Blood Worms

[GoMets]

Looking for some advice here - I've heard and read that blood worms are especially good early in the season, and a buddy of mine caught a 39" fish yesterday on blood worms. They are so expensive though ($10 for a dozen in the Kingston area) and often undersized, and you blow through them incredibly fast on white perch etc. I have two questions I'd love any input on: 1) is there anyway to fish blood worms that maximizes your chances of getting a striper on them as opposed to other less desirable fish, and 2) are there any alternate baits (besides herring) that approximate blood worms that work but aren't as expensive? I've heard clams work well but haven't had any luck on those (fishing the Kingston area).

[melinhead5]

you can try sandworms. They are normally a couple of dollars cheaper. Also find someone selling the canadian bloodworms they can be cut in half. Also you can use a item called fish bait(bloodworm flavor).

[Striperjim]

Go Mets. !!! Cool name
They looked brutal yesterday however. lol

Welcome
You might want to try the Berkley gulp bloodworms. Except you have to order them ahead. Gander mountain is completely out of them as is all the shops along the Delaware river. You might be able to find them online.
Tackle direct are pretty good to deal with.
http://www.tackledirect.com/berkley-...bloodworm.html

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by striperjim

You might want to try the Berkley gulp bloodworms. You might be able to find them online.
Tackle direct are pretty good to deal with.
http://www.tackledirect.com/berkley-...bloodworm.html

My local Wal-Mart had a pretty good stock of them last time I was there as well. I'll dunk some in the Hudson this weekend for craps and giggles and see if there are any takers

[Striperjim]

Bring an extra pack.

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by melinhead5

Also you can use a item called fish bait(bloodworm flavor).

Are you talking about Fish Bites? Haven't tried em yet myself, but I do have a package somewhere.... Some people say they work great, but that the water needs to be a bit on the warmer side for the scent to release properly.

[rpi_fisherman]

I think Fish bites are great for casting, they are impossible to get off the hook, even after a day's fishing, haha (seriously, it's a pain to get them off). However, I don't know about the effectiveness as I haven't caught even a catfish on them for the few times that I've tried.

[Shorebound]

Do a search in the main Striper Room forum for
"Bagging your Bloodworms"-

Basically, it's using the nylon-type netting commonly used for "egg-spawn sacs" by salmon or trout fishermen- you apparently put your Bloodworm in a 3" or 4" square piece of the netting, then wrap it shut with "Magic Thread"-available in Gander Mountain and other fishing retailers (seems like regular elastic thread from Walmart Craft section might work too?), and attach the "bag" containing the Bloodworm to your hook. Not sure of best way to attach yet-hook thru bag? Magic Thread "bag" to hook? I dunno.

My relatively limited experience has shown me that all you need is a piece of the bloodworm threaded on the hook and broken off, presenting what would seem like a totally unnatural presentation of a J-shaped piece of worm, in order to bang Stripers on Bloods in the Hudson Spring Run.
Obtaining worms that are consistently fat enough to thread on a good sized hook can be very difficult, however. Another reason to try "bagging".

I believe, at least in the Hudson, Stripers feed on fishermen's Bloodworm baits primarily by sense of smell, so they don't really care what form it is presented in- threaded on hook, "Bagged", etc. as long as it smells right to them.

Gonna test it out at the Gathering at Norrie this weekend, I'll post results if it works-
but shorefishing the Hudson for Stripers can be a hit or miss thing, maybe a boat guy will try it and be able to give a more accurate account of how well it works.

Seems like it's worth a try, and theoretically should really help keep the white perch and other little "undesirables" from stealing your expensive bait.

Good Luck!

Shorebound

[nybassmaster12533]

Dicks in poughkeepsie has the Gulp worms
i actually had some luck with small fish no big ones try using a gulp with a live blood at least you will still have bait on the hook if the perch are around

[Shorebound]

One thing that struck me after "bagging" a few Bloodworms (see my above post) is how even a decent sized Bloodworm isn't really that much actual physical material-once it is wrapped up in the spawn sac netting and "balled up a bit" a nice worm seems smaller in overall mass than you would think.

