Mission Beach 11/10

[jwacky]

Took the day off to create a four-day weekend, so I headed to the shore for some fishing.

Mussels were the bait du jour.

I got there close to 6:30 and fished until about 9:00. Relatively calm morning while the tide was out, but as the clouds burned off and the tide started to come in, the wind picked up quite a bit. Little bit of a current but nothing too crazy, seemed to be pulling to the north. No seaweed/grass until closer to 9:00 which is when I packed things up having already had a decent morning.

Caught 7 perch, all on mussels. I wasn’t even getting bites on Gulp sand-worms. Two of the perch were among the biggest I’ve caught in the past couple months, four were on the larger size of “average”, and one smaller guy. They were either slamming the bait or nibbling down to the hook with no in between. I’d even thought one of the perch might’ve been one of these late season corbinas people have been posting but no such luck.

I was definitely having a better day with keeping bait on the hook with the bait elastic, which was nice. I threaded it up the hook a bit more as @crabman Bill suggested and sure enough, it worked.

[Perch killer]

Sounds like a good session to me Joe. Thanks for the report.

[jwacky]

Sounds like a good session to me Joe. Thanks for the report.

No problem and thank you, too, for frequently talking about using mussels.

I know that with the way fishing works I could take them out next weekend and not catch a single thing but they sure worked today, haha. Weird that the camo worms were entirely ignored, gotta say that’s a first for me. Usually, I throw one of those just to ensure I don’t get skunked!

[Midnightpass]

Great report.. Mussels will definitely get them…
Butch

[hrierdan]

Good to hear

Could you tell me what you are using for mussels? Fresh or frozen? Salted?

I have tried a few varieties of frozen , and they disintegrate into a"Mussel-Sludge"

If you have a specific brand/store I would lover to hear it

Thanks,

Doug

[jwacky]

Good to hear

Could you tell me what you are using for mussels? Fresh or frozen? Salted?

I have tried a few varieties of frozen , and they disintegrate into a"Mussel-Sludge"

If you have a specific brand/store I would lover to hear it

Thanks,

Doug

No secrets here, Doug! This forum has been immensely helpful to me and always happy to pay it forward, ha. Just note that everything I share is based on a relatively small sample size of experience, however I do research this stuff obsessively

I just bought a big ol’ bag of frozen, cooked mussels from an Asian market. I’m sure they’re basically the same at all of them but I got the bag from a place on University Avenue, near Northgate Market (for reference). They were cheaper than I thought they’d be. Not sure the size but quite a bit for $12 or so. They are NOT on the half shell. Just the meat.

I cut them in half and hook them almost as if they were sand crab; bury the hook with just a bit of it poking out. They do get mushy, but I wrap bait elastic around it which ties it pretty securely! I’ve been able to get a couple fish per bait. If I bury the hook too much I either get only nibbles, or gut/swallowed hooks. A bit of exposure seems to help. I do need work on my hook sets still, though. Could be user error with some of the deeper hook sets. I’m getting good with the surgical pliers though, haha. Hook extractions are quickly becoming my specialty

I bring them to the beach frozen, and keep them in my cooler. I’m sure they’d be ok this time of year in my tackle bag since it’s not too warm but they thaw quickly. I toss any unused bait into the ocean when I’m done for the day as refreshing them turns them into complete mush. I haven’t tried salting them though I’m not sure how necessary that is since I’ve been using the elastic tie.

The bait elastic I use: ANGLER DREAM 2PCS Bait Elastic... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074P3T3RR?re ... b_ap_share

Hope this is helpful, Doug! Maybe I’ll see ya around the beach. I always have my little red cooler, a homemade PVC rod holder, and a Padres or lifeguard style hat on. Say hi if you’re around

[crabman]

Great post with so much good info...Thanks J!

Mussel works often, not all the time, but is a great addition to your bait quiver...plus they are free! Just got a report from the South Bay with one angler using mussel getting seven corbina this week! I've always found that a variety of live and fresh dead baits is very helpful this time of year when surf fish are looking for something new to eat.