Mussels Galore
- Mole-Patrol
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1438
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:04 pm
- 4
Mussels Galore
I've been using mussels as a bait for carp and barbel on and off for a while now. I have this theory that anything natural is more likely to catch fish that have not been exposed to conventional baits that are unnatural. They work, but then again so does a lump of unnatural luncheon meat, cheese paste or bread. But today in our local Lidl store I came across 2 kilo packs of small mussels for 50 cents! They were marked up as being out of date, the sell by date being today, so had been reduced by 90%. Naturally they were added to our trolley and now have pride of place in my bait freezer ready for a spot of river fishing once the weather warms up a bit.
Bizarrely the sell by date on the full price packs was 21st January.
Bizarrely the sell by date on the full price packs was 21st January.
- Catfish.017
- Eel
- Posts: 2246
- Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:53 am
- 12
- Location: Fradley Junction quite often!
Re: Mussels Galore
Tench love them too and I once caught a half pound Crucian on a whole mussel!
- Barbelseeker
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:28 pm
- 6
- Location: Glorious Nottinghamshire
Re: Mussels Galore
Clive,
Whilst I have used mussels, I found the tinned white maize more effective. Trouble is you cannot buy it in England, and when I went to France only selective stores sold it - I think it was in the deli counter area - perhaps "Bondulle Maiz Blanc" - forgive spellings. I think that on a 3 day weekend holiday in Lillie, I spent nearly 4 hours trying to locate a Carrefour Hypermarket and took all 12 tins that they had. Attempted, many years ago to contact the company, to find if they had a main stockist in the UK - but very poor response.
I would be grateful if you could cast your eye about to see in your trips if you could see who stocks it. I would post a photo of my last tin, but having moved house I am afraid that everything is still in boxes and I have no idea where it might be.
Tight lines
Peter
Whilst I have used mussels, I found the tinned white maize more effective. Trouble is you cannot buy it in England, and when I went to France only selective stores sold it - I think it was in the deli counter area - perhaps "Bondulle Maiz Blanc" - forgive spellings. I think that on a 3 day weekend holiday in Lillie, I spent nearly 4 hours trying to locate a Carrefour Hypermarket and took all 12 tins that they had. Attempted, many years ago to contact the company, to find if they had a main stockist in the UK - but very poor response.
I would be grateful if you could cast your eye about to see in your trips if you could see who stocks it. I would post a photo of my last tin, but having moved house I am afraid that everything is still in boxes and I have no idea where it might be.
Tight lines
Peter
- Mole-Patrol
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1438
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:04 pm
- 4
Re: Mussels Galore
It looks like Carrefour do the white maize in Jolly Green Giant (Geant Vert) tins. There is a small Carrefour near to us so I will have a look around next time I pass if I can't see it on our weekly shop at Hyper-U.
For the record; I have found whole maize grains to be the best general bait for carp and barbel. Mussels work better when a scent trail is required.
For the record; I have found whole maize grains to be the best general bait for carp and barbel. Mussels work better when a scent trail is required.
- Duckett
- Tench
- Posts: 2933
- Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 2:42 pm
- 7
- Location: Stratford E15
Re: Mussels Galore
It was some years ago when I lived near the coast and could collect them, I had some success with mussels, coarse and sea fishing.
Just one word of caution - fresh water mussels are an endangered species in the UK (I don't know about France) and shouldn't be killed if you are ever lucky enough to see them.
Phil
Just one word of caution - fresh water mussels are an endangered species in the UK (I don't know about France) and shouldn't be killed if you are ever lucky enough to see them.
Phil
From "... the wilds of the Wirral, whose wayward people both God and good men have quite given up on ...".
- Mole-Patrol
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1438
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:04 pm
- 4
Re: Mussels Galore
I haven't seen a freshwater mussel since the 1970's. In one of my local rivers there are small clams that have been illegally introduced and originate from the Orient (not Leyton, the other one). Just one of the many invasive species I encounter.
I use mussels mainly for short sessions or when roving whilst river fishing, as they are a bait that can produce bites almost immediately. As I said earlier, maize is the number one bait out here for most cyprinids but it doesn't have the instant attraction that mussels, whelks and prawns have. The only trouble with these three baits is that catfish also love them and 1.5lb tc rod, 6lb line and a Speedia are totally outclassed when one of those is on the other end.
