They can be kept alive for up to five days wrapped in dry newspaper or stored in a little water in trays in a fridge. There are two distinct species. The tough black lugworm, is dug with a small spade or pumped with a bait pump and is best for boat and cod fishing. The softer common lugworm is dug with a flat tined potato fork and is a superb, all-round bait for the small species especially flatfish. Don't get obsessed with size.
Small lugworm are brilliant flatfish baits.
Lugworm attract by the scent of their juices and should be replaced every cast. Buy fresh wherever possible. Cocktail baits Cocktail baits are mixtures of two or three different baits. By combining traditional baits like crab, worm and squid, the hook bait is given a more varied scent, taste and appearance which makes it more attractive to a wider range of target species. They key to cocktails is the right balance for example, a long thin sliver of squid is all that s needed to make a bait visually attractive, especially in a running tide.