Lobworm, the supreme Winter bait.

[Derek Gibson]

Many of the old time anglers held this particular view, including a number of the old angling authors.

I have enjoyed great success in past years using the Lob either in whole or part. My question to you guys is, does the Lobworm still play a large part in your fishing, or do you feel the it has taken a back seat to the more modern baits, and if so why?

I know a few on here do make good use of Lob's, but that said their popularity doesn't seem to be what it once was. And after all there's no cost involved, just a bit of backache, which I am all too familiar with. And even that can be overcome by creating your own wormery.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I only tend to use Lobworms when fishing for Tench in the Summer or Autumn, and not really ever targeting big perch I rarely use them in the winter.

On my local stretches of the Avon I have never managed to catch really large chub on lobs either as they seem to prefer cheese paste and bread baits along with maggot and caster.

However, I do have a lot of time for the red worm or brandling as a very effective bait all year around, especially for roach as it gets colder . . . . .

One brandling either on its own or together tipped with a caster or a single grain of corn is very effecting in my area.

 

[David Rogers 3]

I generally seem to do much better on small red worms than on lobs too...

 

[barbelboi]

Early season free lining for chub with lobs is a favourite for me. Otherwise, predominately for winter perch and chub as a 'static' bait.

The invention of the head torch for collecting worms was pure genius.........

 

[Peter Jacobs]

The invention of the head torch for collecting worms was pure genius.........

One of the main reasons I prefer the red worms as they live in the compost heap and are much easier to harvest . . . . .

 

[silvers]

I'm mainly match fishing on rivers and always have some lobs with me
great change bait for Barbel in coloured or flooded water (Chub too)
sometimes perch will only look at a Lob rather than a Dendrabaena worm
and the best basis for chopped worm feed that you can get .... if you can harvest enough.

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

I do love fishing with lobworms, though sometimes the collection of them is tricky. Just like the rivers, my lawn "fishes" best for lobworms when there's been a little bit of rain and conditions are just so. In fact, there's been many a time when I've been out looking for them when it's struck me that its actually a lot like fishing! You need to prepare your swim (cut the lawn short), be stealthy, quick and patient all in equal measure, and most of all take advantage of the good conditions when they come.

All of that said, I would actually say my go to baits in the winter tend to be bread (flake for the hook and liquidised to go in the feeder) and cheesepaste. I can have both of these in the freezer all the time, ready to go in about 60 seconds (I give them a tiny blast on "defrost" in the microwave and then usually by the time I've actually got to my fishing spot they're mostly defrosted)

I'm also blessed with a composter full of small red worms in the garden. Interestingly I've found the carp on one of my club's lakes absolutely love them, get as many as possible on a size 12 and away it goes.

 

[barbelboi]

Sling a few buckets of water with a bit of washing up liquid in over the lawn just before dark Jim - that'll bring 'em out like a shot..............

 

[Keith M]

The only time that I use lobworms these days is when I want to fish one on the surface with its head inflated with air using a syringe,
or with a piece of foam on the hook; It looks so inviting with its head on the surface and its body wriggling beneath it.

Otherwise if I am using worms I much prefer a nice lively redworm (not a brandling) which I often find in huge numbers under some piles of horse manure (if they have not already been infested with the yellow banded brandlings of course).

NB: I read once that the yellow bands on a brandlings tail section were not very attractive to fish because of their nasty taste and whether it's true or not I've never had much luck when I've used one.

Keith

 

[mikench]

The only time that I use lobworms these days is when I want to fish one on the surface with its head inflated with air using a syringe,

Tell me you are joking Keith!

 

[flightliner]

Same as keith but on a small notts pit a few years ago when carp fishing. A twenty four /7 bombardment of boillies and luncheon meat in fifteen feet of water must have been piled up and going foul on the pit bed.
A big lob air injected and cast halfway to an island on an eight foot mono hooklink was the downfall of numerous carp when others bottom fishing failed to catch.
I usually try to put a few aside in my gaarden shed for using in the wintertime.
Great bait but would rather have a freezer full of wasp grub!.

 

[Keith M]

The only time that I use lobworms these days is when I want to fish one on the surface with its head inflated with air using a syringe,

Tell me you are joking Keith!

No I'm not joking mike, a floating lob with its head inflated with air from a syringe is a method that I originally read about back in the mid 70s and it has caught me quite a few Carp (and Chub) over the years when other floating baits have been largely ignored.

If you are worried about using a syringe then you can try using some foam on the hook instead, just as long as it doesn't mask your hook point.

I see Flightliner has also used this method too.

Keith

 

[bracket]

Used big lobworm on the Trent in winter league matches when the River was up and coloured. Great bait, fished on the feeder off the rod end for chub. You did not take many, but they would go four to a stone and good enough for a section win and maybe the match. Yes they did the business back then. Pete.

 

[mikench]

I have a syringe Keith which I bought for pumping pellets ! One day perhaps!

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Derek,

Lobs and small lives are the mainstay of my Perch fishing, never go without them.

Although I reckon the takes on Lives out number the take on worm tree to one, the lobworms catch more fish.

And of course everything likes a worm, so Chub, Roach, Bream, Eels, Barbel and Pike have often graced my landing net when fishing for Perch with Worms.

Bob

 

[rayner]

Lob worm was always a go to bait on the Trent, especially in flood.
This time of year I chop dendros but hook bait is always a 1 inch piece of Lob.
I buy dendros and Lobs are collected from behind my shed, I have a square of wet carpet and normally get two or three or even more from under that.
Lob worms keep well in a fridge.

 

[rubio]

If you had only 1 hookbait to catch any species Lobworm is surely the one. It even works on Bass and flounder.

 

[Derek Gibson]

Maybe someone on here may remember a televised program a few years ago where some technical bods were experimenting on cold water fish reactions in a large tank. The piece I recall relevant to this thread was when they introduced a drop of liquidised Lobworm to the water. On each occasion Perch were the first to react, swimming from the opposite end of the tank towards where the drops were put in. They concluded that Lobworm pheromones/juices were one of the most powerful attractants they had tested.

Does anyone else recall this program.

 

[S-Kippy]

Maybe someone on here may remember a televised program a few years ago where some technical bods were experimenting on cold water fish reactions in a large tank. The piece I recall relevant to this thread was when they introduced a drop of liquidised Lobworm to the water. On each occasion Perch were the first to react, swimming from the opposite end of the tank towards where the drops were put in. They concluded that Lobworm pheromones/juices were one of the most powerful attractants they had tested.

Does anyone else recall this program.

Yes...that rings a bell with me, Derek. Damned if I can remember the name of the programme though I can picture the exact scene.

Is ACE worm extract still around ? I did try some donkey's years ago but to me it just seemed like a small, expensive bottle of liquid mud. I wasn't impressed....you can probably tell !

 

[flossy]

Lobworms, where do you start ,absolutely without question, my all time favourite bait .I have many ways of using them just takes a bit of imagination ,one of my favourite ways is popped up just off bottom ,i,ve taken chubb of huge sizes on free lined lobs ,big perch ,tench carp ,ect and my favourite time of year is now and right through too winter .