Slipper Limpet tutorial - Part 1 - Harvesting

maghouse · #1 01-14-2007, 01:04 PM

As the title suggests, a simple guide on using the killer Bass bait - Slipper Limpet.

Slipper is not an indigenous species of shell fish to the UK, it is believed it came to the UK in loads of gravel shipped over from the USA. Naturally some fell overboard and colonised the south coast areas in a very short space of time. Research shows Slipper is now abundant all along the south coast right over to France, they claim there are millions of tons of limpet in the channel alone.

It grows/breeds in bunches and anchors itself to the stones on the sea bed in large colonies. A strong blow will generally dislodge the Slipper and wash it up, along the way breaking open the shells and discarding the flesh all along the shore - fish know this and it is a proverbial feast for them !

It is a superb Bass bait as the Bass come very close in to gorge themselves on the Slipper as it is getting broken up in the surf.

Collecting Slipper is easy, wait a day or so after a strong blow and just after HW and there will be buckets of Slipper washed up ready to collect.

A bucket full can take less than an hour to collect and will last for ages !

So what to do with it all then ....

A bunch of Slipper will look like this, although there are lots of single broken Slipper on the beach, it is easier and quicker to collect when they are in this form :

All you need is a suitable area, collecting tray, rubbish bag & a rounded BLUNT knife. I also wimp out and use a trawlermans style rubber glove as after thousands of these - your holding hand soon gets cut up !

Take the blunt knife and inset between the pointed ends of the slipper and simply twist the knife - the Slipper will pop apart :

Take one Slipper and gently score around the edge of the yellowy flesh foot to 'break the seal :

Then take the knife or gently pull with your fingers to prise the complete Slipper from the shell ensuring the juicy guts are still connected to the fleshy foot :

Viola - one juicy Slipper Limpet !

Generally the large Slipper are best to use as bait although the smaller Slipper is ideal for tipping off if you want to fiddle and shell these as well.

Fill up your collecting dish and then store. I find the best way is to make small thin sandwich bag portions, flatten out and place these thin bags inside stronger re-sealable freezer bags and place 2/4 small packs inside each larger freezer bag - this way you have small size session bags to take on the beach.