cooked mussel

[mrrayy]

Can i use cooked mussel,ive always thought about it coz it would make shelling easier,has anyone tried this if so what were the results,be interested to know.

[Bass-ic Instinct]

I have been told to briefly place the mussels in boiling water untill they open. the only problem is i dont know how long 'long enough' is really. One good angler did tell me not to cook them completely though as it reduces the scent trail and juices. Wheather thats true or not is another thing, but he does use them alot on the East Coast of Scotland and has caught some large cod, pollock and coalfish on just mussel baits.

[steveduffy]

Put the fresh mussels in a sieve and pour a kettle of boiling water over them.That is enough to open them without cooking the flesh inside.

[dabcatcher]

said this loads of times..... any good chef will tell you, once they open they are cooked.

its a little harder to shell them while alive but its a far better bait.

most of the shop bought frozen mussel has been opened using hot water. they arnt as good as fresh but you will get the odd fish on them.

[John Mason]

Used to do well boat-fishing out of Arbroath using feathers baited with frozen cooked mussels - the codling loved 'em, although we are talking about nearly 20 years ago when there were more of 'em!

Cheers - John

[dabcatcher]

blanched mussels can be good in clear water especialy when suspended mid water. we shelled them in to a bucket of fresh water and left them over night. these were great for coalies down the side of the peir but wrasse wont go near
them.

the fish feeding on sight hit them like a lure. fished on the bottom in clear water though flesh flesh gives of more scent.

[boris da bass]

i collect mussels from the rocks - bring them home and steam them open - then i shell em and store them in a jamjar with herring or mackerel oil - they are used as a single bait - for tipping off - stuffing squid and filling the groundbait cages fixed to our weights - hope this helps - bdb

[bluejt2000]

Personally, I'd be afraid that blanching mussels by pouring boiling water over them might weaken their scent while I'm sure that completely boiling them would do so. If you're not keen on shelling them then try buying frozen. I prefer to use frozen mussel to fresh anyhow.

It's all about increasing scent. By the time the fish find them naturally they're probably well past their best. When freezing my own mussel I like to let them seep in their own juices for at least 24 hours before freezing them, as some of the professional bait freezers do, after which they're nice and smelly.

Cheers,

John

[dabcatcher]

Personally, I'd be afraid that blanching mussels by pouring boiling water over them might weaken their scent while I'm sure that completely boiling them would do so. If you're not keen on shelling them then try buying frozen. I prefer to use frozen mussel to fresh anyhow.

It's all about increasing scent. By the time the fish find them naturally they're probably well past their best. When freezing my own mussel I like to let them seep in their own juices for at least 24 hours before freezing them, as some of the professional bait freezers do, after which they're nice and smelly.

Cheers,

John

bought frozen mussels are usually blanched especially if you get them up around the tyne area.

i know that the lad who supplies the shops up there uses this method to open his.

if they are shelled fresh then frozen they actually are firmer when defrosted.

[F1F3R]

im unsure about cooked mussels, but last night (22nd.) i used fresh mussels along with various other baits, and i always use bait elastic too keep them together and it proved too be the best on the night.

i caught 5 fish, 3 codling , 2 coalfish. 4 out off the 5 fish were caught using the fresh mussels.
other baits i used :
mackerel, fresh lug ( caught 1 fish ) , razorfish, fresh mussels ( caught 4 fish ) , sandeels , squid.

if you do attempt too use cooked, lemme know how you get on with them,
cheers

Andy.