keepin rag on your hook??????????????

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#1 Post by **lugworm** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 6:45 pm

any1 have any tips for keepin the rag on the feckin hook??????????????
i was using a cocktail of rag and squid, threading the rag on and tippin it of with a sliver of squid, tryed all different size hooks but the rag seemed to be coming off every time??????? when i pulled my line in the squid was all that was left, keepin in mind i was usin bait elastic aswell jus a little bit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

any tips for this dillemma???????????????

#2 Post by **yngkmd** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:53 pm

theres no way you could thread rag on the hook, tip with squid and then have the rag fly off but leave the squid in place,

as squid is tougher than rag do you think maybe your baits were mauled by small fish or crab that pulled the rag off but left the squid in place

personally i use baitholder hooks and never have a problem with the worm coming off, only that it might break on casting where the hook exits the worm again and the tail comes off

#3 Post by **Determined Dan** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:34 pm

hi lugworm, im wondering if your rag was in good condition? or was it gone a bit soft and slimy? if so the rag might be comming off when your casting or on impact with the water. if its in good condition id say the small fish maybe eating it off the hooks. when im tieing on the bait hook for worms i leave a small bit of the waste line on, so dont cut it tight to the hook leave it out about 3 or 5 mm long . when you put your worm up the hook push the head of the worm over the short bit of waste line and this will stop the worm comming down the line and this bit of line holds the head up the snood line, hope this is a help.

.

#4 Post by **lugworm** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:51 pm

yngkmd wrote:theres no way you could thread rag on the hook, tip with squid and then have the rag fly off but leave the squid in place,

as squid is tougher than rag do you think maybe your baits were mauled by small fish or crab that pulled the rag off but left the squid in place

personally i use baitholder hooks and never have a problem with the worm coming off, only that it might break on casting where the hook exits the worm again and the tail comes off

maybe i didnt explain myself properly but u seem to know it all......................when i pulled my line in the rag was gone????????????????????????????????

thanks for your help????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????

#5 Post by **lugworm** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:58 pm

Determined Dan wrote:hi lugworm, im wondering if your rag was in good condition? or was it gone a bit soft and slimy? if so the rag might be comming off when your casting or on impact with the water. if its in good condition id say the small fish maybe eating it off the hooks. when im tieing on the bait hook for worms i leave a small bit of the waste line on, so dont cut it tight to the hook leave it out about 3 or 5 mm long . when you put your worm up the hook push the head of the worm over the short bit of waste line and this will stop the worm comming down the line and this bit of line holds the head up the snood line, hope this is a help. .

ya twas left over from a session the buddy had the day before and i used it today!!!!!! it was a bit soft and brittle threadin it on the hook and was easily broken/split...............ah well sure wat can ya do???????? will know better next time!!!!!!!!!!

thanks bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#6 Post by **The Austrian** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:24 pm

Here's a video how to hook rag using a baiting needle. Agreed, not the best video in the world but will do the job - feel free to laugh at the sound track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRoWwtnzTbY
A sea baiting needle is a long thin piece of wire with a point at one end and hollow at the other. Thread the rag on (head first) up the pointed end til you have as much of the worm on the needle as you want on the hook.
Then put the hook point in the hollow end, pull the snood towards the pointed end of the needle (so the snood is tight and running paralell to the needle). Then thread the worm off the needle onto the hook and onto the snood. You might have to tease the worm over the eye of the hook.
It also helps if you have silicone stops and a mini sequin above the hook to prevent the worm 'blowing' up the line as you cast. A silicone stop is a little slice of silicone tube threaded onto the snood then doubled through to form a figure of 8. For longer baits you can slide the stop up to fit.

#7 Post by **lugworm** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:00 pm

just like that easy peasy.......................must get me one of those baitin needles!!!!!!!

thanks bro!!!!!!!!!!!!

#8 Post by **macka1** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:12 am

Never had to use a baiting needle for rag but definately for lug....

#9 Post by **immunecfg** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:39 pm

baiting needles make baiting 10 times quicker and gets the whole worm on without breaking it or bursting it too much

+1 on using a baiting needle

#10 Post by **Al and Jordan** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 9:38 am

hi man. i often have this problem when fishing one particular rock mark where there are decent wrasse to be had, but a 100yard + cast is essential. very snaggy ground so a 1 hook clip down rig with a rotten bottom is necessary. only problem is that when belting the rig out i often find the ragworm can be ripped off the 2/0 aberdeen hook with the force of the cast. just splits the worm down the middle even thow it has been fed on the hook with the baiting needle. just opens it up like an open book

. i've started giving the worm 9 or 10 wraps of loosely bound fine bait elastic and it has remedied the problem

Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:08 pm

sounds like your worm was gank ,ragworm goes like mush very quickly in the summer ,a small coolbox will keep your bait nice and fresh,and with a frozen bait can save you a fortune as it wont defrost if left on the ice block and covered in newspaper then pop your worms on top

#12 Post by **The Austrian** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:24 pm

Excellent advice there roger

, I always keep my frozen bait together with the more delicate worms, the frozen stuff acting as a cooling accu.
You can pick up a large insulated freezer bag with zip from Aldi atm, only costs around 3 quid, well worth it.
http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/speci ... _17110.htm

#13 Post by **mickm** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:06 pm

another vote for baiting needle, and also if u just dip your baited rig in the water before you cast the worms contract a little making them harder to come off works especially well for lug but helps with the rag too

#14 Post by **red** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:36 pm

failing all the above, get a dvice.
at least then if it comes back missing you know its crabs or small fish

#15 Post by **marklocko** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:57 am

as mickm says i find if you dip the rag in the sea before casting they dont seam to break when you cast

#16 Post by **Creep** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:38 am

To me sounds like crabs, or small fish.... when you cast, can you see the bait entering into the water? If so, when you retrive does your line feel heavier then what it should be and half way through the retrive suddenly get lighter?? If so that a crab, another tell tale sign is the tip of your rod will very gently and slowly move up and down (not wave motion, and not any great distance) the crab generally grabs the hook with one claw and strips the bait with the other, if in doubt test it, wait for your rod gentle movement then pull up sharp imbedding the hook into anything near it

, if it is crabs or small bait fish robbing your bait, a slow retrive or "hopping" will help deter them a bit

#17 Post by **stevo74** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:03 am

Just dip the rag in the water before casting ........

#18 Post by **sparkey+1** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:42 pm

+ 2 for the bait neddle

#19 Post by **paul mason** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:31 pm

Good tip for using soft baits like maddies, wrigglers, rag and lug, increase your casting weight it softens the action of the rod and less tip speed needed you won't get the swish and all your bait flying off.

Sea Angling Ireland