Ragworm question

I dug some ragworm last saturday and I have no idea what species I had. It was my first time digging them and I have been unable to find any similar pictures on the web. They were about 15 - 20 cm long, 1 cm across and very aggressive. They were red on either side with a brown strip running their length. Any ideas?

Sound like king rag and they can grow up to 3 feet long. You need to dig fast for the big ones as they bury down fast. Try over turning rocks where your digging and snatch them up quickly for easy bait collection. Pollack and coalies love them when fished off the bottom.

Donagh

I was beginning to come around to king rag myself. Mind you 3 ft long :shock: , they wouldn't need to fast at all. They could just grab the fork and hit you with it :lol: . If I came across one that size you wouldn't see my arse for the sand my heels would kick up as I ran away.

Thanks for the response Donagh.

The 3 feet boys are very much the exception especially with over digging. The size of fellas your getting are more the rule with a 2 foot one being huge. One of the problems with digging the biggins is you need someone to hold the tail while you dig it out. You can end up ripping them in half if you have a tug of war with them.

Donagh

They are also quite an underated bait for doggies which readlily go for them. They can be divided up into a number of baits as the sections continue to wriggle even after you break them. The biggest worms usually come from quite deep mud which you will sink down a good bit through. The smellier the mud the better. :? Watch out for those pincers on the biggest worms :wink:

smelly isn't the word for it! it would put you off egg sambo's for life! if you want the big ones dig right in around large rocks, walls and other permanent structures (often in they brown mud). i never see people digging these places, probably because they are often close to the shore, and yet 10 of these worms will boost your bait supply remarkably. fabulous bait when head hooked for pollack, and i am sure bass.....we will see this season. i had a talk to a flounder today out in dollymount and he told me there where a few bass around. cheers lads.

How did you get on in Dollymount?