What makes it even more interesting to me is that the average angler I see using Bloods from the Hudson's Shore is banging their Striper on a piece of worm threaded onto the hook- much less physical bloodworm material than a whole one- which isn't all that much stuff in the first place.
These Stripers have some noses on 'em.

Anyway, no luck at Norrie, but then again that was the same for everyone else.

I can say that it was obvious that some little critters were trying to eat my bait while it was out there, same old rod-tip dancing, etc. but I left my bait out for about 45-50 minutes one time and though it looked a little worse for wear my bait was STILL THERE-and not a waterlogged husk all drained of its juices but a viable bait that I could chuck out and use again, but I usually chose to sweeten it up a bit with a fresh Blood or piece of Blood.

One note- make sure you have gathered up ALL the edge folds and stuff when "bagging" your Blood, or the worm will definetely find that opening and start poking its body out that way- then dem little bastids-white perch, etc.- can take advantage of the "chink in the armor".

This could work out to save me mad cash if I can leave my bait out for that long and have it remain effective.

Maybe it is the lack of actually penetrating the "outer envelope"/skin of the Bloodworm that helps it last longer in the water. I dunno.

Hope this helps someone in their struggle against extreme bloodworm prices.

And of course if I bang a nice one on this rig, you will hear about it.

Peace!

Shorebound

[GoMets]

Thanks for the input Shorebound (and others) - bagging sounds like a good concept and I'm going to give it a try this week. Good luck to all!

[Hawg Hunter 32]

Good 411! I am hoping to get out on Thursday and pound the shore around Eddyville. I will be trying the Berkley Gulp Blood Wormsfor the first time. As I am new to the area and have never fished Blood Worms I have a question on rigs! What are some thoughts about Texas vs. Carolina vs. Wacky rig?

Tight lines.

Thx
Eric

[Shorebound]

Banged a Striper of roughly 13 pounds today on a "Bagged Bloodworm", so it works! I'll put pics up tommorow.

When using the pre-cut squares of spawn sac material, use two at once-the bait stealers can get to the bait through just one layer of the net. It's really thin, so it isn't difficult to use two sheets together, one on top of the other. Lay bait in middle, fold all edges together, make sure you got all the edges gathered, wrap, viola! Nibbler resistant bait. Seems to consistently last much longer than a Blood threaded on a hook, the standard presentation from shore where I fish. You can use more bait on your hook than you normally would, resulting in greater scent dispersion from the bait, yet go through your overall quantity of that (damned expensive!)bait slower than you previously did. Try not to poke the worm too much when you put hook through net bag, and the worm juices inside leak out slower, alowing you to leave it out longer before it becomes a light pink waterlogged shell of a worm. When changing baits, take any decent juicy-ish-looking parts of worm left and put them in the next bag you make-or just put the whole old one in your new bag.

Put your hook through the net "bag" on the opposite side of where you wrap the bag closed, I think it makes a difference regarding the wrap/"knot" part not getting involved with the point and barb of the hook- seem to recall a similar situation using chicken livers in panty hose for catfish down South.

Hawg-you're thinking of using these Gulp or other artificial Bloodworms like a plastic worm lure-Texas rig, Carolina rig, etc.

They are generally used as more of a direct substitute for live Bloodworms, as bait you hook up and chuck out there and wait for the Stripers to nail it and run. But maybe they'll work the other way-can't hurt to try.

Good Luck!

Shorebound

[Hawg Hunter 32]

Congrats on your catch! I can't wait to see your pics of the fish and the finished product of the sac you are using. Again Congratulations on your catch nd thanks for sharing the 411.


Eric

[Shorebound]

Her she is- 32", about 13 pounds (gotta get better scale, but whatever).

She gonna taste GOOD!

Peace!

Shorebound