Barry's Fishing Tackle Shop Tel: 01654 710 357  Mob: 07788 956 920

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Baits

Is frozen bait any good?

This all depends on the type of bait, and the quality of the freezing. Blast frozen baits such as sandeel, mackerel, and squid are excellent, and are only bettered by bait caught on the same day. Look for brand names on the bait packets,such as Ammo and Atrakta baits though there are others. Be carefull when buying unbranded packets whilst they can be OK to use, these are usually frozen by the shop and are not blast frozen, these and baits you freeze yourself at home can be O.K. for boat fishing and as ground bait, but is not as tough as blast frozen baits for casting. Remember that domestic freezers are only designed to freeze a few pounds of produce at a time, not several stone of mackerel or cod! The blocks of Californian Calamari squid are also excellent. Blast freezing is not so important with squid. Worm baits will not freeze. Bait you freeze yourself at home, may be O.K. for boat fishing, and as ground bait, but does not compare to the quality of blast frozen baits.

How do you keep soft baits like mussel on the hook when casting?

The usual way of keeping soft baits on the hook is to use a thin elastic thread (shearing elastic) to bind the bait to the hook. Most tackle shops now sell an extremely thin elastic for this purpose that is almost invisible. Otherwise try a haberdashery or drapers shop.

There is a system on the market for freezing bait onto the hook for casting. This is based on a freezer spray similar to the one plumbers use. The system consists of a can of freezer spray, and a box (10 x 4 x 2 inches) with two different sized compartments and some holes in the lid. The baited hook is placed in a compartment and the lid is closed. The baited hook is placed on the tray, and the lid shut. Then the spray is squirted into the relevant hole to freeze the bait. Only a few seconds is needed to freeze small bait, larger baits may need a couple of squirts through different holes. After casting the bait defrosts in seconds under the water. The spray is not flammable and does not contain CFC's.

For more information on baits click here