I am seriously thinking about starting a small sandworm farm - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Mr. Sandman · 01-30-2006, 11:00 AM

I have read all the stuff I can about what SEABAIT is doing (it is impressive) and I think I can get in on the action without much overhead. The keys appear to be food and water temp. I can get a supply of warm salt water and I know an organic farmer that can supply me with some high end food and I even know a few doc's that can hook me up with some steroids to increase growth rates and size. How would you like a 3 foot sand worm that is as tough as an eel. who needs eels when you have bait like that!

What do you think, should I go for it?

Labrador1 · 01-30-2006, 11:03 AM

The cool part is that you could then change your name to "Mr. Sandworm"

Mr. Sandman · 01-30-2006, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labrador1

The cool part is that you could then change your name to "Mr. Sandworm"

MakoMike · 01-30-2006, 12:49 PM

Sandy,
If the numbers work, go for it!

taJon · 01-30-2006, 01:07 PM

Do you have a website for the farm info?

whiplash · 01-30-2006, 01:52 PM

i've talked with those guys at a couple of shows and their looking for investors with some deep pockets and they have mentioned they want to expand to a warmer area ( their in Maine now) but say thats in the future. end of conversation. I always thought New Bedford might work for something like that seeing as they would not be consumed by humans. Summer water temps would encourage rapid growth but feeding and water discharge could get interesting with state permits and what do you feed 10,000 worms? Maybe fish cake from the fish processing plants.I need a little more biology behind me maybe some day.

blue oyster · 01-30-2006, 07:57 PM

has anyone tried these farm grown worms , i have not , one of the local b/t got some on a trial bases . i was told that they were all on the small side and they were not as tough as natural worms and did not stay on hook as well ? i was hoping they would work out then there would be a steady supply

Swimmer · 01-30-2006, 09:40 PM

It worked for the Sea Bait guy, because he started the company as the end result of Masters thesis/project in England. He was born in Mass.(Hopkington). The school floated some of the money and he solved his water tempt problem by locating on vacant land around an energy plant next to the ocean. Warmer water was always available. All he had for ponds were cinder block circle with black plastic tarps as liners. He said he made a mistake moving to Maine not realizng how cold the winters become. Had to build a structure with shelved beds made out of 2 x 4's and 2 x 6's again covered in plastic. Sand of course is lined on the bottom and is suctioned out at the end of the growth cycle onto srceens and voila there are your worms. Guy said there was a noticable difference in growth rates when water is warmer. Pete Santini of Fishing Fanatics on the North Shore is close with the owner. I asked him if the worms were the same at ther diggers sold him and he said no difference and the wholesale price to him was the same, so it must be financially feasible to market the worms. Thier being sold up and down the east coast. Your either going to need a structure though or a warm water source I think to be effective in the northeast.

Mr. Sandman · 01-31-2006, 08:27 AM

I read some of the work he did in England and I think the key to really turning a decent profit is to keep your overhead as low as possible. Heating salt water to grow a worm involves $...waste heat is the key. I think the ideal place to pursue this in a large scale is at the exhaust end of a Nuke Power plant located south of SC. Initially I am not trying to make a profit; I just want to see if I can do it. So I am going to try it on a small scale first and perhaps lease some space in an existing facility that is not being fully used at the moment. This will cost me money. If it looks good I may try to expand it but lets see if I can grow them first. If it looks promising, I know I can get whatever resources I need expand to whatever scale is necessary. So for now I am considering more of a hobby then any kind of business.

It does not look to me like his US commercial expansion dreams have materialized. Several years ago I spoke with him and he was expecting great expansion plans within the next year...that was several years ago. Last year his stuff was hard to get and only a few selected shops had them and they were spotty. A year or so ago I asked him what the problems were and it sounded like $ issues more then anything technical but he was not really clear on that.

I know the worm diggers in Maine don't like the idea of worm farming as they make up to $1000/week digging worms and there are over 1000 lic's issued for worm digging. Then you have the boxers, wholesales, shippers and weed guys too. It is a small industry in Maine and has been for a long time. What really upsets them is the state is helping this guy commercialize the business for a potential of 50 jobs...while putting the diggers out of a job. (NPR did a blurb on this a couple years ago)
The big benefit of farming with warm water over digging is the growth rates are MUCH faster in 65-70 deg water then in the cold Maine waters, also you can feed them optimum growth foods and get them to breed much more frequently.

