Re-freezing Bait

[DavidCostello]

I'm not being cheap, just hate waste.

Yes or No?

Sand eel?
Muscle?
Wraps?
Mack?
Peeler?

[corbyeire]

honestly - refreeze everything

i have caught loads of fish on refrozen baits - for competitions i would be hell bent on having fresh and frozen or if i was travelling a distance for fishing

but for the local marks you regularly fish - reuse it again and again

only 2 weeks ago on greystones a mate of mine - outfished me - for flounder using frozen rag he had - i had fresh lug!

never throw away, provided you can freeze it quickly and not stink out the place

[liam78]

no harm of refreezing i always do it but after a while the blueys go wee bit mucky so i justuse it as ground bait we are saving money of doing it.

[spiral]

I always re-freeze and I've never had a problem getting fish on re frozen bait.
Like corbyeire, if I was travelling a distance I would not use re-frozen bait. I feel when I'm going away to fish somewhere different I should have what I think is generally better bait. I'll spend the time/money getting fresh bait for the day away at a mark I'm fishing for the first time or only fish occasionally. I don't fish competitions so that doesn't apply

[bigsod]

Put your frozen sandeel, crab etc into a wide mouth flask, should stay frozen and you can put back what you dont use without comprimising it too much.

[DavidCostello]

Thanks lads.
I'll refreeze bait for mucking around near home.
I agree with having the best bait for away venues.
Why spend €60 on fuel and scrimp on bait..

DC

[chuckaroo]

I fully agree with all of the above. I have refrozen all baits over and over again - especially squid, even when it had got really quite rotten, and it still caught fish no problem. I am a firm believer in that most fish are opportunistic predators, a lot of fish feed on dead and rotting fish/shellfish washed up after storms (I read that somewhere..). sometimes the smellier the better - of course though, you don't want to stink the freezer out!..
I would totally believe that fish were caught on frozen rag worm. No problem.

[DavidCostello]

I fully agree with all of the above. I have refrozen all baits over and over again - especially squid, even when it had got really quite rotten, and it still caught fish no problem. I am a firm believer in that most fish are opportunistic predators, a lot of fish feed on dead and rotting fish/shellfish washed up after storms (I read that somewhere..). sometimes the smellier the better - of course though, you don't want to stink the freezer out!..
I would totally believe that fish were caught on frozen rag worm. No problem.

Frozen Rag.
Didn't know you could do that.
Do you dry them out on news paper for a few days before freezing or just bung them in as is?

[Al]

Put your frozen sandeel, crab etc into a wide mouth flask, should stay frozen and you can put back what you dont use without comprimising it too much.

Def a good Idea, I refreeze everything to tell ya the truth, If refreezing mac wrap it in a sheet of newspaper first, I'm more confident using mussel and wraps that have been refrozen to tell ya the truth, always better to have frozen bait than none at all, especially for impromtu sessions

[DavidCostello]

Put your frozen sandeel, crab etc into a wide mouth flask, should stay frozen and you can put back what you dont use without comprimising it too much.

Def a good Idea, I refreeze everything to tell ya the truth, If refreezing mac wrap it in a sheet of newspaper first, I'm more confident using mussel and wraps that have been refrozen to tell ya the truth, always better to have frozen bait than none at all, especially for impromtu sessions

Impromtu!
Your making me reach for the dictionary again Al

Let me know if you fancy an impromtu session anytime soon

D

[chuckaroo]

bung them in as it is. maybe wrap them up in newspaper or in a plastic bag so as to cover them. i reckon drying them out would only hinder their potential when you come to use them again.
in hindsight, i was catching mainly flatties with dead and old rag worm (it should compare to frozen rag) but i have caught other species, on many an occasion, on refrozen squid and mackeral. as mentioned above, it would maybe be best to use fresh bait for any competitions or long distance travel but refrozen bait is better than nothing, less waste, and very successful. only one way to find out...
refreeze everything until it becomes dry or unmanagable

[Al]

Put your frozen sandeel, crab etc into a wide mouth flask, should stay frozen and you can put back what you dont use without comprimising it too much.

