--- Quote from: Tinker on November 29, 2020, 08:55:00 AM ---You mean I don't have to sniff them? Someone's in trouble now...
Thank you, al. May I ask why I'd need penny cutter scissors? I have no prejudices against them, I've simply never heard they were needed before now.
--- End quote ---
The scissors help to cut away the mussel from "the pack". The "beard" of the mussel can make it touch to tear the mussel off the rock. cutting it off can make the selection process simpler.
Tinker:
Excellent! I'd have never thought of that trick. Thank you. Juvenile mussels worldwide thank you, too.
crash:
The best place to start is the edge of the bed. I don’t use any tools, just my hands. If you locate a patch of gooseneck barnacles in the mussels you can start there to get purchase on the mussels. The beds that are super tightly packed are the hardest to harvest.
Often there are different mussel species mixed in. The California mussels get really big and are delicious. They don’t tend to pack in as tightly as the other mussels do either. I target the big ones most of the time.
Before you go out, always check the hotline for quarantines and closures.
Tinker:
Good advice on checking for closures, crash. Thank you. Now I need to find a Guide to Mussels so I can figure out if any of the local mussels are the jumbo California type.
Found a field guide, and yes, I've seen mussels that fit the description.
C_Run:
The ones we have on the rocks are California mussels. Bay mussels are the dinky ones you might see on pilings up in the bays. I have a 3/4" old chisel dedicated for mussel harvest. I just slide it down the mussel I want and cut and pull. The make great bait for greenling and perch as well as for eating.