keeping ragworm fresh

[cuckoo]

Hi all can you give me some feed back on what to keep ragworm in, as im going to be digging my own a lot now,to save pennies, most of what you buy in southampton is kept in peat,which i find keeps the worms damp but difficilt to handle.and then theres formiculite?which keeps the worms dry but easy to handle.When i dig my own i just sprinkle a bit of beach sand over them and cover in seaweed which i find is perfect,any other ideas please....! cheers lee.

[big guy]

i keep my rag in a cat litter tray and a small amount of water. just before i go fishing i put them in dry sand to stop them from sticking together and make them easier to hold.

[geffski]

i posted a similar question a week or so ago!
and from that thread i think one of the main things is
giving them space so thay dont bunch up in a ball!
since ive done this ive found mortality has dropped to almost zero!
well lol maybe an over statment but better than just folded up in a paper from the tack shop!

[cod head]

put no more than 15 in a cat litter tray with a small amount of water,
then put in a fridge change water daily i have kept rags for upto two to three
weeks. i do put them in thermiculite because they eat it resulting in it drying the insides out getting rid of all of the essential juices needed .

[MRG2000]

Cat lit is good, another good if not slightly better alternative is sea peat and a couple of the big polystyrene trays im sure if you talk nicely to your local tackle dealer he`ll be able to help you,as they normally discard the tray and left over peat.keep the peet just moist and don`t overload them with too many worms and you should be anble to keep fresh worms going for a good week or more.

[Ben]

fridge or not?
cheers

[MRG2000]

Originally Posted by Ben

fridge or not?
cheers

Fridge !!!!,but not too cold,or out in the shed so long as its not blazing hot......

[im snagged]

mikes bang on, by keeping them in a fridge they stay alive for atleast 2 days more than they would at normal temperature, i have always used peat to keep them fresh. but in the fridge is essential(or somebody elses fridge).

[keana]

I keep my rag (the stuff I dig) in a cat litter tray lined with newspaper. Place a big clod of damp seaweed over them then cover the whole thing with newspaper. This dries them out and hardens them up and if you handle them carefully they wont break and leak their juices out. These juices are toxic to them so change the paper regularly. Keep them cool in a fridge. I have a fridge in the garage especially for bait. I`ve kept them for over a week like this. Even then I could have revived them in salt water and started the process again for another week.
If you do decide to keep worms in the fridge, watch the temp in there too and dont put them too close to the back wall where the cooling elements are. The last lot I put in there were close to frozen and were pretty useless when I came to use them.