# Coquina Clams as Bait



## bferg (Nov 16, 2011)

Has anyone tried using coquina clams for bait? I have cleaned some whiting and pompano a few times with bellies full of them. I went through the trouble of cracking a dozen or so open at a time a managed to thread some on a hook. It was about 50-50 with an easy cast if the clams stayed on the hook or not, but when they stayed on I was getting bites as soon as the rig hit the bottom. Anyway just curious if anyone has tried this.

Thanks.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

oh yea, tried it many times...
but, *nope.*, they don't stay on.
BUT, if you can find them, there are frozen clams at bait shops close to the beach.
be careful of how you cut the meat. (throw the stomach away, or use for chum).
If you cut the meat across the grain, it will not stay on your hook at all.
Cut long ways into strips with the grain will be more tougher. (like cutting with the grain on a London Broil steak)
In my local super market, they sell live in-the-shell salt water clams about the size of a half dollar.
when Pomp season get here, I will be using them...... lots of good reports from Florida East Coast
fishermen that use them for Pomps and Sheepshead.
great question !!

oh, some of the clams that come from Asia are FRESH WATER ...... so be sure to ask if they are indeed salt water clams.

photos of the Coquina Clam in case some people have never seen them, or known their proper name.
1/2" long is normal, 3/4" is a rare find.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

There just isn't enough there to stay on a hook. _Maybe_ if you opened 5 and wrapped them all together with bait string they might stay on, but buying some eating clams is much easier. Have seen people drill holes in them and use them as beads. Not a bad idea.


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## surfmom (Nov 3, 2012)

Im always trying to figure out a way to use them for same reason bferg the fish bellies are FULL of them. There was a member here that was trying to figure a good way. Unfortunately he has passed away but every time I think about trying coquina clams I think of him


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

if that guy that invented FISHBITES could come up with a product that imitated the Coquina Clam,
he would definitely be on to something !!! (( and less fish in the ocean ))

I am ordering some Fishbites today, so after I get it, I will try to figure out how to do it myself.
It may be sight feeding as well as the taste for the Coquina. Florida's bottom feeders such as
pompano and whiting know exactly what they like and where to find it.
Same scenereo as the D.O.A. Shrimp and Redfish.
Tight Lines boys n gurls


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

*Fishing with LIVE Couquina Clam*

My line of thought is this ...... small 3/4" strip of Fishbites on the hook..... experiment with different flavors.
with the cordless drill, make a small hole through the *live Coquina Clam* body and tie the whole clam onto the hook with nylon thread.
So the idea is to tie the whole body, shell and all, onto the hook. Instead of taking the small body out of the shell.
I am thinking that with a 3/32" or 1/8" hole, the drill will sort of mix up the clam meat inside the shell and will slowly ooze out of the shell when
being fished on the bottom. sort of like chum. I don't know what size hole will fit on a 1/0 circle hook and stay on. (thus the thread idea)
When you examined the fish's stomach contents, did you find only the Coquina innards ?? or the shells and all ??
Mull this over in your noggin and see how we can combine thought patterns on how to fish with *LIVE Coquina Clams* !!!
I hope I can get to the beach this weekend. Can't WAIT to try this out !!!!


oh - make sure your cordless drill has a fresh battery before leaving the house.
and an assortment of sharp drill bits - or, even a finishing nail to puncture a hole through the body ??
even if the shell breaks up, maybe the insides will be intact and hold it all together, then tie it to the hook, shells and all.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

I emailed FishBites this morning about this rig and they replied back with - - - 
Clam flavor as well as the Sand Flea flavor will work well with the mix of Coquina Clam that you described.
Good Luck Fishing !!

Ok now, I hope a lot of folks try this combination for Pompano and Whiting in the surf.
I think this rig will also be very productive from a dock or pier substituting live clam strips (or shrimp chunks) bought at the store.
You can get the jest of how the string thing works to keep it all together.


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

You don't need to fish with them (coquina clams) but they ARE a key to finding fish. Find a swash bar loaded with coquina clams and toss a sandflea and/or fresh shrimp on top of that bar and you won't have to worry about putting tiny clams on a hook. The clams simply bring the fish to the dinner table

I have had great success the last few years with fishbites in these areas (white clam, pink and green shrimp flavors)

Red and black drum gorge themselves on these clams because they can root them out easily


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## Jersey Hunter (Jul 26, 2009)

Just crush them and put them in a mesh bag and hook that. You can make your own bags buying mesh cut about 2" square and tie it using stretch string. I'd rather buy a few fresh clams and use them.


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