Mussels - Just unlucky

**Old Blanker** · 05-03-2007, 20:59

Hello all

I thought I'd try some mussels as an additional supply of bait & bought a bag at Tesco.
I was really disapointed with the flesh content.

To build a bait as shown in the bait section on this site I'd have to use aboit 10 if I could even manage to keep that mant on the hook with bait elastic annd it certainly wouldn't look like the picture.

The only easy way to use these would be to stuff them in a squid body.

Was I just unlucky with the quality of the mussels?

**Norrie** · 05-03-2007, 21:24

Hiya, I think that you bought farmed Mussels, which really are too small for bait, they are picked for eating, ....is there no where you can pick yer own ???, they should be much better.....
You might get better ones from the local fish shop,...he will go to the market, so should be able to get them for you,.Explain what you want them for. We used to get our local Fishmonger to get them for us, you do have to buy them in much larger quantities tho...usually a bag of a couple of stone.....but this will give you enough bait for more than one trip, and not so expensive if a couple of you share them amongst yourselves.

**billfish** · 06-03-2007, 13:25

well i guess thats where i am lucky our rivers r full of big-big mussel so
ive never had 2 buy them. but they r always alot sml-er from the Fishmongers
m8t, it takes sometimes 8-10 times as much of them 2 make a bait, as
only 1-2 to make a big bait with ourlocal mussel. but i normaly cocktail mussel with crab so only realy use 1 sometimes 2 mussel 2 a big bait

**big guy** · 06-03-2007, 21:17

the north of the country tend to have the bigger mussels available. i think thats why we don't use them that often down south.

**C0DDY** · 06-03-2007, 22:07

aye your right bill mate we certainly do have a good free supply here in our rivers ,but thats why no one picks it much , very underestimated bait,and a pain to shell for what ya get ,but its worth while in the end

**billfish** · 07-03-2007, 12:10

yep ya rite there coddy m8t

**GrumpyBloke** · 07-03-2007, 13:50

Have picked mine from the Camel on spring tides and get them about the size of my fist.Cant catch with them though!!

**billfish** · 07-03-2007, 19:21

Originally Posted by GrumpyBloke

Have picked mine from the Camel on spring tides and get them about the size of my fist.Cant catch with them though!!

1 of the top baits up here m8t & cocktailed with crab, thats double trouble
4 the cod

**bluejt2000** · 11-03-2007, 17:25

If you cannot collect your own then buy frozen mussel. My local tackle shops sell frozen bait but I'm thinking of ordering them in bulk through the mail in future so I always have a supply to hand. Here is a link to a mail order supplier:

http://www.baitsdirect.com/acatalog/baits_sea_bd.html

Frozen baits are also available on Ebay and if you order a large enough quantity the postage costs work out negligible.

I belive that mussels are a very underrated bait, even up here on the North East coast. I prefer frozen to fresh as they seem to fish better.

I often use them with squid strip. If you slide the latter onto the hook first, thread on the mussel, slip the hook point through the other end of the squid strip, then bind everything with cotton the mussel stays on the hook better and cod and whiting seem to like the cocktail.

**John Mason** · 11-03-2007, 21:21

Originally Posted by bluejt2000

If you cannot collect your own then buy frozen mussel. My local tackle shops sell frozen bait but I'm thinking of ordering them in bulk through the mail in future so I always have a supply to hand. Here is a link to a mail order supplier:

http://www.baitsdirect.com/acatalog/baits_sea_bd.html

Frozen baits are also available on Ebay and if you order a large enough quantity the postage costs work out negligible.

I belive that mussels are a very underrated bait, even up here on the North East coast. I prefer frozen to fresh as they seem to fish better.

Very good advice. When I worked in Scotland at one point lived near Arboath - around 1988 - used to fish with a top skipper named Dave Ferrier - boat was the Maidstone and we used cooked mussels for bait on baited feathers on drifts very close-to-shore - no more than half a mile off anyhow.

29 cod from 3lb to 10lb or more was the best afternoon I had, all caught on light spinning tackle. AWESOME fishing! The main thing was to make sure you had weak lead-links to deal with the graunch! How is Dave these days, any news any of you folk up there?

Cheers - John