Where are the mussels coming from??

[grunionhunter]

:roll: I see people with buckets and buckets of mussels at Seal Beach pier... and they seem to be the ones catching everything. Can someone please tell me where I can get a good deal on mussels, or other bait?

[baloneysandwich]

just find them on the pylons at the piers

[grunionhunter]

just find them on the pylons at the piers

:roll: Is that legal? :?:

[victor101]

if you dont want to find your own...u can always buy frozen at most places that sell bait. what fish are you targeting?

[grunionhunter]

if you dont want to find your own...u can always buy frozen at most places that sell bait. what fish are you targeting?

Thanks Vic. I'm such a rookie.

Not really targeting any specific fish. Have yet to catch a legal sized halibut and can't wait for the day that happens. We've been frequenting Seal Beach Pier a whole lot this summer and have thrown back a few. Any suggestions?

[NoFriends]

if you dont want to find your own...u can always buy frozen at most places that sell bait. what fish are you targeting?

Thanks Vic. I'm such a rookie.

Not really targeting any specific fish. Have yet to catch a legal sized halibut and can't wait for the day that happens. We've been frequenting Seal Beach Pier a whole lot this summer and have thrown back a few. Any suggestions?

What are you using for bait on the pier? If targeting hali's then try and catch some live bait. Have you tried fishing elsewhere?

[victor101]

if you dont want to find your own...u can always buy frozen at most places that sell bait. what fish are you targeting?

Thanks Vic. I'm such a rookie.

Not really targeting any specific fish. Have yet to catch a legal sized halibut and can't wait for the day that happens. We've been frequenting Seal Beach Pier a whole lot this summer and have thrown back a few. Any suggestions?

dont know much about seal beach pier but heres a link with some info on it http://www.pierfishing.com/resources/in ... beach_pier (http://www.pierfishing.com/resources/index.php?id=piers:seal_beach_pier) there are many methods for fishing for halibut. you can drag a tail end of a chovy, you can try artificials such as crocs(spoons) and plastics. browse thru the forums and check out what has worked for other peeps. i like using ghost shrimp at piers because of the variety of fish you can catch on it. not sure where you can find some near seal beach but i buy mine at pauls bait and tackle in san pedro. most of your knowledge will be picked up with time on the water. try different things and see what works for you. good luck and look forward to reading your reports!
- vic

[grunionhunter]

What are you using for bait on the pier? If targeting hali's then try and catch some live bait. Have you tried fishing elsewhere?

We've tried asian-store bought mac and squid. Also tried some small smelt caught on a Sabiki rig.

We love the SB pier b/c parking is easy and it's clean. Went to Belmont a few weeks back and it was real nasty... like the skidrow of piers. LOL. We've been wanting to check out some other areas but every time we try to go elsewhere, it's hella crowded and we have to park miles away.

[grunionhunter]

if you dont want to find your own...u can always buy frozen at most places that sell bait. what fish are you targeting?

Thanks Vic. I'm such a rookie.

Not really targeting any specific fish. Have yet to catch a legal sized halibut and can't wait for the day that happens. We've been frequenting Seal Beach Pier a whole lot this summer and have thrown back a few. Any suggestions?

dont know much about seal beach pier but heres a link with some info on it http://www.pierfishing.com/resources/in ... beach_pier (http://www.pierfishing.com/resources/index.php?id=piers:seal_beach_pier) there are many methods for fishing for halibut. you can drag a tail end of a chovy, you can try artificials such as crocs(spoons) and plastics. browse thru the forums and check out what has worked for other peeps. i like using ghost shrimp at piers because of the variety of fish you can catch on it. not sure where you can find some near seal beach but i buy mine at pauls bait and tackle in san pedro. most of your knowledge will be picked up with time on the water. try different things and see what works for you. good luck and look forward to reading your reports!
- vic

Thanks again Vic. We might go check out Cabrillo and perhaps we'll stop at Pauls on the way in. Do you know how the action has been there?

