I'd planned to go last night but the wind was howling, it was cold and Mrs Aitch was at her moaning best. So I stayed in and surfed t'internet, I'm looking for one or two new bits so I had some retail therapy without Hitler with tits realising! I had a problem though, what to do with the bait I had left.

My mate PK has a little trick which I'm sure loads of you already do, but with the rising costs of bait its a good idea. Not only does it save unused bait but it does make pretty good bait. In my experience the bait is especially good for flatties though it will work for any fish that likes a worm. The trick is to freeze them onto hooks, it has the added advantage that when you come to use them they are frozen solid so you can cast them as hard as you like too. For anybody that doesn't know or hasn't done it, here's what I did:

First job is to get some hook lengths ready.

I tied up a load of size 2 Kamasan B940's on short, 25lb amnesia hook lengths. I'll use these in the summer for sole fishing. It couldn't be simpler as I'll only need to hitch with a double overhand or tie the hook lengths to a french boom.

The finished hook lengths, mine are only around 12" long with a stop knot and a plain bead. Some people swear by sequins but to me they're a bit Dale Winton meets Liberace, keep it simple I say.

Once you've got all your hook lengths tied, sort out your worms. There's not much point in putting dead or blown worms on if you have the choice, though they will and do work. I sorted out all the nice firm worms ready for the slaughter to begin.

Mrs Aitch has no idea what I'm doing on the kitchen table, I'm safe until Richard and Judy finishes.

Its then a simple task of baiting up. I tear a 3" strip of newspaper about 2 sheets thick and wrap them like you would with black lug or yellow tails. This gives you a nice easy and convenient bait and any that you don't use can be popped back in the freezer.

Simple innit and for the sake of an hour or so buggering about you end up with good convenient baits.

Once you've baited up, pop the wraps in a bag, write the hook size and pattern on the bag(s) and bang em in the freezer, JFDI job fecking done innit!

Thats a sole fishing session in the summer sorted.

Whilst I've been buggering about with these baited hooks, I've just had a text from a couple of "mates". They're fishing today, I can't because of work tonight. One of them has had 4 codling so far, the other 3, the thing is the one thats had 3 has got one thats 7lb! Bloody marvellous.