Def a good Idea, I refreeze everything to tell ya the truth, If refreezing mac wrap it in a sheet of newspaper first, I'm more confident using mussel and wraps that have been refrozen to tell ya the truth, always better to have frozen bait than none at all, especially for impromtu sessions

Impromtu!
Your making me reach for the dictionary again Al

Let me know if you fancy an impromtu session anytime soon

D

Haha thats the Rosmini education for ya
Will do, prob wont get out the weekend but myself, mark and Gar are heading out after work earlt next week. Will keep ya posted!

[dfella25]

Haha thats the Rosmini education for ya
Will do, prob wont get out the weekend but myself, mark and Gar are heading out after work earlt next week. Will keep ya posted!

You guys probably shop lifted of me so

[DavidCostello]

Haha thats the Rosmini education for ya
Will do, prob wont get out the weekend but myself, mark and Gar are heading out after work earlt next week. Will keep ya posted!

You guys probably shop lifted of me so

It was Al!
Defo not me.

He's not a nice fella.

[DavidCostello]

Do. Are you staying local?

Put your frozen sandeel, crab etc into a wide mouth flask, should stay frozen and you can put back what you dont use without comprimising it too much.

Def a good Idea, I refreeze everything to tell ya the truth, If refreezing mac wrap it in a sheet of newspaper first, I'm more confident using mussel and wraps that have been refrozen to tell ya the truth, always better to have frozen bait than none at all, especially for impromtu sessions

Impromtu!
Your making me reach for the dictionary again Al

Let me know if you fancy an impromtu session anytime soon

D

Haha thats the Rosmini education for ya
Will do, prob wont get out the weekend but myself, mark and Gar are heading out after work earlt next week. Will keep ya posted!

[corbyeire]

I fully agree with all of the above. I have refrozen all baits over and over again - especially squid, even when it had got really quite rotten, and it still caught fish no problem. I am a firm believer in that most fish are opportunistic predators, a lot of fish feed on dead and rotting fish/shellfish washed up after storms (I read that somewhere..). sometimes the smellier the better - of course though, you don't want to stink the freezer out!..
I would totally believe that fish were caught on frozen rag worm. No problem.

Frozen Rag.
Didn't know you could do that.
Do you dry them out on news paper for a few days before freezing or just bung them in as is?

to be honest my mate still had them in the tray he bought them in and just threw it in the freeaer like that!

another time before after going to the effort of getting whites i wasnt throwing them away after a comp - i did put them in paper and froze them - they were catching me whiting no problem the next night i was out - but then again the whiting probably would have eaten anything when they are those plague proportions

[chrisfeeney30]

Sand eel?-yes but only once,and if their not completly defrosted
Muscle?ya
Wraps?ya
Mack?no
Peeler?ya

To be honest mack goes to sh1te after its defrosted and refrozen, seems to go all mushy, of course you will catch something on it but it doesnt stay on the hook properly!

[corbyeire]

you need to do the refreezing of the mac properly - you know maybe 5 times - keep it wrapped in paper

then it takes on this orange colour - then you know youve got it right

great huss bait

golden rule - if your gagging - its ready

[evan699]

I'd refreeze almost anything provided it's not stinking too much. If you just have scraps and mush left then chuck it all into an old plastic takeaway container and whack the lot in the freezer. Bring the frozen block with ya on your next rock or pier session, chuck it into the swim while your gettin your gear ready for a cast. The block will thaw gradually and ground bait the area for you and it tends to stay put better than throwing in smaller bits of bait which can be carried out of the desired area by currents and tide.

[XmartyX]

Great advice here lads, I thought the bait wouldn't work if I refroze it! Just getting up to speed with the do's and dont's and had been trying to calculate what I should need for each session before I went - got caught short of bait a few times!