Use fresh shellfish or preserve them
Shellfish, used as bait, can be presented in different ways. The best, of course, is to use them fresh. But they can also be used cooked, frozen or salted. They can also be treated with commercial bait powder, boosted with different flavors, garlic, shrimp, etc... Frozen or salted, they can be kept for several months and are always ready for an improvised outing. It will also be an opportunity to make good savings, buying them in the market has a certain cost.
Clams, cockles, vermis, clams and bucardes
All these shellfish can be found easily depending on the places you visit. Fresh, they keep a few days in the bottom of the refrigerator. Then, it is good to cook them before freezing them. Before putting them in small bags in the freezer, I let them soak one night in anise extract.
With bucades, I get better results if they are used fresh, especially for large bream or king bream. A little tip with cockles, when used cooked, do not present the foot to the outside, it gives a grip to the current which then tends to make the line twist.
The knife
It is quite easy to find, it is the shell to collect with the children. We locate the holes in the shape of a keyhole at low tide, we pour salt on the hole and after a few seconds the solen (knife) comes out of its hole, the children love it. This shellfish interests all species, for the big sparidae, do not hesitate to use them with the shell, there also to use a needle to locher to thread them. It is also kept several days in the fridge or we can freeze them cooked or raw, I prefer raw.
The clam or pee in the air or cuckoo
The soft-shell clam is a large bivalve found in muddy sands. It can be identified by the big hole through which it sends a jet of water if you walk right next to it, hence the name "piss in the air". You need a good spade to dislodge them, it can sink up to 80 cm. One fishes especially with the siphon of the shell, kind of big finger of flesh. Fresh or frozen, it is a bait that holds very well on the hook.
The mussel
The mussel is very used in the south. It interests the large royals, it must be used fresh and whole. We open it with a knife blade without breaking the inner nerve, we slide the hook in, the mussel closes, trapping the hook.
Other shellfish
Other shellfish can be used if found such as whelks, periwinkles, sea almonds, or even oysters. All these shellfish are easily found during high tides. For most of these baits, do not hesitate to sausage them on your mounts using elastic thread to tie, it will increase their duration of presence on your hooks.
Practical tip
Mix and match your baits, mussel/knife, worms/clams, fresh/frozen, soft bait/hard bait. All possibilities are to be exploited.
