Hello all

I work in a biology lab and today the left overs of an undergraduate practical were being thrown out, namely about 150 good quality lugworm.

Rather than let them go to waste i wrapped them in damp news paper and popped them in the -30 degrees freezer. Now i know that they will go a bit mushy when thawed and that they wont be quality, but rather than waste the whole lot i was wondering if i can put them to any use at all,as i wont be able to use them within the next couple of weeks.

Maybe as an emergency bait or in groundbait for wrasse or mullet? I dont expect them to compare to fresh bait , but do they have any uses? Has anyone used similar.

any input appreciated
ADAM

I think the secret with freezing lug or wrag is that the quicker they are frozen, the better they will be when defrosted. I reckon if you could have plunged them straight into liquid nitrogen that would be even better.

Frozen lug-worm:-

Pity you went and froze them straight away:- next time:- this works with black lug we call it runny down:-
snip the end off sqeeze the insides out put the long skins on an open tray of sand:- then freeze after they are frozen wrap them in cling film individually and pop back in the freezer they will keep for evermore;..excellent bait for Cod.

Blackvelvet

Hello all

Funny that you should say that blackvelvet, as that is what they were used for in the practical. The ends were snipped off and the juices squeezed out for carbohydrate analysis, so hopefully they will freeze alright on the paper.

Corydoras-no shortage of nitrogen , but i didnt know that about the fast freezing. i have gone and popped them in the -80 fast freezer but as i cant dip them in the nitrogen flasks with other people about, might pour some over the paper though

Thanks for the replies

ADAM

The faster something organic freezes (fruit, worms) the smaller the ice crystals. The smaller the ice crystals, the less damage to the cell structure of the organism.

i should have known that, guess the old brain isnt working

anyway they are quick frozen at -80 , ill be getting some more tomorrow and ill snap freeze that lot and see if there is any difference

cheers
ADAM

If they were true black lug, the squeezing out idea works.
But, if they were the more common blow lug, it doesn,t.
Trust me, I tried it.

Adam S,

If you ever have to repeat this experiment on a larger scale, send the resulting frozen lug to me for, errrrrrr, 'analysis'

agrre with cory
If you can't use liquid nitrogen make a 30 % glycerol solution in 0.9% saline soak the worms in this for 20 mins and then freeze at -37 you can then take them home and store in your domestic freezer this should also prevent cellular damage it works for red blood cells so should work for your worms.
If they are only blow then I doubt theres any point if they have already been stripped as its the juice that holds most of the attractants.

agrre with cory
If you can't use liquid nitrogen make a 30 % glycerol solution in 0.9% saline soak the worms in this for 20 mins and then freeze at -37 you can then take them home and store in your domestic freezer this should also prevent cellular damage it works for red blood cells so should work for your worms.
If they are only blow then I doubt theres any point if they have already been stripped as its the juice that holds most of the attractants.