James RickardTips on frozen bait
September 11th 2009 00:37
Although I've talked about countless lures and offered advice on live bait, I never realized the one thing I haven't mentioned is frozen bait.
When using live bait, it boils down to this--the better your bait, the better your catch. The same can be said, to some extent, when using frozen bait.
As is often the case, the exact bait you use will depend on your location. For instance, frozen chicken liver will work if you after catfish. (I can attest to that!) On the other hand, someone after sharks will freeze different types of fish guts and blood to make a nice chum.
One important fact to remember is that frozen bait, no matter how well you freeze it, will not last indefinitely. As bait, or any meat for that matter, thaws, blood and other juices begin to leech out and flavor is lost. While human beings savor the flavor, fish thrive on scent and that attribute is often lost along with the flavor.
With that fact in mind, it's advisable to use bait that has not thoroughly defrosted. Liver and skipjack quickly come to mind as decent baits that are difficult to keep on the hook and their partially frozen state helps keep either on the hook.
When you look for frozen bait, make sure there is no blood or oils in the container. If you see something like that, it's a sure sign that the bait has defrosted and been refrozen or frozen too slowly. Either way, some of the fish goodies have leeched out.
Just as you use sun block, try and keep as much sun off of you bait as you can. Styrofoam coolers work great. Wrapping the container in a wet cloth always helps but if worse comes to worse, you can shield it with your hand cloth. (You do carry something to wipe you hands don't you?)
Lastly, don't make the same mistake I did the first time I went surf fishing fishing. I wanted to use squid but the tackle shop had packages of calamari. After paying, I realized what I had picked up and asked to exchange my purchase. The old guy behind the counter looked at me, shook his head and said, "Fella, that is squid!"
When using live bait, it boils down to this--the better your bait, the better your catch. The same can be said, to some extent, when using frozen bait.
As is often the case, the exact bait you use will depend on your location. For instance, frozen chicken liver will work if you after catfish. (I can attest to that!) On the other hand, someone after sharks will freeze different types of fish guts and blood to make a nice chum.
One important fact to remember is that frozen bait, no matter how well you freeze it, will not last indefinitely. As bait, or any meat for that matter, thaws, blood and other juices begin to leech out and flavor is lost. While human beings savor the flavor, fish thrive on scent and that attribute is often lost along with the flavor.
With that fact in mind, it's advisable to use bait that has not thoroughly defrosted. Liver and skipjack quickly come to mind as decent baits that are difficult to keep on the hook and their partially frozen state helps keep either on the hook.
When you look for frozen bait, make sure there is no blood or oils in the container. If you see something like that, it's a sure sign that the bait has defrosted and been refrozen or frozen too slowly. Either way, some of the fish goodies have leeched out.
Just as you use sun block, try and keep as much sun off of you bait as you can. Styrofoam coolers work great. Wrapping the container in a wet cloth always helps but if worse comes to worse, you can shield it with your hand cloth. (You do carry something to wipe you hands don't you?)
Lastly, don't make the same mistake I did the first time I went surf fishing fishing. I wanted to use squid but the tackle shop had packages of calamari. After paying, I realized what I had picked up and asked to exchange my purchase. The old guy behind the counter looked at me, shook his head and said, "Fella, that is squid!"
Remember to take the hooks outta yer pocket before ya sit down!
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