marine worms

[DarkSkies]

Which is harder??



1. Hunting for fish....Hunting for them like a hunter in the woods hunting for a trophy buck.....
Taking note of what they're feeding on at that moment........
Trying to match the hatch with presentation.....
Looking for that trophy fish that is out there....swimming and feeding....
Trying to figure a pattern...if there is any......


2. OR..... just walking the beaches Spring...and late Fall...
Looking for others who are catching...
looking for blitzing fish......and fishing based on that.....

Which seems harder?









It impresses the hell out of me that Shark would remember these little things.......or possibly an off-hand conversation we may have had years ago where I mentioned it.....

When you hear, throughout the season...someone he had double digits of fish into the teen sizes...or managed a good number or weakfish...when not many others can seem to find them.......

that's why....folks......
They look for the little things.........and when they find enough similarities....use it to figure a pattern....exploit that pattern..and fish it for all it's worth......until it slows down......

That's old-school....... folks...and something that very few are willing to do any more......

[seamonkey]

When you think about how many creatures in the ocean sustain theirselves from the small worms, crabs, mussels, etc its amazing. Thanks for sharing very informative.

[strikezone31]

These small worms are so important to the feeding cycle of some large predators.........weakfish...big bluefish.....and bass as well.....I'm surprised ya remembered way back when I was talking about this, Shark....... These aren't the small sand and blood worms that live in the clam beds....they're much smaller......I'll have to do some research to try to come up with a pic and an exact scientific name....

If anyone can help with the ID in the meantime I would be most grateful......They are very tiny worms, no bigger than your fingernail....that live in clumps of bottom vegetation......This vegetation is very specific.....some have described it as "moss-like"....but the key is that it is often found around the "coral type" bottoms that Shark has described......When you're bouncing bottom with a bucktail or jig.....you often come up with clumps of this coral/muck/mud/vegetation....in certain areas....that is filled with these tiny marine worms...........

I think part of the feeding cycle is these clumps of vegetation allow these tiny worms to thrive...which in turn attracts small
baitfish....spearing...peanuts....baby fluke, flounder....sea bass....tog......many other species seem to thrive around it.......the bigger predators either are attracted to that activity...

OR they just center around the worms in the vegetation, and eat that if there are no baitfish around.....
I have found this stuff in the bellies of larger bass and bluefish I kept and cleaned.....and may have mentioned it here...once or twice.....










**(That's why Sharkhart catches a lot of fish throughout the year......IMO is one of NJ's most successful weak fishermen.....and also in the past when there were 15+ lb weakfish that you could hunt.....he was on them regularly...)





He pays attention to the conditions that bring fish in to feed at night....and hunts for numbers, selectively targeting them...based on that.....

This was written about freshwater marine life but some of it may apply to the salt. Those worms you are talking about might be nematodes aka threadworms or roundworms. Page 5 of the PDF. Hope that helps you.
http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/wwwc.pdf

[basshunter]

I have to thank you guys for all the juicy tidbits I have found here when searching. Last night some dudes were outcatching me. I was using clams and assumed they were too. when I was talking to them found out they were digging worms at low tide and coming out and using them for bait.

I don't know if it was one of the members here, they were very nice to me. I came here and started searching on marine worms. Very cool threead. It does seem like a lot of work but they were really kicking *** over all the rest of us so may give it a try when I can spend all day out there to dig and fish. Great thread.

[cowherder]

Feel the same way. There is a lot of good info and techniques here to make the learning curve easier. Have not dug for worms because always felt it was too time intensive. For those guys who have the time and can do it they deserve every fish they get.

[hookset]

True dat.

[wish4fish]

we bin getting a lot of keepers every march by digging these worms. bloods are ok, tapes are golden.

[7deadlyplugs]

Thanks guys, may try digging for this new moon cycle.
Check out this crazy marine worm digger.