Ragworm

One of the most commonly used of all baits is the ragworm. There are a number of different species but the one which is used most often is the king ragworm. These can be dug from estuaries over low water although they can be very difficult to locate or they can be purchased from tackle shops which usually have a very good supply of quality worms. They can grow up to 2 feet long but average about 6-10 inches. They can be stored in newspaper for up to a week or more providing they are kept cool, the newspaper is changed on a regular basis and any dead or dying worms are removed. They are not good for freezing and should be used as fresh as possible. Tackle shops generally sell worms in quarters of a pound which, depending on the size of the worms, provides plenty of quality bait for a fishing session.

There are not many species of fish which will not take a hook baited with ragworm and this versatile bait can be fished in many different ways dependant on the species of fish you wish to target. Care must always be taken when handling these worms as their mouths contain a large set of pincers which can inflict a painful bite. The easiest way to hook a ragworm is to pass the hook in and out of the head of the worm, this leaves the body free to wriggle attractively, this technique is most often used when float fishing for wrasse and pollack. For general all round fishing you should pass the hook point into the head of the worm and then slide the hook through the worm’s body and out of the tail end, this will catch all species from bass to wrasse. If you wish to target bigger fish then simply add more worms to the hook and snood to create a bigger bait. When fishing for flatfish it is a good idea to fish the worms in a ‘bunch’ with a couple of worms head-hooked with a fully hooked through worm underneath. This means there is a lot of movement to the bait which will attract the naturally inquisitive flatfish, particularly flounder. Ragworm can also be used as an added attractant to a spinner, a method used in estuaries and harbours for flounder and mullet.