A Lesson On Supermarke Baits...

Hi guys. I have decided to add this thread - as you may need to know about the supermarket's baits when your tackle shop is out of stock.

On one of my first fishing trips - i went to get some lug-worm at the local tackle shop - only just realising they were out of stock. So a trip to Tesco's (or any supermarket of your choice) was my one and only option.

Mussel is an under-used bait. But can be very cheap and effective - so i'll first talk to you about that.

If you are really lucky, you might find them fresh on the shore, or off piers and jetty's locally.

1 kg of mussel will bait around 30 hooks, more if you want to tip with squid.

HOW TO PREPARE THE MUSSEL:
1. - Pour half a kettle of boiling water slowly over some live mussels, then pour a pint of cold water over them... to stop them cooking too much.
2. - Although the mussel will be slightly par-cooked around the edges of the shell, they will be easier to hook. the inside will remain raw. The easiest way to remove them intact, is to use an empty shell as a scoop.
3. - Once the mussel's have been removed from the shell, you can thread 3-4 on a baiting needle, once you have used a needle for worm, sandeel and mussel... i doubt you would go back! Very clever, but simple bits of kit. The best i have used are gemini, with a slightly blunter nose, so less piercing of the bait(s) when you use it, for example threading a whole lug or 2-3 in a string on a pennel.
4. - Once the mussel's have been threaded on the shank, fairly loosley boud them on with elasticated ghost coccoon. You dont want to over do it... as ill explain later. Make sure the hookpoint is well exposed, hence the wide gape style being used. If you are un-familliar with this expression, the gape is the distance between the shank (bit the eyes on) and the hookpoint.
5. - Once you have completed enough pre-baied hooks, place them into a take-away tub with enough space to keep them seperate from each other.
6. - You can now freeze the prepared bait. All you have to do is add some genie mini snood clips to a basic clipped up rig, or to the end of your running ledger. Being frozen will protect them on impact, and the elastic will hold bait to the hook. When changing, remove/unclip the old hook and simply replace! I normally leave them an hour in the freezer, then pour over a little of the juices left remaning, adding some to each bait. This allows a nice waft of scent, as the bait hits the bottom! If you dont use all the pre-made hooks in one session, simply re-freeze. The smellier mussel gets... the more it attracts! Just wash the empty hooks in cold fresh water when home and re-use. You can also purchase various fish to use as single baits or cocktails. If you are fishing an estuary, you may find sections of trout work well! As scavengers will feed on anything washed down from the river beyond.

Another good but under-used bait is the humble prawn!

Whenever you have caught cod on the bristol channel, you can be rest assured their stomach will be full of small prawn, shrimp and brown crab.

You can get 1kg bags of raw black prawns from lidl's but they are available most places. Shop around for the best price.

If you are on a budget, splice them in half, or use chunks as cocktails/tippets.

They work out at the same price as a worm, but lots cheaper than crab, and can match, or outfish peeler from time to time.

HOW TO PREPARE THEM:
Thread the hook through the flesh at one end, and the prawn will convenently bend around the shank as you thread them. Just blind well with bait elastic.

So - going to Tesco's for some bait wasn't really that much of a bad idea at all now - was it?!

NEVER BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR BAITS!

I hope this information helps!
Tight Lines!

Hi have you ever bought fish from Tesco's as bait. What else do you get?
Great thread, by the way.

Hi and thanks for the praise.
I'm not fussed aboit buying supermarket baits - i won't make a point of it - but when i do - they are good.
Yes i have bought things like mackerel and sardine from the fish-counter before to use as bait - and have sucseeded!
So the main things i get are mackerel, sardine, prawns, mussels ect.

i can get mussels from the beach beside my house.

great thread.
thanks. fw.

Oh - that's handy. Thanks for the praise.
It is also very easy to find them off piers and jetty's.

[madcaravanner]

When you live 100 miles from the sea -- like me
and
are planning a sea fishing trip then the supermarket is often the best place for decent quality fresh fish baits
as this far from the sea tackle shops sell very little and it's either dried or blast frozen

so some of us don't really have a choice

I haven't tried before - but i think you should also be able to use some species of freshwater fish as bait for the bigger sea fish.

[Devon diver]

You've convinced me about trying fresh bait from the supermarket, as my last trip I brought some frozen mackeral from the tackle shop, and let it de-frost whilst fishing. It was only then that I was cursing myself, as every time I do this I remember the last time, and when the mackeral turned to mush after being frozen. Good tip