Mayworms - not sure if that is what I saw

[Bug Guy]

Fished charters 2 days last week out of PLO area - on the way out of the marina (Point Lookout Marina), my buddy pointed to some worm looking things swimming along the surface and said they were mayworms. Didn't get a good look so I can't say for sure. Figured the sighting, if that's what I saw, would be useful info.
Cheers,
bob

[goinsfishin]

I doubt that you saw Mayworms on the surface.......the mayworm "hatch" is actually not a hatch at all, it's the mature males and females coming up out of the mud and moving around to mate......they will be right on the bottom in anywhere from 5 to 30 feet of water....and they are easy pickings for hungry, lazy rockfish.....this should start taking place within the next week or 2.....and lasts about 2-3 weeks.

I suspect that what your buddy saw were probably newly hatched snakes......with some species there can be 100's from a single nest.....
thankfully the mortality rate for snakes is real high or we'd be overrun.

[B-Faithful]

We chunked some the first day of the MSSA and had a bait bag on the bottom just south of TPL. When we pulled it up we had several red looking worms with little red legs off the side. We assumed they were may worms

[crabby and son]

Well, we are approaching the end of May and we had a full moon a little more than a week ago so it is time for May worms on the Chesapeake. That metamorphic stage of our oyster worms that causes swarms of wiggling pink worms under dock lights at night and some consternation among fishermen. Often striped bass and white perch are so gorged with the little morsels that they look like they are ready to explode if they eat just one more. Rob White sent us this picture of a swarm of May worms under his dock light on Cat Creek just of the Patuxent River.

Striped BassDespite may worm swarming; fishermen are catching some nice striped bass this week


This is from the DNR website. These worms hatch on the bottom and swim to the surface. They are 2-5 inches long and have small fins on their side.......Gary

[Reverb]

Originally Posted by crabby and son

Well, we are approaching the end of May and we had a full moon a little more than a week ago so it is time for May worms on the Chesapeake. That metamorphic stage of our oyster worms that causes swarms of wiggling pink worms under dock lights at night and some consternation among fishermen. Often striped bass and white perch are so gorged with the little morsels that they look like they are ready to explode if they eat just one more. Rob White sent us this picture of a swarm of May worms under his dock light on Cat Creek just of the Patuxent River.

Striped BassDespite may worm swarming; fishermen are catching some nice striped bass this week


This is from the DNR website. These worms hatch on the bottom and swim to the surface. They are 2-5 inches long and have small fins on their side.......Gary

Ya wanna kiss and make up, and email me the pictures, so I can post them ???

[crabby and son]

Brian, The picture was not a very good one but I will post the link here. Thanks for the offer...............Gary


http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fi...52009index.asp

[Blakesdad]

[Blakesdad]

Anybody else kinda puke a few seconds ago ????

[crabby and son]

That is what I have a problem with. I have a 9 year old Son that loves to read these boards. I encourage him to read but stuff like this, he doesn't need to see. Please..............Gary

[morsax]

Originally Posted by goinsfishin

I suspect that what your buddy saw were probably newly hatched snakes......with some species there can be 100's from a single nest.....
thankfully the mortality rate for snakes is real high or we'd be overrun.

Steve:
I think Bugguy was talking about me--the day I can't tell the difference between a polycheate worm and a baby snake, I will gladly send my marine biology degree back where it came from (come to think of it, they may prefer that on some days ). Maybe we are referring to two different things as mayworms, but these are what I have always heard referred to that way.

Hans