I recently made a post giving some of this information but that got sidetracked. This is a video I have made mainly for UK anglers on using mussels for bait, but I am sure it may help some NZ anglers as well, especially as the cost is so cheap.
I must say a big thank you to those who send me PM's appreciating the information I pass on. There is a lot of work goes into making a fifteen minute video clip, but those messages make it all worth while for both my wife and I.
Good video Hangler will try that next time the other half rips those bits out of the mussels. Most of my bait comes from pak n save seafood department anyway.
At present I have about forty of those pieces soaking in fish oil. I hope to put them to the test just after Christmas. I have received some very positive feedback from the UK. That video clip is proving to be a bit of a hit with over a hundred views so far.
Soaking mussel in fish oil seems counter productive as the fish oil is likely to attract different fish than just the mussel scent unless you are using the mussel pieces as flesh and not for the inherent mussel scent. But it is an interesting idea.
I chatted with an old (Ancient) Greek guy earlier this year who swore by using squid as bait. However he kept it in a jar of olive oil and that was the point of difference in his mind.
Either way, It's good to have different ideas thrown up and discussed. Keeps the mind active and promotes evolution.
Jaypeegee, I agree soaking mussel in fish oil could, in certain circumstances, be counter productive especially if you use the mussels raw. The idea of the fish oil is to create a natural scent trail when the cooking process has boiled all the natural scent and juices out.
I believe most anglers are a little reticent to try new baits, we all have tried and true readily at our disposal. Without doubt my favourite is anchovies, they are everything I could wish for. However, there are certain fish specie I know I am unlikely to catch on that bait, I am hoping that mussel will make up the shortfall.
In the video you would have seen I baited a hook with the mussel backbone. Visually it has everything you could ask for in a bait: it has a good shape on the hook, it has movement, it imitates many natural creatures and supplies its own burley trail.
I must admit Hangler I have been playing with different ways of presenting my baits on sunday when my son caught that Kahawai I was actually filleting the pilchards and then binding the fillets onto the hook with bait elastic till it ended up looking all mushed up and dripping its juices everywhere also looking at buying tua tua from pak n save to shuck out for some salted baits .
on 12/12/2015, 11:34 am