Bait preparation for the freezer

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Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:39 pm

Just wondering lads, What you do to prepare your bait for the freezer?

EG Mackeral, do you fillet it? Clean it out? or put it into the freezer whole?

Crab: Do you peel it? Freeze it whole and peel it when you get to the beach or do you do something else?

Lug: Gut it and freeze it? or use fresh each time you go out?

What do you wrap your bait in to stop it getting freezer burnt? cling film or tin foil or even something else?

How long can you actually keep bait in the freezer that still can be used to good effect to catch fish? Are we talking weeks, months, or even years?

Just a few questions I feel we could all benefit from your imput?

Steve

#2 Post by **stevecrow74** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:49 pm

mackerel: kept whole either individually wrapped in newspaper or 3-4 in a bag...

squid: 3 in a bag, depending on size..

lug: individually wrapped in news paper (but prefer to use fresh)

crab(when ever i have a chance of gettin any) shelled and wrapped in clingfilm..

anything else just gets chucked in a bag and throw in...

#3 Post by **lumpy** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:49 pm

i tend to take a cool box with ice blocks in it with me when collecting mackeral, i also have a big bucket which i fill with freshwater. when i catch some mackeral i dispatch them and wash them in the fresh water. i then wrap them indicidually in clingfilm and put them in the cool box.then when i get them home i freeze them.

tend to gut black lug and wrap them in grease proof papar, stops them sticking.

sandeels i freeze in a similar manner.

razorfish i shella and freeze individually again wrapped in clingfilm.

ive began to freeze muscles in a similar fashion. i shell them again, then i place them on clingfilm in a sausage shape about 6-8 inches long and then freeze them.

i tend to leave squid in the box as we will go through a box a day when huss/conger/ray fishing. dont use the to often as a tipping bait.

#4 Post by **corbyeire** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:50 pm

definitely dont gut the mack - keeps up to six months then frozen - something to do with the oils - so i was told!

#5 Post by **stevecrow74** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:22 pm

corbyeire wrote:definitely dont gut the mack - keeps up to six months then frozen - something to do with the oils - so i was told!

also keeps all the blood in the body.. more scent trail when defrosting in the water..

#6 Post by **contender** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:24 pm

I fillet mackeral, dry it off on kitchen roll then put some salt on it and freeze enough for a session in a freezer bag, it works as good as whole mackeral from frozen and is a lot easier to work with, it also keeps for months.

#7 Post by **donal** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:11 am

marel just throw som salt on im and rap them in newspaper
lug same
squid plastic bags

#8 Post by **alancooper** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:25 pm

I fillet mackeral and wrap in cling-film for using mainly as strips and to tip other bait. This saves space compared with freezing whole.

How can salting help with keeping quality - if they are frozen they keep!

Is ther evidence that freezing them whole really help with greater scent?
Alan.

#9 Post by **contender** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:10 pm

Salting the mackeral makes it firmer when thawed out and easier to work with.