Cockles

[Philip Inzani]

I have never used cockles as bait but I am planning to have a go. Any advice on the best way to buy/prepare/store them?

Ta.

 

[Andy Thatcher]

Fresh is the way to go. Do not get any that have been preserved in any medium.

If you want to store them I used to put them into the freezer fresh until needed.

I didn't prepare them in anyway just as they were.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Great bait for Carp, Tench, Chub and Eels. I prebaited with them for the Chub, but the Carp and Tench took them straight away.

I normally float fish them, nicking them through the yellow "foot" as this is the toughest part. They can also be hair rigged in the same way, but I prefer to hook them direct. I tend to scatter perhaps 6 to 10 round the hookbait and sit back and wait.

I have seen ones pickled in vinegar work...but I believe fresh or frozen to be the best.

Little tip, to give them more pullig power, flavour with Hutchy Monster Crab or Richworth Freashwater Mussel.!

 

[Paul Adams]

i'm a bit bladdered-forgive me if i'm writing mistakes, but i used to fish a very commercial lake in essex & found that nothing else would bring me more bites than cockle straight on the hook, solid bites as well, although i've never used them much anywhere else, they seemed to work on this particular lake-as for preparing them, i used to buy them from the fishmonger and use them straight from the bag(without being vinegered up), so i would just use them without any preperation-see how they go on your lake

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Ahhh...nip down to Southend...get ya cockles from a stall there..lol

Also, try Winkles and Whelks...both will take fish!

 

[Stuart Bullard]

Philip, most has been said. I never go without a tub, be it rivers (chub) or lakes (tench especially). I flavour my with a bit of maple for the tench and it has been very successful. Yesterday evening on my local lake every one was fishing boilies and apparently not one fish taken in 3 days (hard southern waters). A rake and a cockle and a tench within an hour!! Rob B said everything re hooking. My only comment is DONT used the pickled ones. I have tried them with zero success. Fresh and freeze in batches.

 

[John Cady]

Phill ,
I recently got into Cockles due to this forum to.
I buy mine fresh from the Market,?1.00 worth goes a long way .I fish mine under a float on a 8 or 10 ,with a few small cubes of meat as loose feed ,also chop up a cockle or too for loose feeding.HOLD ON,
John

 

[shane99]

Ahhh...nip down to Southend...get ya cockles from a stall there..lol

Also, try Winkles and Whelks...both will take fish!

yes live in southend

 

[nicepix]

A fourteen year old suggestion finally gets an answer

 

[geoffmaynard]

A fourteen year old suggestion finally gets an answer

To be fair, most people don't look at the date of the posting - but that has to be a record?
Anyway, my input: avoid vinegar at all costs! You can buy frozen cockles from the fishmonger but some places you might have to order them in special. They are a great bait for tench on those waters with a zillion rudd as they seem to be selective.

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

They are a great bait for tench on those waters with a zillion rudd as they seem to be selective.

If only, a water with Tench AND a zillion Rudd

 

[shane99]

A fourteen year old suggestion finally gets an answer

what goes around comes around

 

[Philip]

To be fair, most people don't look at the date of the posting - but that has to be a record?

...perhaps even more amazingly the original poster is still around ;-)

PS - I have used em now lol ! ...agree on the vinegar ...

 

[shane99]

Cant catch a thing worth mentioning, time for Cockles this winter...

 

[flightliner]

If only, a water with Tench AND a zillion Rudd

Cant see why not if its possible to be a million percent certain that carp of fifty lbs plus can be caught in Canada.