Strange critters in Chisman creek

[virginia boy 1]

Went out with the bossman saturday nite in Chisman creek to put some out of towners on the croakers. Bite was slow, then we found out why. We hung a light over the side and there were billions of strange little critters swimming around. at first we thought they were little pink squid, but I managed to grab one of the fast and elusive little buggers, and was baffled as to what it was. It looked like a 1-1.5inch bloodworm, but the little guys swam very fast....and the croaker seemed to be engorged on them. Does anyone know what these little things are? Are they just baby bloodworms or are they something's larvae?

I wish I had a pic, but didn't bring the camera for just a croaker trip.

tight lines!!

[Tom Powers]

Ooh ooh ooh I know this one. They are sand worms. I first saw them about 6 or 7 years ago. They are in the spawn.

When I asked my buddy that used to work for CBF said something like "yep it is a rough life being a sand worm during mating season."

Tom

[Sandtiger]

Must be a different type of sand worm than I am used to seeing. Up north we used sand worms for stripers in the surf. They were about 6 to 8 inches long and had what might appear to be a lot of legs along their sides. They will bite you very nicely if not handled correctly.

I was not aware that there were sand worms here in this area.

Here's a picture;

Maine Bait- Sandworm

[ggendell]

Besides the scientific name, what is the difference between a sandworm and a bloodworm?

[sbeach]

My wife and I saw the same things down out of messick last year, someone told us they were trout worms. can not find anything about them on the internet, closest i came were hellgramites, but they seem to be freshwater trout bait.

[Double Haul]

Ggendell... Bloods live up north in the really cold mud off of Maine. That's why you refrigerate them here.
Sandworms obviously live here in this water, so they tolerate warmer weather.

[satterly]

More than likely they were May Worms.

[ibboone]

How about a clam worm. Try this site and tell me if this is close.

Clam worm


Dan

[Patrick Dickhudt]

Here is an excerpt from a 2004 Maryland DNR fishing report (I googled May Worms Chesapeake and it came up). It explains "May Worms" and even gives the genus/species.


May worms are polychaete worms that live in the mud and oyster bar debris on the bottom of the Bay and are usually called clamworms. They are only called May worms when then swarm during spawning in the month of May during the dark of the moon. There are seven species of polychaete worms in the Chesapeake Bay but the common clamworm; Nereis succinea is the most common. They can grow as large as 5”, but usually are about 2”-3” in size. They basically are very similar to the bloodworms that come from Maine that are sold for bait here in tackle shops. This time of the year the worms undergo a metamorphosis to become a special sexual form called heteronereises. They develop a reddish color and enlarged parapodia (little swimming fans) on their sides for swimming. They will swarm in a mating frenzy for several nights; mate, release their eggs and sperm then die. As these worms swim about, they present quite a treat to any fish that happen to be about. They are attracted to light, so if you can get out on a dock with a light on it, you’re in for a show. There is a species of similar worm in the Florida Keys called the palo worm that does the same thing this time of the year. This is a great time to be tarpon fishing with long reddish orange flies. Tarpon are suckers for them. It’s not hard to imagine that a smaller version would work this time of the year, here in the Chesapeake Bay for striped bass.

[toddkfly]

Could be a form of cinder worm. From what I understand, these things can run from Maine to FL. Have seen them on Cape Cod at night when a big full moon initiates the spawn. One thing is for sure, fish will key in on these things exclusively when it happens. I have heard that Tarpon will key on them when the hatch begins down in the Keys.


Todd K