Storage Of Beach Worms

[Guest Mick F]

Hi All

Does anybody know a GOOD way to keep Beach worms for several weeks or months. Over short term (1-2 days) I have aways kept them in dry sand, longer term (1-6 weeks) my late grandfather used to keep them in metho however the quality of the bait degraded (caught less fish) very quickly. Any ideas welcome.

Thanks in advance

Mick F

[Mondo Rock]

Sadly there is no way to keep beachworms over a period of weeks or months without their quality as a bait significantly degrading. The metho trick is the only long term storage method that I know of - but make sure you freeze them immediately after the metho is applied.

The best way to keep them fresh is to learn how to catch them with your fingers and then let the unused worms go at the end of your session. They'll be nice and fresh the next time you go to the beach and pull them out again.

[james7]

Hi Mick

I used to use the metho trick, but found that my catch rate declined.

However, what I found worked best and remember, that this was only when I was desperate and couldn't get fresh worms, was to saturate a bowl of water with salt and put in the live beach worms. Leave them in a cool place for a couple of hours. Pat them dry and place them in a snaplock bag and then into the freezer. They shrink and go quite hard. I used to keep them that way for several weeks. Not near as good as fresh, but better than the metho way and better than nothing.

Cheers

Peter

[stricko4]

Hi Mick

I was told by a very reliable beach fisho to dip them in metho for only a few seconds at the most then dry them & pack in zip lock bags & freeze asap. He told me this is a reasonably good way to preserve them but their catch rate will not be as good as fresh ones.

Paul

[adkel53]

A local from Tuross Hd told me he puts them in metho for three minutes while still alive, allows them to dry on a sheet of paper and then puts them in those little round plastic food containers that you can get in supermarkets. He keeps them in a fridge for up to a week or freezes them. He claims that they work as well as fresh worms but I am sceptical. I plan to try his method for myself though.

[bluefin]

Red Beach Worms are even better, I have used them on the beach and they can outfish fresh worms !    Put red food coloring in your Metho. !!! I put them in the metho while still alive, and leave for a few minutes, dry and put in zip lock bags. In  fridge if they are to be used in a couple of weeks, or freeze. I actually think I prefer them to fresh worms because of there colour !                          Regards Howard.