In a recent thread, Druid made reference to cooking, then using mussels as bait. I gave him of a tip I picked up from the UK, although I had never tried it myself.
Well yesterday I purchased a couple of dozen mussels and twenty of them went the way as intended ... four I put to one side.
I soaked these in water for an hour then shoved them in the freezer overnight. I have just got a couple out, I boiled the jug and then tipped just a little boiling water over the first mussel. Warming the shell encouraged it to open slightly and I ran a rounded end, dull blade down the inside the shell, it open like a toilet door. You open the narrow end not the bottom blunt end.
With one side open I simply ran the knife down the other side of the shell and I had one whole frozen mussel. All the natural juices contained therein, not boiled or steamed away with the cooking process.
I wish to keep the mussel flesh frozen, so once I had the four shucked (so to speak) they went straight back into the freezer. With the aid of a baiting needle, they can be beautifully presented as hook bait in a perfectly natural state.
The mussel in the middle is out of its shell, you can see how beautifully shucked they are, nothing mushy and ready for bait. The other mussel is still lying in its shell, all I have to do is run a dull knife under the flesh and it will release from the shell.
For obvious reasons do not use a sharp knife , it really isn't necessary, when the white muscle that runs across the shell is frozen, it comes away very easily.
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by Bobmac on 24/4/2015, 7:26 pm, in reply to "Mussel Up!!!"
Good tip Hangler, thanks.
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by racepics on 24/4/2015, 9:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
If like me, you tend to buy fresh mussels as an afterthought on your way out to fish, try this. Shell the mussel then bind it into a 'sausage' with bait elastic before you thread your hooks through it. Makes things a lot easier than trying to put hooks into loose sloppy mussel flesh and hold it intact while binding. http://www.paniasurfcasting.org http://www.surfcaster.co.nz
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by Dodd on 24/4/2015, 10:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
Looks the goods Hangler, great tip. I'll definitely be trying that for my moki baits.
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by Hb Anton on 24/4/2015, 10:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
I've done the same thing just a bit different no water just in the freezer in the bag, always take out mussles with me but only ever caught tope and spineys on them, use prawns to target moki and lemons can't resist a whole prawn
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by The druid on 24/4/2015, 10:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
After I first read Hangler I thought it was great, since then, as fishermen do, I wondered if it could be improved, and I've wondered, why shuck them at home? I know it's a but bulkier but if cartage is not an issue, can't I just break them open on a rock at my fishing spot? No boiling water, no chance of cooking them, and the shells go back in the water?
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by Neil on 24/4/2015, 11:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
No need to break them on a rock. A little opposing pressure on the two halves of the shell will allow you to slip a knife in between the shells
A quick side to side with the knife will cut the white muscle that holds it shut .
I always put the knife in on the flat side of the shell .
Either slide a few onto a bait needle and bind it up or just hang the item on a hook and bind it up . Makes for a messy bait but the fish dont seem to care
Broken shells are very sharp so be careful if you smash them up
Re: Mussel Up!!!
Posted by Hangler on 24/4/2015, 11:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Mussel Up!!!"
The whole idea of shucking them as I have suggested is:
(a) you don't get a messy, mushy bait.
(b) You have a nice solid piece of flesh to put on your hook and as suggested in an early post, you can bind it into a sausage, which is why I suggested the use of a baiting needle.
(c) There is no danger of cutting yourself on a sharp piece of shell, you don't need a sharp knife, in fact a dull blade is much better.
(d) And this is most important, by baiting them frozen you retain all those beautiful juices that act as a scent trail to draw in your quarry.
on 24/4/2015, 3:53 pm