[victor101]

not sure about right now...the last time i was there it was WFO on macs and smelt. perch from the surf. i saw a couple halis being caught. make sure and get the small size ghost shrimp and some kahle type hooks. if you are not sure on how to hook them ask the guys at pauls. they will be more than happy to teach you. when i go to cabrillo i usually try the surf in the morning and when it dies down i hit the pier. good luck.

[KaliDawgFan]

You can also collect them around the jetties at low tide.

[grunionhunter]

You can also collect them around the jetties at low tide.

Sweet. Thanks KaliDawg.... that's great info. Is that legal? The Jetties are the rock like piers, right?

[SanDimasLMB]

Most people I have talked to with mussels on the pier have taken metal bars and welded them together to make a grapple type contraption which they tie a rope to, lower down to the piers' pillings, swing it onto the pilling where there are mussels, pull hard and voila, you have mussels.

[maxpowers]

You can get the mussels in the marina. Just make sure you have your fishing license and be neat and discreet on the gangway. As long as you're cool and not making a mess, most of the boaters at the slip couldn't care less. Just make sure you don't fish there as it is illegal and you can get a ticket.

Good luck.

PS Also you can go to Norm's (PCH and Seal Beach Blvd) and get bait. He has a wide selection and is pretty good about helping you out.

[KaliDawgFan]

Sweet. Thanks KaliDawg.... that's great info. Is that legal? The Jetties are the rock like piers, right?

I don't see why it wouldn't be legal. You can also fish of the public ones without a license. Yes, they're like rock piers...in a way.

[CoffeaRobusta]

What are you using for bait on the pier? If targeting hali's then try and catch some live bait. Have you tried fishing elsewhere?

We've tried asian-store bought mac and squid. Also tried some small smelt caught on a Sabiki rig.

We love the SB pier b/c parking is easy and it's clean. Went to Belmont a few weeks back and it was real nasty... like the skidrow of piers. LOL. We've been wanting to check out some other areas but every time we try to go elsewhere, it's hella crowded and we have to park miles away.

See right there, small smelt can be used as live bait for halis. At the end of the peir you can also catch macs on sabikis and if you don't wanna eat them you can use them for bait. At seal beach, you can get all your bait and tackle needs from Norms.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&q=big+tackle&near=Seal+Beach,+CA&fb=1&cid=0,0,14509794380744962687&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image

Ghost shrimp, blood worms, mussels, anchovies, whatever. The mussels will tend to get you the croakers, ehich is probably what you are seeing most people catch. i haven't caught a giant croaker yet at seal beach...generally because the hot spot for croakers at seal beach is usually crowded. i know people are eating too many croakers from there....me i don't want DDT in my diet. If you are eating croakers from seal beach don't eat more than 2-4 a month, and don't eat white croakers from there at all.

I have used a variety of bait and caught a variety of fish at seal beach peir. i like to go there because its close to my work and I can zip down there when i get off. Drop me a line and we'll hit it up sometime. Oh yeah and I think seal beach has some rule about not collecting mussels off the pylons on the pier, but i have seen people get them using the grappling hook method described above. And the jetties north and south of the pier are pretty much picked clean....unless you go climbing way far out on them. Watch the waves...i got soaked trying that one time. :) be advised that unless you are on a public peir or jetty, you will need a liscense to collect mussels. but if you want halis i think you need to use fish....either live or cut anchovies. I've caught a couple of small ones there, tho i once saw a guy with a hali just shy of legal there. i suspect the big hook up will only come when i get a yak, or tube or boat. LOL

[ninjaturtle420]

i was surf fishing with my buddy once and there was a bunch of muscles on the rocks around us so we decided to harvest some and fish with them. they worked great and we caught everything from BSP to beans. then the ranger came up to us and said that taking mussels from the rocks was illegal and nicely asked us to put them back and stop.

thats my experience with that




justin

[boxl0bster]

lol you think seal beach is clean? :P man belmont must be horrible then! :P fish closer towards shore and you'll be able to get lots of thornback rays and shovel nose on strips of squid/mack. use a pyramid sinker 2-4 oz depending on the surf/wind etc. and a 2ft leader. good luck.

[dirthead]

stop at norms big fish they have a huge selection of live bait. even finbait sometimes