Brandling worms?

bullet · Oct 24, 2013

I've got a good supply of Brandlings in my wormery,and tried them as bait the other day.They were very soft and hard to keep on the hook.Is there any way of improving them in this respect?

Paul Boote · Oct 24, 2013

You need to "scour" them, to use the old term for toughening up worms. Put the worms in damp moss from an old rotting log in a wood or from a north-facing stone wall, or in damp (not soaked) newspaper for 24 hours. This will firm them up. Properly scoured worms will pick a fight with you!

tiinker · Oct 25, 2013

You say they are coming off the hook I take it you are using barbless. I would suggest you use a small piece of elastic band impaled on the hook after you have hooked the worm. This will keep the worm in place and also helps keep the hook point clear of the worm . you can buy enterprise hook skins that also can be used for this purpose they come in several colours.

bullet · Oct 25, 2013

Thanks, chaps. Got a few in the paper now. Tinker, sounds like a good tip.

symonh2000 · Oct 25, 2013

You might find that Crystal bend hooks help keep them from wrigging off too.

Judas Priest · Oct 25, 2013

Go to your garden centre and purchase some sphagnum moss for hanging baskets, dampen it, put in the worms and every other day turn the bait box/bucket over so the worms crawl through it again. If kept in a cool place such as the garage floor or fridge they will keep for weeks.

To be honest though I've never done much using brandlings much preferring redworms which are generally tougher and livelier.

Paul Boote · Oct 25, 2013

Big, well-scoured brandling, boilied- and pelleted-out barbel....

Wallop.

Perch....

Ditto.

Salmon (when I used to baitfish for them, until 1988)....

Chomp.

Brandling worms?

bullet

Well-known member

Paul Boote

Banned

tiinker

Banned

bullet

Well-known member

symonh2000

Well-known member

Judas Priest

Well-known member

Paul Boote

Banned