Another species that mussels and whelks are good for when cut up into small pieces are mullet. And I will be giving mussels a try for tench this summer.
I use mussels mainly for short sessions or when roving whilst river fishing, as they are a bait that can produce bites almost immediately. As I said earlier, maize is the number one bait out here for most cyprinids but it doesn't have the instant attraction that mussels, whelks and prawns have. The only trouble with these three baits is that catfish also love them and 1.5lb tc rod, 6lb line and a Speedia are totally outclassed when one of those is on the other end.
Another species that mussels and whelks are good for when cut up into small pieces are mullet. And I will be giving mussels a try for tench this summer.
- Snape
- Bailiff
- Posts: 9984
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 11:52 am
- 12
- Location: North Oxfordshire
- Contact:
Re: Mussels Galore
How about this stuff?Barbelseeker wrote: ↑Fri Jan 24, 2020 9:43 am Clive,
Whilst I have used mussels, I found the tinned white maize more effective. Trouble is you cannot buy it in England, and when I went to France only selective stores sold it - I think it was in the deli counter area - perhaps "Bondulle Maiz Blanc" - forgive spellings. I think that on a 3 day weekend holiday in Lillie, I spent nearly 4 hours trying to locate a Carrefour Hypermarket and took all 12 tins that they had. Attempted, many years ago to contact the company, to find if they had a main stockist in the UK - but very poor response.
I would be grateful if you could cast your eye about to see in your trips if you could see who stocks it. I would post a photo of my last tin, but having moved house I am afraid that everything is still in boxes and I have no idea where it might be.
Tight lines
Peter
https://www.shopnsmile.co.uk/product-page/samp
“Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers,” Herbert Hoover.
`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º>
`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º>
- Mole-Patrol
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1438
- Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:04 pm
- 4
Re: Mussels Galore
That looks like pellets Snape. I have used processed maize which is called 'Baby Corn'. Not sure if it is available in the UK, but cannot see why it wouldn't be. It smells and tastes like popcorn and is very convenient.
I think that Peter is looking for this: https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/pescavi ... gJtzvD_BwE
I can see why white sweetcorn would work better than the golden grains in some situations. I have spooked fish with natural sweetcorn and went through a period of adding blue food dye to the contents of a tin the night before, but that takes planning and my sessions are usually off the cuff.
I think that Peter is looking for this: https://www.anglingdirect.co.uk/pescavi ... gJtzvD_BwE
I can see why white sweetcorn would work better than the golden grains in some situations. I have spooked fish with natural sweetcorn and went through a period of adding blue food dye to the contents of a tin the night before, but that takes planning and my sessions are usually off the cuff.
- Barbelseeker
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:28 pm
- 6
- Location: Glorious Nottinghamshire
Re: Mussels Galore
Thank for the suggestion, much too hard even after cooking and soakng for days - tried it - in fact not much I haven't bought and tried. I've raided most european grocery shops in the UK
Polish cheese straws, various Jamaican beans (too many too mention) - most hard seeds ( trying to repliacte hemp when it was banned on one of the waters I fished)
The tinned white maize is very soft and much smaller than normally sweet corn.
Polish cheese straws, various Jamaican beans (too many too mention) - most hard seeds ( trying to repliacte hemp when it was banned on one of the waters I fished)
The tinned white maize is very soft and much smaller than normally sweet corn.
- Barbelseeker
- Brown Trout
- Posts: 1474
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:28 pm
- 6
- Location: Glorious Nottinghamshire
Re: Mussels Galore
Yes, similar to Angling Direct but its like buying
Lidl sweet corn compared to Bondulle - Lidl can be large and semi hard, whilst with Bondulle you get consistant size and soft texture.
Might be a small thing, but overall I am sure that this gives me a distinct advantage.
Lidl sweet corn compared to Bondulle - Lidl can be large and semi hard, whilst with Bondulle you get consistant size and soft texture.
Might be a small thing, but overall I am sure that this gives me a distinct advantage.