Worms

Colin1019 · Sep 24, 2017

Can anyone give me some help or advice on my wormery.
The worms are breeding but are very soft and will not stay on my hook.
Does anyone know if there is anything I should do to solve this problem to make the skins tougher. Thanks. Colin

Another Dave · Sep 24, 2017

Grandad is out wandering around the garden one day and notices his grandson playing nearby. Grandad wanders over to see what's so fascinating. The little boy is trying, with all the diligence of youth, to put a worm back in its hole. The nature of worms being what they are, it is going everywhere but. Grandad tells the boy that if he can get that worm back in its hole, he'll get £5. The boy hops up and runs into the house.

He returns a moment later with a can of his sister's hairspray. He stretches the worm out, sprays it down, and voila! Right back into the hole.

Grandpa says "Well I'll be!" Fishes in his pocket, pulls out a £5 note and hands it to the boy. "Cor, thanks, grandad!" Granddad wanders off.

A bit later, grandad wanders back out to the garden. The boy is still out there playing. Grandad walks over, fishes a £10 note out of his pocket and hands it to the boy.

Confused, the boy says, "But grandad, you already gave me my £5."

Grandad smiles and says, "That is from your grandmother."

john step · Sep 25, 2017

Do you mean they break up or do you mean they get off the hook. Cunning little squirmers that they are will wriggle off the hook.

Use a finer wire hook if they are breaking.

If they are getting off a barbless hook, lock them on with a real live or dead or artificial maggot or a small piece of rubber band.
Or if rules permit use a micro barb. Wide gape is best.

Keep a supply in a bait box a few days at a time but not in the soil you dig them up from. Layers of damp newspaper or moss if you can find some. They will toughen without food.

A cool garage floor is ideal.

Another ploy with worms that are big enough is to use half a worm and thread the hook into the broken end right up and around the bend and over the eye or spade. That'll stop 'em !!!

john step · Sep 25, 2017

Another Dave said:
Grandad is out wandering around the garden one day and notices his grandson playing nearby. Grandad wanders over to see what's so fascinating. The little boy is trying, with all the diligence of youth, to put a worm back in its hole. The nature of worms being what they are, it is going everywhere but. Grandad tells the boy that if he can get that worm back in its hole, he'll get £5. The boy hops up and runs into the house.

He returns a moment later with a can of his sister's hairspray. He stretches the worm out, sprays it down, and voila! Right back into the hole.

Grandpa says "Well I'll be!" Fishes in his pocket, pulls out a £5 note and hands it to the boy. "Cor, thanks, grandad!" Granddad wanders off.

A bit later, grandad wanders back out to the garden. The boy is still out there playing. Grandad walks over, fishes a £10 note out of his pocket and hands it to the boy.

Confused, the boy says, "But grandad, you already gave me my £5."

Grandad smiles and says, "That is from your grandmother."

Oh you are awfull

Another Dave · Sep 25, 2017

Colin1019 · Sep 25, 2017

The problem with my homemade worry is that the worms skins are so soft they are breaking up when i put them on the hook. It is not that they are wriggling off, but their skins are so soft. Has anyone any suggestions to make their skins firmer.
Thank you

puffer_ · Sep 25, 2017

Get those hooks to nylon with a quick stop on and use those..

Absolutely could not live without them for worms, brilliant!

john step · Sep 25, 2017

Colin, did you read my reply right the way through. I think it will help you.

robtherake · Sep 25, 2017

Colin1019 said:
The problem with my homemade worry is that the worms skins are so soft they are breaking up when i put them on the hook. It is not that they are wriggling off, but their skins are so soft. Has anyone any suggestions to make their skins firmer.
Thank you

I'm assuming that you're breeding brandling worms, the stripy ones with the pungent smell? No matter, anyway - the brandlings accidentally introduced from my garden manure pile have flourished in the open garden, growing to lob-rivalling proportions, but that in itself isn't the most interesting thing from your point of view. Their passage through the soil - far more abrasive than the soft medium you'll be growing them in - has toughened the skins of these brandlings, making them a much more hard-wearing bait. With that in mind, I'd suggest that you condition them in soil for a few days to harden them up a bit. It works well with shop-bought worms, too, which suffer from the same problem.

Arries87 · Feb 14, 2018

The commercial worm farms in SA add a little crushed eggshells to their bedding to toughen up the worm skins. However I am not too keen on doing that. I keep my worms in a 3:1 ratio of garden compost and cow manure. The twigs, etc in the cow manure and compost toughen up their skins enough to stay on the hook for a few fish. There is a marked difference in the quality of my worms compared to that of a friend who only keeps his worms in a very soft bedding.

FIY, I have found that the pulp left over after the missus makes her veggie/fruit shakes, is an awesome worm food, they munch through it very quickly helping the tiny ones grow like weeds! Just avoid citrus if you can

john r stockburn · Feb 14, 2018

Colin1019 said:
The problem with my homemade worry is that the worms skins are so soft they are breaking up when i put them on the hook. It is not that they are wriggling off, but their skins are so soft. Has anyone any suggestions to make their skins firmer.
Thank you

we used to put them in a tub containing moss to toughen them up

Worms

Colin1019

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Another Dave

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john step

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john step

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Another Dave

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Colin1019

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puffer_

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