Loch Ryan Sea Angling Association. L.S.A.A

 Lugworm    Ragworm    White Ragworm (snakes)    Mackerel    Sandeel    Mussels   Razorfish    Peeler Crab  

Most baits can be collected on the beaches around Stranraer or caught at your chosen mark but this page can give you an idea of where to look and how source.

Lugworm can be dug at low water at many beaches around Stranraer.

To find where, all you need to look for is the casts that they leave when borrowing through the sand

You should dig between these casts and the blow hole , which can be seen near to where the cast is.

Use a fork or grape to dig these rather than a spade as a spade will usually burst or half the worms.

Ragworm can also be dug from around Stranraer, harbours and mussel beds.

Rag are not as easily located as lugworm digging various areas will soon get you on the worm.

As with lug, rag should be dug with a fork.

Massive tides are required to dig these as they are found further out than the normal low water mark.

Digging with a fork is the most effective method.

These are probably the easiest bait to keep, use a tray like a cat litter tray with about 3/4 of fresh sea water and keep in the fridge. Change water every two or three days and remove dead or damaged worms.

Mackerel is one of the most versitile baits avaliable. It can be purchased from almost any tackle dealer,supermarkets and fishmongers.

To save a few pound why not stock up on mackerel and fill your freezer because in the summer months they can be caught by the hundreds from lots of marks around Stranraer.

Sandeel are mostly avaliable from tackle shops and bait stockist but it is possible to collect your own.

Most people collect them during a large or spring tides when the low water mark has gone further than usual.

Methods include a small rake-like tool scraping through the sand until the eel has been exposed, but these baits are delicate and are hard to keep alive for any length of time as they required to be kept in water with a fresh supply of air.

Mussels can be purchased from tackle dealers and supermarkets but the supermarkets range sometimes have been cleaned,losing it's appeal.

You can also collect your own from local mussel beds but do not semi cook these to open the shells as this too will lose some of it's appeal.

Razorfish are in quite difficult to collect live due to needing a fairly large low tide, any where from a 0.0 to any minus tides will work.

Razors give away they're possition by squirting water through their blow holes when they retreat deeper into their burrows. They can either be dug using a fork or some pour salt into the blow hole which in turn forces them to surface.

If you are unable to dig fresh razors they can be purchased from most tackle dealers.

Peeler Crabs, are simply crabs that are under going a moult, to allow growth towards maturity . Their shells become cracked and eventually falls off leaving another softer shell in its place. During this stage the crab is very vunerable to attack because if its softness, so these crabs will shelter from predators under rocks or in holes in any solid structure.

Heres a good guide i found on how to prepare a peeler crab Peeler preperation