Frozen mussels for bait?

#1
Hi everyone - I know that frozen is less likely to get bites than fresh, but can anyone shed light on whether using frozen mussels like those they sell at the Asian grocery stores are good enough to attract fish to bite? Anyone care to share their experience here?

I ask because I'm too lazy to try pulling mussels from pilings and shucking fresh ones sold at bait stores seem a bit dangerous (I almost cut my hand doing that).

Thanks in advance!
 

K1n

Active Member
#2
I’m going to be honest, I’ve used those green mussels for bait and found them more suitable to feed myself than the fish. I believe they are cooked previously because when thawed, their texture Is much more rubbery and solid than fresh shucked ones.

Try head on shrimp perhaps?
 

mav

Well-Known Member
#3
I’ve heard that people have tried those cooked mussels for bait. They said it worked for them but when I tried it as a kid, I caught nothing. I figured it was because fish couldn’t cook. Lol

Just buy fresh mussels if you don’t like pulling them. The way I shuck them is to stick the point of the knife where the “hair” comes out on the side of the shell and cut with the edge of the shell, severing muscle that holds the shell closed.

As a child I once cut myself opening a mussel incorrectly from the front. I tried to hide it from my parents but I left a trail of blood that led to me. Direct pressure! Elevation! Lol
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#5
I always prefer fresh mussels but also almost always have some mussels left at the end of the day and take them home, freeze them, and use them later. And, they catch fish. I also buy frozen mussels if live mussels are unavailable and again they catch fish. I do try to make sure that they remain in some liquid and do not dry out. Every bait is different but mussels are pretty sturdy — unlike ghost shrimp. I never use frozen or "prepared" ghost shrimp and consider them a simple waste of my money.
 

Brock Norris

Well-Known Member
#6
mussels you can buy fresh mussels at fish markets I've found that you can just crack them open leave attached to the shell insert the hook and fish very close to the pilings has worked on sheep head and big perch for me never had much luck with mussels that have shucked and sold that way but others have as stated thanks Brock