Ragworm

[nearly70ty]

Some time in spring ragworm leave their mud holes to swim around and breed, can anyone tell me when this happens, what triggers it is it water temp a particular set of tides, state of the moon, does it only happen at night. So many questions, any help will be appreciated

 

[Had1]

all I know is that in Ireland last March and April when water temperatures were at their lowest round there is the only time iv seen them swimming ... mainly because I was sleeping for 3 months 5 yards from the sea so got to see everything ...only happend a couple of nights but I was literally upto my waist filling buckets grabbing them by hand huge shoals swimming by !!!
they were a lot more watery though than normal and were difficult to keep compared to normal though .. guessing because of some sort of spawning stage at the time which someone more knowledgeable will let us know why ...

 

[nearly70ty]

all I know is that in Ireland last March and April

Thanks for you input, Can you remember whether it was March or April

 

[Had1]

just looked at pics from the time must of been April 8th to 20th between the few times I saw rag swimming the main 2 days was closer to 20th though from what i can work out...
this was cork Ireland though mate will probably vary massively around the UK n Ireland though where are you roughly ?

 

[nearly70ty]

just looked at pics from the time must of been April 8th to 20th between the few times I saw rag swimming the main 2 days was closer to 20th though from what i can work out...
this was cork Ireland though mate will probably vary massively around the UK n Ireland though where are you roughly ?

That's great info thanks again, I'm in Swansea not a million miles away from Cork, very similar temperatures I would imagine

 

[Had1]

ahh okay yeah true it could be similar then

 

[Tournamag]

Well most creatures Bonk in early spring Gestation period specific ie sheep are autumn so it's ready to pop out in early spring so once weaned is on fresh grass as no good being born in autumn as nothing much to chew.
Ragworm go milky green juice not much good for anything then as full of milt
All these things get triggered by a reaction be it changing light/water temps/Change in current direction
Soon you will hear the birds singing then it's down to the hard bonk and nest building and they want to be in/out all ready for the insects etc to emerge to feed there chicks.
Ragworm most likely timed when at the least predation as Winter fish move off and Summer fish move in and in general that is the time fishing is poorer also.

 

[Mr Fish]

Well most creatures Bonk in early spring Gestation period specific ie sheep are autumn so it's ready to pop out in early spring so once weaned is on fresh grass as no good being born in autumn as nothing much to chew.
Ragworm go milky green juice not much good for anything then as full of milt
All these things get triggered by a reaction be it changing light/water temps/Change in current direction
Soon you will hear the birds singing then it's down to the hard bonk and nest building and they want to be in/out all ready for the insects etc to emerge to feed there chicks.
Ragworm most likely timed when at the least predation as Winter fish move off and Summer fish move in and in general that is the time fishing is poorer also.

Yes, that was my thought. Would the worm be worth using when it’s full of milt prior to spawning?
I know in Guernsey they won’t dig them when they’re full of spawn. Might even by a bylaw that they can’t, I can’t quite recall if it’s a law or just a local convention.

 

[Cfish]

Yes, that was my thought. Would the worm be worth using when it’s full of milt prior to spawning?
I know in Guernsey they won’t dig them when they’re full of spawn. Might even by a bylaw that they can’t, I can’t quite recall if it’s a law or just a local convention.

I don't dig lugworm if they are milky. Can't remember the time of year though.

 

[RaM]

I had spawny green rag in Dec/Jan but can remember it happening in the summer too.. I think it's more to do with temps then specific times.

 

[Mr Fish]

I don't dig lugworm if they are milky. Can't remember the time of year though.

I’ve found them around autumn time

 

[Cfish]

I’ve found them around autumn time

That sounds about right.

 

[X525]

green ragworm are a waste of time

dont keep, and a few will spoil a tray / bucket full when they burst

seen them swimming in huge numbers in portsmouth harbour several times, and at different times of the year

massive swarms of em!

even followed a massive swarm up from the old navy decommisioning moorings opposite hardway where we were plaice fishing whilst tied up to the old black n yellow cans, with the floodtide , where they were fully visable on the surface, down to about 4ft
just drifted down behind em with the push of tide

they all knew exactly where they were going as they dropped out of site on to the channel edge of peewit island on the run up spider lake just past the 2nd muddy clear run off

used to be some stunning digging up that way, IF you knew the ground and had a boat

same for a few locations out "" mid "" harbour

 

[Nottah747]

When we were kids we used to swim at the top of Portsmouth Harbour must have been back in the mid 60s before the m27 was built and before a lot of the harbour was reclaimed one day must have been during the summer holidays we were surrounded by huge swarms of ragworms swimming with us never seen it since.
Pete

 

[nearly70ty]

I don't dig lugworm if they are milky. Can't remember the time of year though.

Around Swansea this normally happens October and November, the worms are also at their biggest they keep alright but not quite as good as other times of the year.

 

[nearly70ty]

I had spawny green rag in Dec/Jan but can remember it happening in the summer too.. I think it's more to do with temps then specific times.

That a new thought, always assumed it was just once a year

 

[nearly70ty]

green ragworm are a waste of time

I'm not interested in the worms themselves, just the timing, I'll be chucking a worm imitation (Isome or Gulp) hoping to see whats been predating on them.

 

[X525]

I'm not interested in the worms themselves, just the timing, I'll be chucking a worm imitation (Isome or Gulp) hoping to see whats been predating on them.

to be fair, not a great deal seems to predate on them mate

you can get them green any time of year, but side by side with a nice red un, the red un will out fish the green proper time

used to be a right pain in the arse when they spawned and were full of milt, cut the weight dug down by a good 50%, meaning you would normally max out at circa 18--20lb per tide, rather than 30--40!!!!

back in the day, that was a lot off beer tokens lost !!

 

[Warby72]

I've seen them swimming in September on the west coast of Scotland.

 

[nearly70ty]

you can get them green any time of year, but side by side with a nice red un, the red un will out fish the green proper time

Thanks for the help, I better make sure it's a red or brown imitation I'm chucking at them lol