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BAIT - Fresh water clams #239877
06/25/07 12:13 AM
06/25/07 12:13 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
R
Ryan Offline OP
trapper
Ryan  Offline OP
trapper
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
Just wondering if anyone uses these on the trapline or even eats them? I know hardly a thing about them besides theres a shell and a muscle inside them. I caught a pretty big one on my fishing pole yesterday but it ended up being tossed back into the water. It was probably a good 7 or 8 inches side to side and 4 inches front to back.
Just wondering if anyone uses them for anything.

Ryan

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Ryan] #239886
06/25/07 12:16 AM
06/25/07 12:16 AM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,759
MO
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Creek Trapper Offline
trapper
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Joined: Feb 2007
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MO
There are empty clam shells everywhere on the creek here from the remains of a coon meal, so I'm sure they'd have pretty good attraction. I don't know how much meat is in one, so I don't know if it'd be worth it to try to collect the meat for bait, but I think the shell itself could be effectively used for a visual attractant, which I think I might try this season.

Last edited by Creek Trapper; 06/25/07 12:17 AM. Reason: left out a word
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Creek Trapper] #239893
06/25/07 12:21 AM
06/25/07 12:21 AM

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I use the shells in pocket sets all the time, a coon or mink will see them and check them out. a whole live one is even better, set in a cubby on the bank a coon or mink will not walk by.

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: ] #239897
06/25/07 12:24 AM
06/25/07 12:24 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
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Ryan Offline OP
trapper
Ryan  Offline OP
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Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
Do you just freeze them as you get them then? I'd assume so...

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Ryan] #239917
06/25/07 12:45 AM
06/25/07 12:45 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 12,915
Indiana, 15 1/4yrs old
Gary Offline
trapper
Gary  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 12,915
Indiana, 15 1/4yrs old
i have eaten fresh water mussles .... scrub em up and soak in icewater for a couple hours ... this will cause the mussles to filter out ..... then steam or boil til they start to open ...the ones that dont open get discarded .... open the shells the rest of the way up and drop in a bit of hot sauce .... YUMMY


Possums and fanged beaver Skeer Me frown
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Gary] #239993
06/25/07 07:24 AM
06/25/07 07:24 AM

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Most states its illegal to harvest clams or mussles.Please check your laws.

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: ] #240014
06/25/07 08:12 AM
06/25/07 08:12 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,268
IOWA
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TrappinK-9's Offline
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TrappinK-9's  Offline
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Posts: 1,268
IOWA
Excellent Catfish Bait..


Fresh circle in the morning, nothing better.
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: TrappinK-9's] #240143
06/25/07 11:16 AM
06/25/07 11:16 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,958
St. Louis Co, Mo
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BigBob Offline
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St. Louis Co, Mo
As filter feeders they are an indicator species of water quality. ie: any crap in the water is absorbed by the animal and could cause health problems. Check with your DNR for advisories.


Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.

Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.

Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: BigBob] #240158
06/25/07 11:34 AM
06/25/07 11:34 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 15,588
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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Trapper7 Online content
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MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
They are readily eaten by otter in my area of MN. I have found opened shells along the shore mixed in with multitudes of otter tracks.

I think it's illegal to harvest clams or mussels in MN too.


I don't care how nice the hand soap smells, you should never walk out of the restroom sniffing your fingers.
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Trapper7] #240344
06/25/07 03:14 PM
06/25/07 03:14 PM

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It is illegal in Minnesota to harvest live ones. With a fishing license a person may legally harvest either 24 whole shells or 48 1/2 shells.
Here's some interesting info on them;
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/young_naturalists/mussels/index.html

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: ] #240607
06/25/07 07:07 PM
06/25/07 07:07 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
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Ryan Offline OP
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Ryan  Offline OP
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 120
Eastern Iowa
Thanks guys... I'll have to check my regs. Thanks K9s... ill have to try that.

BigBob... is it an indicator that the water is good or bad. The guy up at work today that it isnt a good sign to have clams in a waterway but im not sure.

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Ryan] #240616
06/25/07 07:17 PM
06/25/07 07:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,628
evansville Indiana age72
don Wolf Offline
trapper
don Wolf  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,628
evansville Indiana age72
The water quality has nothing to do with clams. They are in almost all rivers and creeks in my area.
Gary the ones I tried to eat were tough as shoeleather. They did have a fair taste though.

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: don Wolf] #240648
06/25/07 07:47 PM
06/25/07 07:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 12,915
Indiana, 15 1/4yrs old
Gary Offline
trapper
Gary  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 12,915
Indiana, 15 1/4yrs old
the longer ya cook em the tougher they get ...got to get em out of the heat as soon as they start to open .... off the topic a bit but i just grilled up a buncha scallops ...wrapped em in bacon ... a lil lemon juice, garlic salt .... ohhhhh yeah !! lol


Possums and fanged beaver Skeer Me frown
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: Gary] #241257
06/26/07 11:51 AM
06/26/07 11:51 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,958
St. Louis Co, Mo
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BigBob Offline
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St. Louis Co, Mo
Fresh water Mussels indicate water quality by dying off if water is polluted. They tend to absorb toxins in the water and can make you sick. In Missouri large rivers are generally polluted and they are not really safe to eat. The population are on the decline and the state limmit is 4 a day, 8 possesion.


Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.

Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.

Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: BigBob] #241590
06/26/07 07:45 PM
06/26/07 07:45 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 700
arkansas
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don bishop Offline
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arkansas
Well, I do on occasion do a little commercial mussel diving. I would advise you to check your regulations and also pick up a shellers regulations, because there are protected species that will cost you more than a little for a mistake, at least here in my state. As for Missouri. The rivers I have been on are loaded with em, if you know what kind of places to look for. I have looked down into the water and seen shell beds like they used to be many years ago, if anything I'd say they are over populated. I wish they would open up for diving there, I'd get rich. I agree with not eating them though.

Re: Fresh water clams [Re: don bishop] #241932
06/27/07 12:38 AM
06/27/07 12:38 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 547
Iowa
toecatch Offline
trapper
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Posts: 547
Iowa
Only Dead Mussels on the Missouri river, Big Sioux river, and inland waters may be harvested. Mississippi River, and connected backwaters live and dead shells may be harvested. THe possession limit for all waters is 24 whole mussels or 48 shell halves" * Tooken from Page 11 Iowa Fish Regulations 2007, http://www.iowadnr.com/law/regs/2007regs_fish.pdf .

Personaly, I wouldn't eat one from the Mississippi River. I have lived here most of my life, and known commerical "clammers" and I don't recall any of them eating any of the mussels either. The 3 ridge mussels have a greater chance of containing a fresh water perl in them. Found a few, but not enough to brag about.


They make good catfish bait, and yes, the coon will eat em, as well as the otter, mink and muskrats. Yep, I said it, muskrats. Along rivers when looking for a good place to trap a rat, I look for piles of shells in shallow water. Most of the time I land some decent river muskrats that way.


Keeping our tradition alive, one youngster at a time.. http://www.traps4kids.com
Re: Fresh water clams [Re: toecatch] #241953
06/27/07 12:54 AM
06/27/07 12:54 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,595
St. Ansgar, Iowa
CedarRivrTrappr Offline
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Posts: 1,595
St. Ansgar, Iowa
Ryan that bait I sent you for Christmas last year has clams in it.


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