When I was a youngun, too many years ago than I care to remember, I was talking to a bloke fishing the old blockyard at Roker. He was pulling in good size coalies for fun. Half a dozen in no more than 30mins. I've never tried what he showed me, but if it worked then, it should work now.
Basically he bought/collected some mussels, shelled them and put the meats in a muslin bag overnight, collecting the juice that dripped out. In the juice he soaked strips of newspaper that he whipped onto the back of the hook with the threaded mussel. He thought the paper broke up an the water creating a bigger, longer lasting scent trail.
Sounds resonable, but I never had the nuts to try it myself.
