Digging ragworm in winter

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Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Teegerstk » Mon Jan 25, 2021 10:37 pm

Hey all.
Until today I hadn't been fishing in over 2 months- was fairly sparse before that too with college. I hit a new mark today but blanked due to my fairly manky mackerel- I thought it had been well looked after although it might've been in the freezer too long; some of the flesh was yellow :oops:
Normally I'd hit up my local rag spot for some, although it wasn't too fruitful on my last visit due to a thick layer of mud covering the digging areas.
It's now quite cold and I'm unsure about whether it's worth giving it a go- do they go down much deeper in the winter and what's the deal with the spawning season?
I feel like I once knew this info but it eludes me.
Thanks in advance
2019 species: codling, whiting, flounder, dab, dogfish, spurdog, sole, smooth hound, bass
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Gonzo » Mon Jan 25, 2021 10:58 pm

Teegerstk wrote:Hey all.
Until today I hadn't been fishing in over 2 months- was fairly sparse before that too with college. I hit a new mark today but blanked due to my fairly manky mackerel- I thought it had been well looked after although it might've been in the freezer too long; some of the flesh was yellow :oops:
Normally I'd hit up my local rag spot for some, although it wasn't too fruitful on my last visit due to a thick layer of mud covering the digging areas.
It's now quite cold and I'm unsure about whether it's worth giving it a go- do they go down much deeper in the winter and what's the deal with the spawning season?
I feel like I once knew this info but it eludes me.
Thanks in advance


I read that the spawning season for ragworm is April but can be dug any other time of the year so tried digging some last week, I got nowhere near the amount or size that I'd get in the summer but they were there and managed to get enough for a session!
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Teegerstk (Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:42 pm)
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Teegerstk » Mon Jan 25, 2021 11:15 pm

Gonzo wrote:
Teegerstk wrote:Hey all.
Until today I hadn't been fishing in over 2 months- was fairly sparse before that too with college. I hit a new mark today but blanked due to my fairly manky mackerel- I thought it had been well looked after although it might've been in the freezer too long; some of the flesh was yellow :oops:
Normally I'd hit up my local rag spot for some, although it wasn't too fruitful on my last visit due to a thick layer of mud covering the digging areas.
It's now quite cold and I'm unsure about whether it's worth giving it a go- do they go down much deeper in the winter and what's the deal with the spawning season?
I feel like I once knew this info but it eludes me.
Thanks in advance


I read that the spawning season for ragworm is April but can be dug any other time of the year so tried digging some last week, I got nowhere near the amount or size that I'd get in the summer but they were there and managed to get enough for a session!


Cheers for that Gonzo, might as well give it a go if I wanna go fishing (nearest bait shop is closed for now!). Any sort of rag will do for the scratching that goes on at this time of year for flounders and the like. I seriously miss those hounds :lol:
2019 species: codling, whiting, flounder, dab, dogfish, spurdog, sole, smooth hound, bass
2020 species: codling, dab, whiting, flounder, dogfish, turbot, smooth hound, bass
2021 species: flounder, black goby, dogfish, smooth hound
2022 species: dogfish, smooth hound
2023 species: flounder
2024 species: dab
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby DAMIEN » Tue Jan 26, 2021 5:15 pm

Diving this time of year is hard,with cold the worms will be deeper usually and decent ones will be hard to find but live bait is always a winner in m opinion depends how long you want spend and how many you need usually handful does me as I’d be using other baits as well
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Teegerstk » Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:45 pm

DAMIEN wrote:Diving this time of year is hard,with cold the worms will be deeper usually and decent ones will be hard to find but live bait is always a winner in m opinion depends how long you want spend and how many you need usually handful does me as I’d be using other baits as well

No doubt, especially with those mad temperatures we've been having. Indeed the live stuff has been great for flats and bass, and I think it gives an advantage in the winter. Funny how frozen squid outfishes it in the summer :oops:
2019 species: codling, whiting, flounder, dab, dogfish, spurdog, sole, smooth hound, bass
2020 species: codling, dab, whiting, flounder, dogfish, turbot, smooth hound, bass
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby FK » Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:40 pm

Lugs very deep too, frozen black lug works well for flounder/bass.
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Dogbert » Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:15 am

Digging rag this time of year just disturbs and more than likely kills the large female rag that will spawn this year.
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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Teegerstk » Fri Jan 29, 2021 8:00 pm

Dogbert wrote:Digging rag this time of year just disturbs and more than likely kills the large female rag that will spawn this year.

That makes sense, thanks for that. I shall refrain!
Managed to source some frozen bait anyway.
Cheers!
2019 species: codling, whiting, flounder, dab, dogfish, spurdog, sole, smooth hound, bass
2020 species: codling, dab, whiting, flounder, dogfish, turbot, smooth hound, bass
2021 species: flounder, black goby, dogfish, smooth hound
2022 species: dogfish, smooth hound
2023 species: flounder
2024 species: dab

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Re: Digging ragworm in winter

Postby Khartnett » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:27 pm

No one really digs rag in winter I heard they excrete a slime that puts fish off during winter as they get ready to spawn. Lug in winter


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