Lets just see if I can do it as a hobby first.

Skitterpop · 01-31-2006, 08:49 AM

I received some investment literature from Peter but they only want relatively big money (for me that is) and you have to sign off on a non guaranteed / high risk agreement.

I`ve been watching SeaBait for some years now and they could go big but I cannot afford the initial investment or the risk.

mikecc · 01-31-2006, 11:16 AM

I tryed them last year and will not go back.
The blood is GREEN the worms are Green.A lot of the tails were broken , put them next to a wild one and you will be shocked.
As long as the wild are available I'll stick with them.
I had to leave my seaworm guy last year (after 20 years) found out he was giving me smaller worms and another shop larger quality.
As soon as I left he was begging and promissed the quality would improve. Told him to take a hike.
The new Guy Quality is better in size and freshness. I was able to lower my prices by 20%

Joe · 01-31-2006, 11:22 AM

You'll have to change your screen name to "Mr. Sandwormman," of course....

Skitterpop · 01-31-2006, 11:31 AM

Scumbag salesperson.... "oh , you found out I was screwing you and your customers ....sorry....now that you caught me I promise to do better....F em

MakoMike · 01-31-2006, 01:16 PM

Sandy,
Just curios as what do they eat?

Sweetwater · 01-31-2006, 04:54 PM

Start a sandEEL farm and you've got a REAL business!

mikecc · 01-31-2006, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

Start a sandEEL farm and you've got a REAL business!

Now your talking just keep it outside of MA .
If you do it here in MA they will find a way to tax you out.

You gotta see the reports we have to fill out each Mo. for bait.

Fresh , frozen, Who from , Lic #s ,buy price and sell price. and if we miss a report they hold our Lic for the next year. we can't catch our owne bait any longer we have to buy from lic persons. this state is going down hill fast.

Fish On · 01-31-2006, 07:56 PM

I gotta agree with mikecc. I bought some last year and was not impressed. Small and weak....did not last. Not to say that they can't and won't improve and certainly nothing against Pete S. I think he's great and I buy from him whenever I get the chance. They just aren't for me.....yet.

I would give them another try if I had a few of Sandy's Sandies!

Mr. Sandman · 01-31-2006, 08:07 PM

Funny, the ones I saw looked real good but they were at the show and I am sure he picked the best of the bunch for the show. I would like to see the Maine operation first hand...I wonder if he would give me a tour?

Keith...If I were to "sell" them they would be on the black market to avoid any red tape. Go to the draw bridge at midnight and under the third piling there will be a box of 5 doz for you on the ledge. No charge for fishing buds

mikecc · 01-31-2006, 08:38 PM

GB and I talked about this a few years back. There are so many warehouses in New Bedford, Fall River on the tidal flow that you could get for almost free as long as you are paying taxes on the product. They just want jobs and to have them occupied.

MakoMike · 02-01-2006, 08:03 AM

Mike,
Problem is that the water there isn't really warm enough.

zacs · 02-01-2006, 08:15 AM

IF they live in ME in the wild, how come they need such warm water in aquaculture environment? Wouldn't they be thriving down south then?

whiplash · 02-01-2006, 09:15 AM

Nb is alot warrmer than Maine anytime of the year I was thinking the 65-75 degreees in the summer would bring in growth spurts and grow a bigger worm faster.Plus a solar collector on one of those big flat roofs will heat winter water fairly well without high energy costs and maybe available thru grants. There could be more ways to put this together than is evident. With the new administration in NB maybe ? The thought of a 3 ft seawrm still scares me .

MakoMike · 02-01-2006, 02:01 PM

Zac,
They grow faster in warm water.

Skitterpop · 02-01-2006, 03:29 PM

How about growing another product(s) with saltwater hydroponics (don`t know if possible) to help pay for the heat/light source.

Any aquaculture with saltwater done indoors?