how do i keep freshly dug rag and fresh peeler alive?

[tommy_leeuk]

hi guys

just got my fridge to help keep my bait fresh and need to learn how to keep my rag and crabs alive for more than a day.

can you guys help me learn?

[mick dunn]

When i dug my bait i always had this problem. Shops seem to have some type of polystyrene suff in the worms when i buy them now. It may be worth cotacting your local tackle shop and asking advice.
The cooler they are the better.

Mick

[john/r]

hi m8 waiting to be shot down but so what,contary to what most people think but i find ragworm not easy to keep,yes you can put in sea water in fridge with aeriator but colour goes out of them they become dull.

crab, in my opion a lot depends if shore crab or river i have problems keeping river crab shore crab no prob especialy the ones from the west side ie solway.

hard work keeping crab alive at right stages for fishing you need to keep looking at them twice a day morn and night you have to baby sit them then you get remarks off your wife you think more of them than me.

if you realy want to do it we all do it sometime or another there is some real good threads on forum just do a search.

john

[phill_itofish]

i've kept rag and lug alive for upto 4 days just by changing the paper there wrapped in daily and removing any dead ones. so basicaly keeping them cool and dry seems to work!

[john/r]

yes you right phill 4 days no prob
john
what about old sacks with seaweed in wet the sack as well with sea water keeps canny

[tommy_leeuk]

thanks guys

my cousin who has been fishing for years gave me some cork polystyrene stuff and said to use that and newspaper and they stay alive for a long time

again thankyou for the help its really appreciated

[Charlton]

freshly dug rag you should have no problem keeping in a cool dark fridge in sea water, remove all broken or nipped worms, change water every couple of days, have kept rag for up to a month this way and it has always been nice and fresh when i used it. Make sure you give them a good wash in sea water before you store them. Worm bought from a shop which hasnt been kept in fresh sea water is a different matter as the worm will have started to dry, would recommend keeping no longer than a few days, it also depends on how long the worm has been in the shop for as well.

[BAZACODBASHA]

Tommy,

I have kept ragworm for more than a month in the fridge as long as you follow a couple of musts. Change the water EVERY day, even if it looks clear. Sort out any worms that have become damaged or look a bit 'sickly' and keep spare water in the fridge at ALL times so that when you change the water it is at the same temperature that the worms were acustommed to.
Also important : don't put your fresh dug worms straight into refridgerated water, but put them in sea water at room temperature so they slowly become 'aclimatised' to the cold. I keep 3 x 4 pint milk cartons full all the time in the fridge tray and replenish them when I change the water.
Lastly.don't be tempted to put too many worms in your tray (cat's litter trays are ideal).

Sorry to waffle on with all this, but honestly if you follow all these steps, you should be able to keep your ragworm or even lugworm alive for many weeks. Good luck anyway.

BAZACODBASHA

[tommy_leeuk]

thaks guys for the extra advice

[mick dunn]

I would have to have to have another fridge cos my missus would go through the roof. Its bad enough keeping artificial worms frozen in our fridge.

Mick.

[TerryC]

I would add a little tweak to the cold sea water storige for worms. I have used it on white rag , lug and rag worm. I use seed trays with coral sand in (buy it from your local aquarium, bit expensive tho ) just covered with enough sea water to make it saturated. The worms go in and bury themselves and the coarse coral sand keeps them clean and healthy. I decant off the water every couple of days and check the worms. About 48 hrs before fishing I would take the worms out of the sand (especially lug) and put them into sheets of newspaper to dry them them out slightly. They take a hook better this way. Why coral sand ? I was told by a guy who keeps tropical marine fish it has a natural biocide effect and this helps to keep worm fresh. Aye and water temps 6°C.

Terry C