it need to be. 12 deg. here today and really cold weather over Winter has been rare. You really do need a Fridge with water changed daily imho. Can keep for weeks like this.

**philtherod** · 13-03-2007, 18:56

Sounds like you've been topping up with seawater...by doing so you increase the salt content, as the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Mark with a permanent marker the water level, and top up with fresh to this mark as needed. Should solve the problem.

philtherod

**billfish** · 13-03-2007, 19:14

put them in a tray m8t, & just put enough water in 2 half cover them.
then put them in2 a cardboard box with ice packs or little pop bottles frozen
up, keep about 6 bottles in the freezer then just keep changing them 2 at a time.
should act like a mini fridge hopefully, only thig i can think of m8t

but u need 2 get yourself a fridge much easyer 2 keep all ya bait fresh as poss.

**mudway** · 14-03-2007, 17:08

cheers guys, bait fridge is on the cards soon cos i hate chucking bait away after a trip, especially yellow tails at £4 a score!!

**booboo** · 14-03-2007, 17:54

here goes a silly novice question
what are yellow tails

**mudway** · 14-03-2007, 18:13

they are another member of the lugworm family, dug a bit further out than commons (i believe) and generally are longer and darker than commons. they need gutting before going on the hook and have a yellow stain to them which is a pig to get off your hands!! once gutted they go stiff and i find for the codling its best to whip em on the hook together (like sausage) rather than thread and thread like you would with commons. codling love em!
im sure someone else will give a more technical answer..........

**billfish** · 14-03-2007, 18:44

Originally Posted by mudway

they are another member of the lugworm family, dug a bit further out than commons (i believe) and generally are longer and darker than commons. they need gutting before going on the hook and have a yellow stain to them which is a pig to get off your hands!! once gutted they go stiff and i find for the codling its best to whip em on the hook together (like sausage) rather than thread and thread like you would with commons. codling love em!
im sure someone else will give a more technical answer..........

y do u gut them m8t???? they just go on whole alot more sent, the only time u gut them is 2 freeze up

dont wrap in newspaper because they dry out & the heat off your hands can burst them so always handle them with wet hands, the best part of the yellows is the guts

i even have a sealed tub of them in the fridge that i had left. i just salted them whole, that was going on 2 months ago now, they have burst & just sitting
in the juices now but when i lift the lid they still smell as fresh as the day i put them in. mind u when i use them they will have 2 b bound on2 the hook

**crazyplums** · 14-03-2007, 18:58

Originally Posted by mudway

they are another member of the lugworm family, dug a bit further out than commons (i believe) and generally are longer and darker than commons. they need gutting before going on the hook and have a yellow stain to them which is a pig to get off your hands!! once gutted they go stiff and i find for the codling its best to whip em on the hook together (like sausage) rather than thread and thread like you would with commons. codling love em!
im sure someone else will give a more technical answer..........

as billfish said, you shouldn't have to gut the worm before putting it on, i only gut them if i'm wrapping them in paper, they keep well enough, a week or more, i also froze some down a week or so back, pop em in whole, cover with salt, they pop their head, but retain guts etc, i don't recall if i caught on them or not, but they hook up ok.

where i dig, we get yellowtails, big black ones, big red ones, and smaller ones too, i've never seen a lug without a yellow tail though ! excpet for them little muddy loving lugs from rivers.

**Dave Oldman** · 14-03-2007, 20:37

Originally Posted by mudway

they are another member of the lugworm family, dug a bit further out than commons (i believe) and generally are longer and darker than commons. they need gutting before going on the hook and have a yellow stain to them which is a pig to get off your hands!! once gutted they go stiff and i find for the codling its best to whip em on the hook together (like sausage) rather than thread and thread like you would with commons. codling love em!
im sure someone else will give a more technical answer..........

hi dan,

i know of a place that you can dig yellows with a fork and they are feet away from the shingle.

don't gut them first mate.get em on the hook and in the water....dave.