Cinder worms: what they are and how to fish during a cinder worm hatch

[ledhead36]

Heads up that there is a hatch going on right now in Raritan bay.

[finchaser]

No disrespect it's a spawn

[ledhead36]

Yes your right finchaser its a spawn. rich even said that on the last page. I was just not paying attention. Thank you sir. They were out mon and tues night too. Also some huge mamba jamba shrimp in the bay right now. Almost as big as the little ones you get in the bags from asia. Much bigger than the usual grass shrimp.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for the feedback and the observations, people......


** For Rob and any other fly fishermen out there....
This Fri, June 13, will be the full moon cycle.....the cinder worms should be spawning again......for those who have gotten them using flies to match this hatch....you can be successful casting those flies......bass and weakfish will respond as well....and if you're out there....while some of the rest of us are getting skunked....matching the hatch could be a blast for those among ya's who love to catch bay and river fish on the fly.

[robmedina]

[porgy75]

OK I found this thread after talking about these funny worms I found sat night out by a deepwater marina. on the way home decided to stop at a few marinas near high tide and check out the situation. At one place I found a bunch of what looked like garden worms and they were all twirling in the water. There had to be between 10 and 20 of them. I wish I would have had a good chance to take a pic but my phone battery was dead.
They were about 1-2' down in the water and each of them was about 3-5 inches long.

I was wondering if you guys know if there could be a cinder worm hatch as early as march? It was a full moon that night. thanks

[finchaser]

mighty big for cinders usually 1 to 2 " around here plus they usually start around the may full moon when water is warmer

about cinder worms
Cinder worms generally measure 1 to 4 inches long. They have a black heads and pinkish red to brownish bodies. These worms spend most of their lives burrowing in the mud until the time and temperature is right to spawn. At that time, they will migrate to the surface and mate.
Season
May start as early as late April and last through the month of June and is directly related to the water temperature.
Temperature
Ideal water temperatures range from the mid 50’s to the mid 60’s. The length of the season may be shortened by an unseasonably rapid rise in water temperature.
Moon cycle
Each emergence begins near the time of the full moon. The emergence increases to a maximum intensity during successive nights and decreases to a low point coinciding with the third quarter moon phase. The emergence rises and falls again with the new moon and subsides shortly thereafter. Worms may swarm on any night during their mating cycle, but most of the activity occurs around the new and full moons. Many believe three to four days before a new or full moon marks the peak of the emergence.

[surfrob]

Thanks for the feedback and the observations, people......


** For Rob and any other fly fishermen out there....
This Fri, June 13, will be the full moon cycle.....the cinder worms should be spawning again......for those who have gotten them using flies to match this hatch....you can be successful casting those flies......bass and weakfish will respond as well....and if you're out there....while some of the rest of us are getting skunked....matching the hatch could be a blast for those among ya's who love to catch bay and river fish on the fly.

I wonder if there are any hatches down this way in dixie. Really, I have not unlocked many secrets down here (yet).

[hookset]

Are you sure they were cinder worms and not just garden worms that the got washed into the water?

[clamchucker]

I have seen them around may as finchaser said. If you saw a lot of them it could be a localized thing. Try to take a photo next time if you can.

[DarkSkies]

I was frustrated and very humbled the other night at 3am trying to pull a few bass that were feeding during the new moon cinderworm hatch....thought some others might like to review this thread and share....thanks to all who have posted the suggestions....