Oysters as bait

Have you won the lottery?

I think pretty much any shellfish will catch a fish on its day, I've certainly found welks and cockles in their stomachs before. I don't imagine they're widely used on account of the cost but I don't see why they shouldn't work.

If you can get them on the cheap then I'd say give them a punt and let us know how you got on. If they fail then they're nice with lemon juice and some finely chopped shallots.

You say you got them in a Chinese supermarket, you're sure they aren't oyster mushrooms aren't you? Because they probably won't work.

I dont think about 25 - 30 shelled oysters for £3.50 is expensive.
Not when black lug is 40p each £4 for 10
they are very pungent

im off uptiding at whitby next sunday
i will keep you posted

i also got about 22 razor fish in a packet for £4.99

Let us know how you get on , i have a fairly unlimited of large oysters free of charge
regards steve

Any news on oysters as bait? Where I am (St Lawrence, Essex) the mud flats are literally covered in them. I'm thinking that you can get far more meat out of an oyster than a mussel and I would think the meat is probably a bit firmer than mussel too. So if anyone could update on using oyster as bait that would be most handy. If they are any good then I am going out to fill a carrier bag with them - should take less than 5 mins...

seems logical that if they are there the fish would feed on them (i know i would) seems a bit of a waste to use as bait. there are also rules and regs about sizes etc so best check with the ministry before interferig with the local ecosystem. let us know how you get on as i have also access to some really big oysters,
regards steve

The oysters here are pretty huge so size isn't an issue (some are almost as big as my hand). Getting them out of the shells is quite tough - the flat screwdriver in the hinge works best but the shells have sharp edges. I'm going out on a boat soon and very interested to know if people have success with them. If not then I will stick to baby squid and mussels.

A few of us have used them in yorkshire for a good few years now. They are a great cod bait in winter and as you say a good subsitute for mussel. My mate Jellyworm never leaves home without them and has had some nice fish on them, usually with black lug in a cocktail.

My local chinese supermarket sells the small slabs but also bags of individual larger, glazed oysters which I prefer. I just take one at a time out of the bait flask like I do my crab, that way there is no waste :thumbs:

Having said that If I can get good mussel I do prefer it as its cheaper and a bit tougher on the hook.

Rob

robq, thanks for that. So they do work. I'll go and collect some when I am next walking the dog along the shore. I hear that adding salt and freezing them toughens the oyster flesh a bit and makes them easier to hook. I'll probably try that too and of course use bait elastic when I am preparing hooks.

Yep they definitely work, certainly as part of a big cocktail bait like we use up here in winter for 90% of our rock cod fishing.


Not sure about the salting but It would probably make them tougher and easier to bait up with. I just cocoon it in very fine elastic, but not so tight for it to cut through into the soft flesh.

As for price I pay around £8 for about 60 big oysters, so they work out around 14p each at the most !! better than 95p for devon crab that are mostly smaller than the oysters !!

Cheers

Rob

i've used oysters for gilthead bream and they work(sometimes)i gather mine locally off rocks.they are very juicy but need tying on with elastic.cheers,lee

Expensive bait that mara.

i have used oysters here in ireland in the deep water quay in cobh co. cork if any of u know it........all that has been mentioned above i done, salted them, elasticed them on a baiting needle etc....and also used em in a stuffed squid.......i must say before i carry on that i didnt land a fish on them, however there was some serious activity on the rod, hoppin like mad......at first cast i struck to reel in nothing, so there on after i was waiting for the big one as the fella says......the big one came i struck into some thing big dunno what it was but it was something big anyways got it right in to about 20ft of the quay and it gave a good tug and was gone........ i would definitly not rule out oysters as a bait i found mine knocked up on the shore of an estuary after a big tide.......

Hi ,

i use oysters meat quite a lot for my summer fishing in Brittany , during that season they are full of roe and i think that makes it extra attractive for the fish .
I never tried frozen ones , only wild ones i collect directly on the fishing spots .
As said you have to secure it on the hook with quite a lot of baiting elastic .
I use it to target black and gilthead bream ... some days the fish don't want anything else

Gert

Oysters was one of the best Mullet baits I have used

Funny Gert mentioning Brittany, but I used them often in Cancale in brittany there is a wonderful spot on the far side of the harbour you have a little slip way next to half a dozen stalls selling fresh oysters from the beds in the bay there. People come down in their droves to eat oysters on the front with all the shells being dumped over the wall into the sea.

Float fished using a 6meter pole and 14 elastic very very productive.

Dominic Eckstein said:

Oysters was one of the best Mullet baits I have used

Funny Gert mentioning Brittany, but I used them often in Cancale in brittany there is a wonderful spot on the far side of the harbour you have a little slip way next to half a dozen stalls selling fresh oysters from the beds in the bay there. People come down in their droves to eat oysters on the front with all the shells being dumped over the wall into the sea.

Float fished using a 6meter pole and 14 elastic very very productive.

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Hi Dominic ,

i've fished almost everywhere in Brittany , also a lot in Cancale , and i know exactely the spot you mentioned (mmm... those nice oysters with a glass of cool dry white !) ... funny enough , i've never used oysters as bait up there , but next time i certainly will ... :thumbs:

Gert

Dorns said:

Any news on oysters as bait? Where I am (St Lawrence, Essex) the mud flats are literally covered in them. I'm thinking that you can get far more meat out of an oyster than a mussel and I would think the meat is probably a bit firmer than mussel too. So if anyone could update on using oyster as bait that would be most handy. If they are any good then I am going out to fill a carrier bag with them - should take less than 5 mins...

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I tried them several times, from the very same place, totally useless! I used then during the cod run of 2009 when codling literally ate anything. They're a bugger to whip on a hook too, they're very soft.

The bloody things in the Blackwater have ruined the cockle beds

I've found that salting them reduces them to a liquid slime

gert said:

Hi Dominic ,

i've fished almost everywhere in Brittany , also a lot in Cancale , and i know exactely the spot you mentioned (mmm... those nice oysters with a glass of cool dry white !) ... funny enough , i've never used oysters as bait up there , but next time i certainly will ... :thumbs:

Gert

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Its a cracking part of the world il be back there this year for the first time in over 10years. Im touring spain italy and france and plan to spend a month or so just fishing Brittany any info on decent spots would be great lol.


Sorry for hijacking your thread a little :hug: