Gill Tactics: Bloodworms

[Jared Kerr]

Does anyone use bloodworms, I've heard they work great but cant seem to get the hang of it. If anybody has any suggestions I would be grateful.

[John Cachel]

I am not sure what you mean bloodworms is tiny red worms. Its too small for bait but should be good for chums. England match anglers use bloodworms as chums to lure fish move to your area. They even use it as bait to catch small fish like minnows and shiners! You need tiny hook as small as size 16 or 18 for one or two bloodworm. Tiny hook mean very light line as one pound test line! England use even less than one pound line.....8 oz line! Too light for panfish! Bait for Bluegills....? I don't know and I like to hear from anyone who use it here in USA!

[Brandon]

actually bloodworms are quite big. they might be too big for the hook you are using if your fishing for gills. i suggest you use bloodworms but cut them up into tiny pieces and stick them on your line. the scent should trigger gills in no time. Have Fun Fishing

[Bassandgrass]

The Bloodworms I am familiar with are like mosquito larvae. Very tiny worms used to feed aquarium fish. I guess you could use a small piece of panty hose tied to a hook and let them slowly squirm their way out. That's the only way I could think of using them as bait.

[Glenn Sampson(Pegleg)]

The bloodworms I've seen here in Fla. freshwater are very tiny and they live in mucky bottom litter. A group of student divers showed them to me once on the Rainbow River. I would guess a tiny red plastic worm on a small jig would proly imitate one. I know the shellcrackers bite this type bait bounced on the bottom at the local lakes here in N Central Fla. There are bloodworms in saltwater but I've never used em. Here's a link to the saltwater bloodworm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycera_(genus)

[Glenn Sampson(Pegleg)]

Here's a link to the freshwater bloodworm. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-midge.html

[Jared Kerr]

I agree with John C., i dont use them strait as bait, I understand that they are extremly small. I tie my own flies and I've tied a couple of different types of bloodworms on a sizes 6-14. I curved the shank of the hook and put a little maraboo right off the bend of the hook to make it seem like it was a worm.
Something like this: http://www.westfly.com/fly-pattern-recipe/wet/sanjuanworm.shtml
Do you guys know how to fish that kind of bait?.
Thanks for the information, keep it coming :)

[shooter]

i tie a blood worm from a #10 to#4 on a short shank mustad #10546BLN hook,this is a drop shot hook,with a very short shank and a wide gap. this fly works well on both gills and chinks. i let it settle on the bottom and move it very little and sloooow.it imitates the midge fly larva(our midge fly looks like a mini house fly) .

[robsabloke]

I use Bloodworms...( (Chironomids) but usually during the spring and summer months. I don't know how they would handle really cold water but I would think they would be inclined to 'Ball Up" kinda like Leeches do.

They are an excellent bait and with the exception of Amphipods (Scuds) make up a large part of the Bluegills natural diet.

Give em a go... you've certainly got nothing to lose.

Rob
Palm springs Ca.

[Charles Singleton]

In my experience, the small worms you guys are talking about are called 'red worms'. Blood worms are almost as big as nightcrawlers and will bite you. They have a nasty habit of biting anything that gets close enough and will make your blood run, hence the name.

I've used bloodworms for bait in saltwater, but never fresh - mainly because they were never sold where I've been fishing in fresh. The red worms, on the other hand, are really good for 'gills and crappie. They're small, very lively as long as the water's warm, and don't die in a hurry. The San Juan Worm fly is very effective down here on those species as well.

YMMV