Is there a general length of time that bait will stay in the freezer? I have a feeling I’m going to have a lot of bait for the crab trap.
sandlapper1977
I guess as long as it stays frozen you should be good to go. My rule of thumb is freeze it and use it twice before I throw it out.
My pogie supply started to break down a bit just after 3-4 months, they started to get soft once thawed. 6-8 month max? Mullets seem to fair a little better. I try to bag it up in one trip size bags to minimize refreezing of bait. Stripers don’t like frozen bait to begin with, they really dont like bait thats been refrozen. Reds seem to be a bit less picky.
From my limited research this winter- cut pogies outfished cut mullet 10-1, catfish included.
When does the blue crab catching usually pick back up? Guessing spring, but I want to get some for a frog-more stew before the cold weather breaks.
That’s why they call it fishing, not catching…
For crab bait, it really won’t matter tremendously I’d have to guess.
If your gonna use it for crab bait, is suggest you use that but wrap in somethin fresh or bloody like a few fresh menhaden or FM. That’s what I do and it works great. Their aunt nothin stinkier than a cut up horse mullet
Couple things that I do know help prolong the freezer life: Vacum seal or freeze in milk
Get out There!
My experience is the same as UGABradN and I agree with jughead. I used to keep gallon bags of different bait (one bag of fingers, one of big mullet for chunks, one of crab, one of pogies) with all the bags in a tupperware box. Stupid, wasteful, and messy. It’s not the time in the freezer -once they’re frozen they’re frozen. It seems to me to be the freeze/thaw over and over that turns them to mush. I now just put them in snack or quart size -a few bags bags and leave the rest in the freezer.
wrap in Saran Wrap and then put in freezer bag. individual or small number. jan