Wormed Out

Technology Is Replacing Some Traditional Fishing Tactics

After centuries of servitude, albeit involuntary and impaled on the point of a hook, the humble bloodworm is finally being liberated.

It's a revolution of sorts -- not one of worms but of technology. A chemist in Florida has invented an artificial alternative that America's fishermen are increasingly turning to.

The worm is slowly being replaced by a more modern concoction -- the latest in a long line of high-tech gizmos that are making outdoor sports more about comfort and efficiency than the thrill of the chase.

Today's anglers take advantage of high-resolution underwater imaging to locate schools of fish, submerged cameras to see what's happening beneath the surface and global positioning devices to find the spot again. There are super-light reels made of titanium, invisible fishing line and scientifically engineered bait that simulates every fishy detail.

Hunting has also become something of a spectator sport for those who can't resist the new gadgets, such as motion-sensitive cameras that send live feeds to your living room. Silver-lined jackets hide hunters' odors so they can go undetected by game, and electronic range-finders in rifles calculate the exact distance to a target.

The next generation of sportsmen, those who have grown up with MP3 players and flat-panel TVs, has come to expect the same level of sophistication from outdoors gadgets. Retailers have experienced a surge in demand for devices that make it easier to reel in the big ones.

"Consumers, everyone from the serious anglers to the armchair dreamers, are becoming more savvy about the outdoors industry," said Katie Mitchell, spokeswoman for Bass Pro Shops. "We increase our offerings every year because there's always someone coming out with a new dimension."

Fishbites, the fast-selling bloodworm challengers, came out last year and have since taken a sizable chunk of the bloodworms' business in bait and tackle shops along the Eastern Seaboard. Resembling strips of pink bubble gum, Fishbites are infused with chemicals that mimic the scent of the real thing.

The bloodworm has for generations been the bait of choice for fishers of croakers, spot and mullet on the mid-Atlantic coast. But over-harvesting the mudflats of Maine in recent years has yielded small, shabby worms, as high demand has, in some cases, more than doubled the price.

These days, a single, two-inch bloodworm can cost close to a dollar. Their small size makes it easy for sly prey to pluck them off the hook, and they only survive a few days in the fridge. A piece of Fishbites, by comparison, costs about 7 cents, lasts for months in a tackle box and stays on the hook.

While lures have been around about as long as bamboo poles, it is rare that one gains in popularity so quickly that it threatens an age-old industry. Judging by the pink Fishbite scraps that line the pier of Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware, anglers don't seem to mind trading tradition for no-fuss success.

"At the rate they're going, they'll probably take over the bloodworm," said Bob Salvatore, owner of A&R Bait and Tackle at Cape Henlopen. Now at the peak of fishing season, he sells almost 3,000 bags of Fishbites a week. "It'll at least force [the bloodworm dealers] to lower their price."