P.J. Pond Worm Hatch! - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

179 · 06-01-2003, 08:42 AM

Looks like the worm hatch is on in PJ pond. I pulled back into my slip last night about 7:00pm and the worms were everywhere, picked up alot of schoolies and large shad right off my dock......

Bill L · 06-01-2003, 09:24 AM

179, good to hear! I've been into a few minor hatches so far, with small fish, but this crappy weather and rain has put a damper on it (both hatches and just getting out).

I think the next stretch of sunny warm days are going to bust it open

denis · 06-01-2003, 09:35 AM

Good news,fished in the pond last nigh no fish but was land locked.will be fishing there most of the week,will post reports, Don Bill give me a shout on the radio.

Toonoc how did you make out last night steve and I got skunked fished till little after 1. wall, state dock,and narrow river.

Bill L · 06-01-2003, 10:20 AM

Denis, chris and I fished the short wall, no fish

I ran out of gas pretty early at around 1100, cold northeast wind on the back, up at 3 am with no sleep, and no bites to make it interesting.

Tide wasn't exactly the best either...

Will you tow me around in the kayak if I don't get the bottom painted before the weekend

Scotch Bonnet · 06-02-2003, 11:24 AM

Bill, you got any room in that Yak

Bill L · 06-02-2003, 07:16 PM

Chris, it IS a two seater (Old Tow Loon 160T), but unfortunately there is a weight limit

I actually got out last night. It stopped raining just before I went, but it was still pretty windy and cool. Found a small swarm in a shallow cove, but the fish were finicky until dusk, when we finally hooked up with a few (smalls).

Best part was my 8 year old daughter went--- I hooked her up with a small casting egg and a sluggo on herown rod, and she caught her first bass of the year!

She had a blast, was casting like a pro. Dropped that sucker right on a few swirls

If anybody got out tonight, it should have been GOOD

NilsC · 06-02-2003, 07:27 PM

toonoc,

are you yak fishing often? I'm going to try fishing from mine next weekend if the weather can stay nice.

Nils

Bill L · 06-02-2003, 07:39 PM

Nils, not much, I have a small boat in the pond that I find much more comfortable, but its not in yet (still need bottom paint and a little work) I hope to get it in this weekend though

I find the yak a little uncomfortable, kinda like fishing while laying on the floor, and the water dribbling off the paddle in the lap is a pain ---need to wear my rain pants

BUT, it is a great way to get out there, especially if you don't have any other options. You can really get into some wicked spots in stealth mode, and being right down there on the water nice and quite like gets you in touch with some things you might miss in a boat

Scotch Bonnet · 06-02-2003, 08:23 PM

Nils, I got a couple of good yak spots, but your mailbox is full

NilsC · 06-02-2003, 10:27 PM

OK, toonoc. yak will be the way I get on the water..

Scotchbonnet, I pm'd you. hope you got it.. I take hints on where to launch.

Thanks
Nils

mrmacey · 06-04-2003, 04:13 AM

worm hatch in threads alot now what is that can someone explain thanks

Scotch Bonnet · 06-04-2003, 05:57 PM

Nils, you have to delete sent items as well. Still full

MrM, in May Cinder worms come out of the mud to mate

and the Bass take advantage. Its pretty wild seeing a 1000 bass swirling on the surface. Mostly shorts to 20#rs, but every year somebody gets a large.

NilsC · 06-05-2003, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scotch Bonnet
Nils, you have to delete sent items as well. Still full

Deleted all pm's in and out...

Thanks
Nils

MountainBreeze · 06-05-2003, 06:43 AM

Hey! Save me some fish fellers'!

I hope to be back in business by the weekend or 6/14 (Full moon).

However, the Dr. seems to think it may be more like 6/21 before I can fish and a solid month before I can paddle!

Funny that these were the first 2 questions I asked him when I found out my arm wasn't broken!

It isn't broken??? GREAT! When can I start fishing again and when can I paddle the yak'! You shoulda' heard him laugh!

Tight Lines,
Rob

NilsC · 06-05-2003, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scotch Bonnet
MrM, in May Cinder worms come out of the mud to mate

SB, I was looking up "May Cinder worms" and It was kinda funny to find out that it's a local terminology.
This is the where the quote is from

Quote:

Cinder worms is jargon like slang on the local street corner, they are local names and do not identify anything for those who are not familiar with the slang. The worms we usually see are in a large group of different species called Errant Polychaetes which means they swim.

