Bait digging...........

[norfolk_lass]

I've done a search and read a few bits here, but sadly I'm still confused (yeah I know its not hard LOL).

 

I've found a couple of patches on my local beaches fairly near high water which are cram full of worm casts, in some places every couple of inches but i'm finding it very hard to find any worms!

 

Any advice?

 

What I have found has varied in size and health but has only been at about a spades depth. Its a pain to get deeper anyway as my holes fill with water at this depth.

 

any advice on this would be most helpfull before i tear my hair out. ....cheers!

[glennk]

I've done a search and read a few bits here, but sadly I'm still confused (yeah I know its not hard LOL).

 

I've found a couple of patches on my local beaches fairly near high water which are cram full of worm casts, in some places every couple of inches but i'm finding it very hard to find any worms!

 

Any advice?

 

What I have found has varied in size and health but has only been at about a spades depth. Its a pain to get deeper anyway as my holes fill with water at this depth.

 

any advice on this would be most helpfull before i tear my hair out. ....cheers!

 

 

Worms near the high water mark are often small unless washed there by the bigger tides. This doesnt mean they arent good bait though. Try digging them with a wide tined potato fork. Dig them like you would dig the garden and try get down to 2 forks depth.

 

For the bigger worms look nearer low water. I think if youve got a lot of worms near high water mark you will find some bigger ones at low water. They will likely be less dense. Its best to dig these one at a time. Start at the cast and get down deep and then dig back to the blow hole. Assuming they are blow lug that is, and I think they will be if theres a lot near high water mark.

Edited October 10, 2008 by glennk

[norfolk_lass]

Cheers glenn, i'll give it a go over the weekend and see how i get on.

[les middy]

Take your spade/folk and throw them in the back of shed

 

And go to the bait shop and buy some a lot less hassel

 

I pay £13.00 a pound for lug or rag

[norfolk_lass]

Cheers glenn, I tried what you said and got a few really big things...some were sooo big I had to let them go for fear of them wrestling me underground!!!

 

Was harder but found good worms in most the holes I dug. Now need a decent potato fork as I damaged too many through use of a spade this time.

 

Any other decent baits worth a try? I was wondering about bits of smelly mackerel or sardines even?

[Elton]

Take your spade/folk and throw them in the back of shed

 

And go to the bait shop and buy some a lot less hassel

 

I pay £13.00 a pound for lug or rag

 

Blimey - that's about £50 an hour I save by digging my own, then

[glennk]

Cheers glenn, I tried what you said and got a few really big things...some were sooo big I had to let them go for fear of them wrestling me underground!!!

 

Was harder but found good worms in most the holes I dug. Now need a decent potato fork as I damaged too many through use of a spade this time.

 

Any other decent baits worth a try? I was wondering about bits of smelly mackerel or sardines even?

 

Depends what your targeting. Mackerel will certainly work for whiting, and most flat fish.

[Leon Roskilly]

Depends what your targeting. Mackerel will certainly work for whiting.

 

Yep, especially when salted down before freezing.

 

(I like to get a few mackerel salted down and frozen for when the whiting arrive)

 

But......

 

Fishing at Dungeness last week, using a two-hook whiting rig, the whiting were coming to the worm only!.

 

Tried mackerel on the top hook, and worm below, and vice versa, but the whiting were only having worm.

 

In fact a single doggie was the only fish caught on the mackerel baited hook during the whole of the session (which also included codling and pout).

 

Are the whiting starting to get fussy?

[norfolk_lass]

thanks guys. I'd still like to take a bass or two as i hear they are still coming out quite readily during the night near here. I was toying with doing a few hours into dark along cley or sherringham one of the evenings this week as the evening high tides are falling around dusk or just into dark which might help a bit.

 

I have a 3 hook flapper rig (don't ask me, I just bought it on recommendation from the bait shop) so will perhaps try two work and one mackerel and see how we go.

 

Had half an hour with the spinner at sunset last night.............sea wasn't too cold after this warm spell and was pretty clear so though I might stand half a chance on a slow retrieve but no joy. To be fair though, getting the rod out was just an excuse to stand in the surf and watch the sunset. Sometimes fishing is just about being there.

[steve duffy]

Dig :o Never ever,ever,ever.Buy a small bore pump You can pump 6 in the time it takes to dig 1.