opening razors

[darrenh]

out for session last night with nice fresh razor found out why they called razors their shells were very brittle on opening the 3rd or 4th the shell cracked into pieces leaving me with a nice gash in the pinky luckily had some gaffer tape in the car makes good for when no plasters availiable just like to know is their any knacks on getting the shell to open up before i go slashing any more fingers cheers

[roger de dodger]

open one carfully then use half the shell as an opener just insert it in the end under the flesh and insert it, do the same on the other side and you will have an intact bait and hopefully no bloody fingers

[darrenh]

thanks roger must give that a go someone told me to put them in hot water then the shells open i was thinking would that kill the scent of the razor?

[evan699]

thanks roger must give that a go someone told me to put them in hot water then the shells open i was thinking would that kill the scent of the razor?

Putting them in hot water would par cook them and reduce the scent and juices. I use an old blunt filleting knife and have no problems. I was told a butter knife does the trick too.

[darrenh]

nice one evan ill b bringin a butter knife next time cheers

[KERRY1]

Personally speaking I wouldn't want to get rid of the juices and scent from the razors, in fact the more smell, the better! I have never put them in hot or boiling water myself but if that does reduce the scent then I would advise against you doing this. It's the strong smell coming from them that attracts the fish in the first place and makes them a very good bait, espicially for Bass.
In relation to opening them, as roger said, just be careful and there shouldn't be a problem but your right to be cautious. I too have cut myself badly in the past on them, not from opening them but from collecting them, very painful indeed. They don't get their name for nothing, razor sharp they are!

[Eoin]

freeze all your razors. it dosent make them less efffective as a bait and when thawed they peel right out of the shell with little effort. they can also be refrozen many times.

[lucky]

same as that i use razor alot and find freeze them first sometime when you are not going fishing and have some time to spare take the razor out and let them defrost, i do this all the time and work well for me.. the sheels will open once they defrost,, i then just simply run my thumb down the shell and out it comes, i make sausage bits from them with elastic cotton and then but about 10 of them into small plastic bags and then refreeze them .. that way you have baits ready for fishing and you save room in your freezer from other baits... plus it makes the bait a little tougher .... works well for me.....