In praise of the worm...

[Beryl]

With tench and carp idle despite the high temps, cabin fever caused me to try an unstocked pond. A worm is bound to include a perch in the possible species list but I don't know it they are present or eels even. Had a couple of hours looking at a float with occasional bread/sardine balls of groundbait. One slide take but lost it after a few seconds. Got rained off basically but it was a delight not knowing the outcome. It was probably stocked a bit fifty years ago when first dug but nothing since.

I've spent twenty hours on these four small ponds with just three small carp and that lost today. Its okay, a nice change from fisheries that have fish laid end to end like tiles

The worm? Despite twenty minutes in the water it was still lively. I'm devoting more time to this bait I'm thinking.

[Snape]

You've got love a worm. You never know what you'll catch next. The juicy lob is one of my favourites.
I've had pike and zander as well as most other species and worms can be free as well. What more could you ask?

[Penninelad]

An out of season 2 1/2 lb brown trout caught on the Dove on a lobworm earlier today.Nothing else as signal crayfish attacked everything I used including cheese paste! I will try the Idle tomorrow where there are no signal crayfish at the moment!

[Catfish.017]

Some of my best fish have fallen for the worm. Best Carp, best tench, best roach and Rudd. And as a longstanding Gardner and hen keeper I have a constant supply.

[Chris Bettis]

In my opinion a Lobworm, either whole or just the tail is one of the best baits we have despite all the so called progress in the Carp World and I try always to have some with me when I go fishing. I think that I have caught every sort of fish on them and give me a lot of confidence of getting a bite from something at some time during a session.

[Dave Burr]

There's no doubt that worms will catch all species of fish and, on their day, they are as good as any bait. However, I tend to avoid them for just that reason. Too many 'nuisance' fish whilst waiting for something bigger has led me to use alternatives especially in the river.

[Beryl]

Perhaps we should all go worm hunting on the local recreation ground? Take a copy of Crooked Lines earmarked at the correct chapter for when the police turn up is my advise....

I did this as a kid and it was often more fun than the fishing if I'm honest....

But there is an anomaly here. The gulls outside our big bivvy do tap their feet to raise the worms from their burrows. But it was always creep around with a torch and tread lightly.... Both may work under certain circumstance? I'm hoping to tap into a huge knowledge base here at TFF....

[BBDave]

The foot tapping is supposed to mimic the sound of a mole sending the worms scurrying for the surface.

How do you present a worm on the hook?

Dave

[Snape]

How do you present a worm on the hook?

For lob worms, I cut them in half and hook through the two ends which are cut. This reduces the chance of it wriggling off the hook and releases juices right at the hook. If I have maggots with me I put one on the hook as well to prevent the worm getting off.

[Beryl]

How do you present a worm on the hook?

With lobs I cut in half and hook once or twice. Bit of folded grass stem to avoid escape.