Which snails to use?
In simple terms, all land snail species can be used as bait. Results remain more or less the same whatever the snail used as bait. However, size, shell hardness and hook holding may differ according to snail species. In the Mediterranean, snails are well known for their efficiency and hook-holding qualities when fishing for rock fish from the shore or by boat.
Baits that are easy to collect and store
You should have no difficulty in outrunning the snails and harvesting enough for your fishing sessions. All land snails shun the sun and the heat of the soil, so they can easily be found in shady, more or less humid places. As for white snails, as soon as the first heat arrives, they climb up poles or other fences to escape the heat of the ground. You don't even have to bend down to pick them up...
Once picked, all you have to do is place them in an airtight container away from the sun and heat. If you want to keep them for several days, add a few green herbs or, better still, a few salad leaves and a little water.
What fish and how to catch them with snails?
The various rock fishes (serrans, girelles and labres) as well as sars or tacauds, and even eels can be fished with land snails. Most of the time, you'll use the snail's body without its shell. To hook a snail without its shell, there are two possibilities: either you prick the hook into the snail's foot and then break the shell by hand when possible, or you first break the shell with two stones or a small hammer and then hook the snail onto the hook by the animal's foot, which is more resistant. The size of the hook (from number 8 to number 1) will of course depend on the size of the bait and the target species.
It's possible to fish with land snails using several fishing techniques: support fishing, light surfcasting, cork fishing or toc fishing.
It should be noted that Burgundy snails are subject to specific harvesting regulations. So it's best to refrain from using them as bait for fishing.
