[Rhydrod]

Hi all. 1st time for me to post in this section. What I want to know is.........the majority of us anglers have our own bait freezers in the garage etc to store and stock up on bought Ammo etc bait and live bait we`ve frozen down. Occasionally I`ll have a session when I don`t need a full packet of say mackeral or sandeel as I have perhaps other fresh bait to use and know I won`t need much frozen. So for this I`ll open a packet of sandeel and take maybe half of them with me and same for the mackeral but just take 1 maybe 2.

My question is, what do the rest of you do with the half open packet of bait ? I have a large sealable bag, simular to a sealable sandwich bag which I can pick up from work and put them in there but after a while they tend to deteriate. Especially the sandeels. They can even snap in my hand and turn like a pale and white colour. So has anyone got any ideas as to what I can do with it ?

Thanks in advance guys

 

[gash2024]

If you let your bait thaw to the point that it will come apart but is still frozen (par-thawed and stiff) then you will be able separate it and refreeze it with no issues.
As for when you have thawed them it sounds like they might be getting freezer burn, to avoid this you need to create a barrier between the extreme cold and the bait, ideally you want your freezer around the -20 mark to start with and then for any items including food to be wrapped in a few layers of plastic or newspaper to prevent freezer burn.
In a nutshell you are looking for a tight fitting barrier (air tight if possible) between the item and the cold :thumbs:

 

[Rhydrod]

If you let your bait thaw to the point that it will come apart but is still frozen (par-thawed and stiff) then you will be able separate it and refreeze it with no issues.
As for when you have thawed them it sounds like they might be getting freezer burn, to avoid this you need to create a barrier between the extreme cold and the bait, ideally you want your freezer around the -20 mark to start with and then for any items including food to be wrapped in a few layers of plastic or newspaper to prevent freezer burn.
In a nutshell you are looking for a tight fitting barrier (air tight if possible) between the item and the cold :thumbs:

The bait in question has not left the freezer at all. just half its contents taken from a full packet for a session. I never re freeze frozen bait after a session. Would some kind of container be ideal you think ?

 

[Chunky the fat fisherman]

Every now and again Lidl run this offer. If you vac pac the bits you have and layer them in the freezer with card board or something else to create a barrier between the packs, this will go a long way to keeping the quality.
http://lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-....xsl/index_32221.htm?offerdate=&ERR=noservice

 

[carpman1962]

I take my frozen sand eels or crabs to the beach in A food flask take one out to use then replace the lid at the end of the session whats left in the flask are still frozen so I re bag them and back in the freezer till next time hope this helps mate:thumbs:

 

[Guest]

bloater above has the idea, i was going to get one but they sold out last time i looked,personally when i stock up ,which is limited at the mo, i seperate with my filleting knife straight away ,wrap in cling film and put whatever it is in a chinese takeaway container,that way i have what i need every time,
you have to be quick and handle the item delicatly,it takes seconds to do so it has not had a chance to start to thaw,i use the top part of my freezer which has a setting to blast freeze ,
lets put it this way, chuck a chilli in there and its totally frozen in an hour,(ish)american fridge freezer i love it

 

[gash2024]

The issue really is the cold having direct contact with the bait, one it can be too cold but more importantly is that water evaporates at any temperature and that is what is causing your problem.
Squeeze the air out of your bags and provide some packaging and you should be fine