Every year the value of the humble beach worm climbs as the desired bait to catch whiting becomes increasingly essential for success.

There are two ways to access these highly valued grubs.

You can purchase them from your local bait and tackle outlet or you can learn to catch them yourself.

You may think that “man versus worm” would not be a fair contest, well you will soon learn that catching a beach worm is easier said than done.

Firstly, you must be aware of which beaches have a population of worms and which do not.

Around here Stockton, Samuari, Fingal and Box Beaches are the most reliable.

The best time to go hunting is the two hours either side of low tide.

The plan is to wash a bait of a fish skeleton as the wave recedes, then watch as the worm pops his head up to find out what all the fuss is about.

Approach the worm with caution “feeding” it a hand bait – it’s preferable to use a pipi. 

As the worm rises to snatch the bait you pinch it between your thumb and index finger.

Good luck and take care.

If you’ve got a picture of a whopper, or a fishing yarn to share, you can email it to stinkerfishing@yahoo.com with your contact number and details about your catch.