Mussels

[The Great Wallsendo]

Is mussel for the hook better fresh out of the shell?

You can buy in the shell mussles at most supermarkets, but you can also buy kilo bags of frozen (cooked) mussels...

So which is the preferred option?

I'm gonna give them a go on tuesday

[willywetegg]

You don't want cooked Mussels mate. Buy them fresh and either use them straight away or leave them out for a while till they try to run away by themselves . Both will work but I find the smelly ones that have been left out for a while work better during the winter after a good storm.

Most tackle shops sell them either fresh or frozen.

Jim.

[The Great Wallsendo]

Cheers...

...Jim

Another question....when did the infamous (and long standing) Temples of Whitley Bay become Frasers?....it just surprised me when I went down the other month.

[willywetegg]

Probably about a year or so ago mate. It closed for a while and then Brian took it over.

Jim.

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

An old hand once said that he kept his mussels in a jar in the shed covered in salt , made them like rubber ,can't say they'd smell too good after a few months but he swore by them.

[kiwib]

A lot of people this side of the globe swear by salted shellfish to toughen them up a bit. Though make sure you use Rock salt.
I go through to many to be larking around with all that though. The uncooked frozen ones will be okay caught plenty on them. Fresh is always best in my opinion easy to shell. Get hold of the mussel and push the top part of the shell away from the bottom and stick the knife in and seperate a kilo will take you 20 minutes to shell.

How much do you pay for them over there?

Stew

[jamcod]

i pick mine the day before i go fishing just enough for the trip the fresher the better shell them and let them drain over night , if going for coalfish i use frozen mussel for some reason they seem to like them better than fresh i used to buy tackle shop mussel and never caught anything on them i went to my local tackle shop one day and got a packet of fresh mussel took them home to drain them and tipped them out and a lump of ice fell out the bag with the mussels so much for being fresh get ya own and you know that they are fresh , jamcod

[codnot]

hi m8

my pal puts pigs blood in a tub with them & lets them sit for a week r 2 till thay stink he catches every Chuck.

[willywetegg]

I still think that Mussel are the most underated bait, especially when used with Lugworm as a cocktail. That said I would rather have Lug than Crab as my main bait for most of the year on our local coast. I know a lot of people that would dissagree but that would be my choice, Crab and Mussel can really come into it's own at certain times of the year, especially when fishing into the kelp.

Again, if I was fishing at Eyemouth or St. Abbs area, I would not take Lugworm and just fish with Crab and Mussel cocktails, big ones at that.

Advice that was given to me by David Storey before I went for my first visit.

Jim.

[gazzawill]

i always buy my own mussel in fresh skein them myself and leave them to soak in there own jucies for a day
then i freeze them for the winter in little pots .
i catch a lot of fish on mussel like this may not be monsters but thats fishing
there also good with runny down '
both frozen baits and can be lifted out for a trip and refrozen if not all used
ask your fish monger for a price on a sack off mussel usualy around £10/£15
that will last you a good few seasons lol

[Mogthemackem]

I totally agree Jim. I fished with a good few experienced anglers in a winter league 2 years ago all using fresh/forzen crab, white/black lug and I just used lug and muscle every session. Guess who come out on top and spent a fraction of what they did?

[fishingfanatastico]

I agree as well plenty of lug and either frozen or fresh mussel can out fish the best of baits, sometimes smeller the better or fresh the better either way if the fish are there they will take fresh,frozen or smelly. I have caught fish on all three but have more success on the stuff straight out of the shell, but all three do work and its cheap and convential bait as all you do is go and pick it in many estuaries as there are huge numbers of these shellfish living in estuaries. Lug and mussel almost always equals cod or codling unless the pests are there the whiting LOL .

[mick dunn]

We used to get mussels out of the basin next to the Middleton years ago. They used to be anchored off the old Skelton pier. Used to be loads of them. Used them fresh to fish for coalies off the side of the piers. Redhot bait but was before i knew about bait elastic so they used to drop off.

Mick.

[The Great Wallsendo]

A lot of people this side of the globe swear by salted shellfish to toughen them up a bit. Though make sure you use Rock salt.
I go through to many to be larking around with all that though. The uncooked frozen ones will be okay caught plenty on them. Fresh is always best in my opinion easy to shell. Get hold of the mussel and push the top part of the shell away from the bottom and stick the knife in and seperate a kilo will take you 20 minutes to shell.

How much do you pay for them over there?

Stew

I've just bought about 1lb (in the shell) worth - which is about 15-20 for £1.31...don't know if that's good value, but it's a damn sight cheaper than crab at £0.70 each!!

[codseeker]

cheaper getting down on a big low tide ya can get a bag full at no cost