Lugworm, the new 'Black Gold'?

[Sutton Warrior]

£18 per hundred is a bit steep for something often only a couple of inches long. Although, a friend reported that Breakaway Tackle in Ipswich supplied him with some excellent worms last week.

 

For a decent cod bait on a boat = 6-8, 2" worms, thats more than £1 OK add a couple of fresh worms per cast and strip every 3rd/4th cast? As I say 'Black Gold'. Noticing that squid is being mentioned more in the posts? That costing makes peeler fairly cost effective, especially if you use half + rag, lug, squid or fish tip? By tip I mean put the crab up the trace, bind on and ad the worm or squid to the hook, depends, what your after and where?

 

Anyone got any ideas about reducing the affective cost of bait, digging not a option, ouch!. Certainly one has cut costs by reducing the amount of lugworm I buy. I remember 20 years ago it was normal to have 200-250 worms for a 2 rod session, and they were far better quality then as well, so were the fish of course.

 

'Sutton W'

[glennk]

Cut out the middle man. Find yourself a digger. I

[les middy]

50 lug and 30 rag for £11.00 which i don't think is expensive

[Sutton Warrior]

50 lug and 30 rag for £11.00 which i don't think is expensive

 

In this part of the world that would be £13.00's worth. No not a lot??? But unfortunately, that would hardly do half a session with two rods on a boat. One of the ways I keep costs down, by using one rod with worm and the other on squid, squid in the winter often out fishing worm anyway

 

I think I have to face the fact that worm is 'gold dust' and therefore, look at being tight with it, use squid in the winter, and more cut fish in the summer. Had a good summer with cut fish bait last year. Problem is, one objects to paying 18p for a 2" lugworm! One worm that size just dont make a viable bait when cod fishing. Big baits = big fish, so they say???

 

Roll on summer, do some meaningful bass, hound and tope fishing on and around the banks. Get the 'king rag' out now there is a bait that 'fights back' and says 'I'm value for money'!!!

 

'Sutton W'

[Elton]

Cut out the middle man. Find yourself a digger. I

 

Then cut him out and dig them yourself

[Sutton Warrior]

Then cut him out and dig them yourself

 

If I was younger, and fully functioning!!! (dont even think about it!!) . . . but aches, pains and a few years under the belt makes digging impractical . . . you wait . . . you will catch up

 

'Sutton W'

[Onenil]

I've done both, buying and digging my own bait which is hard graft and for any novice to dig 200 worm is hard on the back.But if you had to buy the same in a tackle shop.Would you get the same quality ? The worms wouldn't be as fresh as your freshly dug worms ? and putting the cost of how much its cost you to dig them i.e petrol money getting to the worm beds.You'd be looking at £1.50 for 10 worms ( i know the prices vary around the coast but for an average price.) So you'd be looking at £30 worth of worms for a 5 hour fishing trip.Thats for two anglers.Then you've got the extra bits and bobs of bait mussels, razorfish, peeler crab,squid etc.It's not very often an angler will go fishing with just one bait.But the same person wouldn't be bothered about going to the pub on a Friday night and spending £40-£50 on drink, bandits ,pool/snooker table dominoe cards prize draws etc.So taken that in mind, bait for fishing is still worth the money aslong as its good quality.

[Sutton Warrior]

I've done both, buying and digging my own bait which is hard graft and for any novice to dig 200 worm is hard on the back.But if you had to buy the same in a tackle shop.Would you get the same quality ? The worms wouldn't be as fresh as your freshly dug worms ? and putting the cost of how much its cost you to dig them i.e petrol money getting to the worm beds.You'd be looking at £1.50 for 10 worms ( i know the prices vary around the coast but for an average price.) So you'd be looking at £30 worth of worms for a 5 hour fishing trip.Thats for two anglers.Then you've got the extra bits and bobs of bait mussels, razorfish, peeler crab,squid etc.It's not very often an angler will go fishing with just one bait.But the same person wouldn't be bothered about going to the pub on a Friday night and spending £40-£50 on drink, bandits ,pool/snooker table dominoe cards prize draws etc.So taken that in mind, bait for fishing is still worth the money aslong as its good quality.

 

You may be right 'Onenil', about the value of the worms that is???? But £40-£50 for a night out? . . . call me a miserable old git, but to pay £50 for the privilege of giving myself a headache is madness in the extreme. Yea, and I dont smoke either !!!!! . . . . ****** !!!! Decided to keep the rest of this part of the reply to my self,

 

And you have missed the point, age and creaking bones means that worm digging as a serious activity is not an option! 18p for a 2 inch worms half a dozen required for a decent bait????

 

'Sutton Warrior'

Edited March 21, 2007 by Sutton Warrior

[Onenil]

But £40-£50 for a night out? . . . call me a miserable old git, but to pay £50 for the privilege of giving myself a headache is madness in the extreme. Yea, and I dont smoke either !!!!! . . . . ****** !!!! Decided to keep the rest of this part of the reply to my self,

 

And you have missed the point, age and creaking bones means that worm digging as a serious activity is not an option! 18p for a 2 inch worms half a dozen required for a decent bait????

 

'Sutton Warrior'

 

I'm putting the having a night out on the drink into comparison,Ok £40- £50 may be a bit steep, but thats what i would spend.But alot of people wouldn't spend the same money on a night out fishing thats what i'm saying.I think the price of bait/worms is ok because if you've never had to dig bait or collect crab you'll not understand how much effort goes into it.Some diggers have got alot of worms to dig to keep a tackle shop in bait 1000's of worms a week.Plus they get paid less for what the angler has to buy them for.I don't agree when your bait is poor quality and the shop "try it on" hoping you'll not complain.But i've had tackle shop owners trying to sell me dead stinking crab and burst dead worms among the alive ones.The best thing to do is check your bait before you leave the shop.I haven't missed the point about age and creaking bones when i'm digging you want to hear my bones creaking. i need one of these after a good dig.

[steve duffy]

£18 per 100? Is that for blowlug or suey? Up here in the outback known as Merseyside you can pay£3-50 for 10.So in my eyes £18 for a 100 would be a bargain ( if they were suey) Myself,I get up off my butt and pump my own.