So, since this intrigued me I started reading up on different kinda Errant Polychaetes and found some in a class of species called "Fireworms" that can be deadly or cause loss of limb (amputation). To your (or anyone else here's) knowledge are any of the species in New England in that class?

Now I have to start readin about worm hatching..... hehe

Nils

B-assman · 06-05-2003, 08:35 AM

NilsC - thanks for the info on the worm hatch.

My question is if the stripers are feeding on the hatching worms - where do we find hatching worms? Obviously PJ pond is one place - but there must be others. Where do worms nest/hatch? under what conditions / environment? Is it brackish water? Does anyone know of other spots in the upper bay to look for this phenomenon?

Thanks
Dave

Scotch Bonnet · 06-05-2003, 08:56 AM

All the Salt Ponds have ''worm hatches". The worms live in the mud and come out to mate in May. The hatches are more frequent around the full moon but will occur on any sunny afternoon. I have heard of hatches in the Bay and in some of the rivers but I have never fished there. Its not actually a hatch, its more of a mating thing, but the term seems to apply. The Bay has the "Crab Hatch"!

B-assman · 06-05-2003, 09:00 AM

So it is a night-time thing? Do they mate during the day?

*****EDITED

oops - i see - "any sunny afternoon" - so I guess you already answered this question - thanks

Scotch Bonnet · 06-05-2003, 09:04 AM

Afternoon, and as the sun gets lower you catch more fish(7-8pm is the peak). At dark it shuts down comepletly, fish seem to dissappear.

NilsC · 06-05-2003, 09:09 AM

Dave,

I knew nothing of wormhatches until I read the posts here. I'm a hog when it comes to knowledge. I go into tunnel vision mode researching stuff that interests me.

Now I just need to know what kinda bait or lures to use. Then I can get started fishing the hatch and experience firsthand what's going on.

Nils (the bookworm hatch)

Mr. Sandman · 06-05-2003, 09:36 AM

Scotch is right...it seems to really pick up around 4 and continue with dusk being the peak, once it got dark it was over. Also, this heavy rain seems to keep the fishing slow as well.
We caught them on light spinning tackle using curly tail grubs with a light lead head. The fly rod guys have several flies that look pretty close to the worms http://www.saltwaterflies.com/cinder.html
which seem to a little like a mini sea-or sand worm from 1.5-3.5".
It is a great op for fly rodders as these fish are everywhere and really close to the shore. They twirl around on the surface and spew out white eggs (the worms not the flyrodders

)...then a bass comes along a slurps them up.

IMO its moslty a schoolie fest but you can nab a couple keepers hear and there. I have only seen one "big" fish pulled from a worm hatch but it is a lot of fun while they are there.

MountainBreeze · 06-06-2003, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scotch Bonnet
All the Salt Ponds have ''worm hatches". The worms live in the mud and come out to mate in May. The hatches are more frequent around the full moon but will occur on any sunny afternoon.

So... looking at the calendar, Sat, 6/14 should be a good bet??? Hopefully it will be nice and sunny as well - for a change.

As long as the arm is ok, I think I'll pick up some flies / casting eggs and get the yak' out!

Ready for an early afternoon paddle Nils???

Scotch Bonnet · 06-06-2003, 07:59 PM

6/14 could be a little too late. May is primetime as long as the weather cooperates, which it didn't this year. I bet there was one hell of a hatch today.

denis · 06-06-2003, 10:03 PM

SB,yes there was a good one this evening,got the boat up into Potters,but got frustrated up there lots of shad and lots of grass,went to the other pond and did real well,tuesday got one 42"--20lb in the cove we fished last year on that thing you showed me how to use. Next week will be good for the worms,low tide in the morning with a high tide in late afternoon grat combo for worms.

Scotch Bonnet · 06-08-2003, 10:44 AM

Thats a nice Pond fish, denis. That cove tends to attract the larger fish. Were they eating baby lobsters again?

Bill L · 06-08-2003, 09:58 PM

Some nice fish inside tonight.... Denis you got me beat by a couple inches and a few pounds

Had one that ran high teens, helluva a fight in a yak

Nils/Mtnbrz -- way to go is 3" bubble gum sluggo on a small worm hook -- I've been using Mr Twister Keeper Hooks (small barbed spike at eye to hold the front of the worm) . Use light line tied direct, no leader-- can make the difference. You won't need an egg cuz you'll be sitting on top of them

denis · 06-08-2003, 10:02 PM

No scotch,no lobsters but they are very fat they are eating very well hit them again today,the pond water is getting to look like dark tea, real brackish,how they can see anything in that I don't know.