[PoddyMullet]

The Mushi, Milt and Poddy Queenscliff roadshow got cancelled with Milt's 4.30 am call reporting 30 knots....so back to bed boys. Good lady Poddy isn't the happiest camper about being woken early for fishing trips, so waking her on the return as well as the rise cost me one full brownie point :shock: The day continued with reckless brownie point expenditure when finishing mowing/whipper snipping duties I looked at one of her Cyclamen's to discover a bit missing . That point is on credit at the moment..but I know the accounts in the mail with a stiff interest rate :roll: Anyways, my beedy peeper kept watch on the weather sites and an early 30 knots abated...so off to Ricketts. A strongish northerly had good cloud cover but not much happening around some favourite marks. It weakened and I drifted the Thunderhoit's along with it to pick up a nice pinkie of 42cm (apologies for the blood shot). Mariah changed direction and tapered off...yielding glassy conditions. No more fish but amazing how 30 knots can be a distant memory within the day. Let's hope good lady Poddy's 30 knots abate as quickly :roll: :wink:

 

[ScottLovig]

Good on ya Poddy, good fish. You have to incurr a little wrath now and again to keep that line drawn firmly in the sand.

Cheers

Scott

 

[Milt]

Well done Poddy I ended up going to boring old work as I kept a keen eye out at the tree tops on the way.

Mrs Milt, also didn't like being awoken again when i slipt back into bed!!! Probably didn't help, me tossing and turning in bed fighting a salmon in my sleep all night :? .

Maybe the next trip we do is placed in the afternoon, so we can tally up a few more brownies points

Milt,

 

[Squidder]

Nice fish again Poddy - was it foul hooked? That pinky's gotta be worth at least 5 brownie points, so even with the cyclamen mishap I reckon you're still ahead :wink:

 

[PoddyMullet]

I came out of the cyclamen tragedy reasonably intact gents....although that remainder of that flower got planted in a somewhat awkward spot wink: . The other thing I noticed for you baito's was the mussel growth on the park boundry markers...and it got me to thinking about Scott's (Bent Scott's) call at one point of giving them a bashing to get a bit of interest going (especially whiting). I think you'd get in trouble for doing it there as it'd be marine park, but the Anonyma Shoal and plenty of other places may be worth a look. I wouldn't mind collecting a few bigger ones for a cooking too, I came across a coupla construction plans for em to try out and I've never really given the black ones a go (although did have a feed of NZ greenlips). The next calm outting the Mango's might try out as the Port Phillip mussel men....any interest or am I talking out of my cyclamen? :shock:

 

[ScottLovig]

To get em off, use a rake.

More gardening can only help with your brownie points.

Cheers

Scott

 

[PoddyMullet]

Thanks Scott, ever cooked up the black ones? :?:

 

[ScottLovig]

I've eaten them a few times. Found a broken off mooring bouy floating around out there once with heaps of them attached to its line.

Green, black, purple.....they all taste the same to me. Bloody good.

Cheers

Scott

 

[Peril]

Thanks Scott, ever cooked up the black ones? :?:

Poddy, I reckon the black ones are many times superior to the green lip ones. They have a richer taste and are much tenderer. In my book the NZ ones only have presentation going for them. I will only buy black mussels and will always check at a restaurant before ordering. I was set on this righteous path by culinary friends and an Italian chef.

 

[evarn]

Dave,

I agree... The black ones are tastier...I like to do the "One for me, one for the fish" trick.. One kilo of mussels for me, one for the fish! ;-)

Poddy, for something different, try smoking the mussels. That's if you have access to a fish smoker.. They're pretty cheap around the place... ray's Outdoors sells them, so do a lot of places.

Hot, smoked mussels and a glass of whiskey from a vintage that is old enough to order it's own whiskey, is a perfect way to warm up after a late night fishing session I reckon!!!

Cheers

Ivan

 

[Squidder]

I agree with what's been said about the black mussels - superb if eaten fresh. At the vic market they sell them live from a big perspex box with recirculating sea water keeping the mussels alive - and at 4.50 a kilo they are damn cheap.

My favorite mussel recipe is too easy - give the mussels a bit of a scrub and 'debeard' them (rip off the hairy part), then place in a big saucepan with about an inch of white wine in the bottom and some crushed garlic, bring the wine to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until all the shells open - then pull out the meat and eat it with fresh crusty bread until you feel sick :wink:

I am happy to don the scuba gear and act as mussel boy when the weather warms up a tad :shock:

 

[Milt]

Poddy,

I'm not a mussel man but my folks were, they cooked as squidder described but adding in a couple of garden grown tomatoes and then some rice.

I often see old fisherman lift up the own personal mussel racks to target whiting as they are gun bait for them. like wise your not the only mad man who has considered diving in and collecting some for bait 8)

Perhaps in the next couple of months we explore some great little whitng grounds around St. Leonards, Point Wilson, Western port etc??? At Port Arlington you can buy a fresh box of mussels for $10!!! maybe on the way back from Queenscliff we swing by there one day???

Milt,

 

[PoddyMullet]

Ooh I'm getting enthused about those mussels now.....garlic/wine I can smell em. I'll try the household rake (with net underneath?) first...if not getting the fish'n'dive monkey down a ladder for the Mango's could just earn him a beer. I may lay off the whiskey though evarn as I'm already pretty good at honking away myself (the smoking bit sounds OK though) :wink: . Thanks for the tips/comments gents, there's always something different to try with this yak fishing caper...even if ya do think you've got a fair handle on what's on offer in ya local water