Casters

[peterjg]

Can casters be frozen for future use as hook baits and loose feed, if not are they ok just to add to groundbait?

 

[sam vimes]

Can casters be frozen for future use as hook baits and loose feed, if not are they ok just to add to groundbait?

I find that they go manky if frozen, so I never do it. I'll happily add them to groundbait though. It can be a very effective way to get them on the bottom rather than have them fall through the water column when loosefed.

 

[Keith M]

I'm in total agreement with Sam.

I would only use fresh caster on my hook but as long as they were still fresh before being frozen I would still consider using them in my feed.

Keith

 

[rayner]

If you want to freeze them they freeze fine. The only thing I have found with frozen they will make your finger nails black but a change of water sorts that.
I only freeze them once
Another thing with casters is if they float keep them overnight in water and mostly all will sink.
Freezing keeps casters fresh and the fish have no idea they have been in the freezer.

 

[flightliner]

I never freeze casters , not saying there no good or inedible but they tend to get black "burn" marks on the outer surface that puts me off doing the freezing. Better for me to use them on the day, or, if going the following day maybe hold them in the fridge overnight.

 

[bracket]

When I was match fishing I would spend all week preparing casters. Dividing a gallon of maggot into four, picking off the skins and dead un's then damping them down in sawdust. Once they were on the turn, there followed an intense period of riddling off three times a day, bagging up and into the fridge. On the Friday night, the lot would be ducked and the floaters skimmed off. The next step, prior to match day, was to divide the bait up in bait boxes, cover with damp newspaper, put the lid on, then into the fridge over night. That way you finished up with the best bait on the bank. After the match, what was left over, and I was unable to use, was given to someone who would. Then the cycle would begin again. As far I am concerned freezing casters is absolute sacrilege

 

[laguna]

I could be wrong but I think the shells are too fragile to freeze due to them expanding.

 

[binka]

I don't like freezing casters at all.

I have done it in the past and if you have to then freeze them in water to save them popping (just posted before I read Chris's comment above about the shells expanding), iirc the last time I froze casters was a few years ago during the local tackle shop's Christmas shutdown.

I'm currently scrounging a regular supply of free bye-product waste floaters which are crushed and added to groundbait mixes, most tackle shops that sell fresh bait will have them and it's just a case of asking.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

if going the following day maybe hold them in the fridge overnight.

Thats taking it a bit far, standing next to the fridge holding your casters. mg:

I put mine in the fridge and go to bed

Never freeze my casters.

 

[binka]

Does anyone still wrap their casters in damp newspaper and place in the fridge overnight to go that lovely, uniform dark colour without floating?

Edited to add: Just re-read Pete's post and see that he covered his in a similar way

 

[Tee-Cee]

Bit of a ' masterclass ' on caster production in the ' Bracket ' post above IMO..............info stored !!

Can only help me catch better fish, so thanks for that !

 

[trotter2]

I have frozen them in the past ,but the results are not good.
If I do freeze they go in some ground bait "crushed"

I have read if you freeze them in a bottle of water solid and defrost in the same the results are better but never tried it myself

 

[rayner]

It seems nearly all anglers are against freezing. That would suggest there's plenty of bait going spare.
I will gladly accept any unused from people who have any leftovers or old casters, the places I fish the fish love em bag burn and all.
All the fish see is food.

 

[matty w]

I've never had a problem with freezing them Peter. The most important thing is putting them in water when you thaw them out.
They are mostly used as loose feed when I'm Tench fishing.

 

[rayner]

Another tip for casters if you don't want to freeze them use a pellet pump, they will last ages in the fridge. Just pump them give them a little fresh air for a few minutes a day then pump them again.
I've only kept them for a few days but I have kept pinkies for a month using the pump.

 

[laguna]

This will preserve most live baits, including casters without freezing for up to 3 years.
Kill with Krill™, LAGUNA Fishing Products

 

[rayner]

This will preserve most live baits, including casters without freezing for up to 3 years.
Kill with Krill™, LAGUNA Fishing Products

I think I'll stick with my pump or freezer.

 

[greenie62]

This will preserve most live baits, including casters without freezing for up to 3 years.
Kill with Krill™, LAGUNA Fishing Products

Sorry Chris,
Had to chuckle at this one! - preserve a live bait for 3 years by killing it - s'pose it depends on what you mean by preserving - my initial reaction was that if you want to preserve its status as living, then to kill it off seems a bit counter-productive!

I guess you maybe should think about a reword along the lines of:

To preserve a bait in as good a condition as if it were alive - then use "Kill with Krill™" from LAGUNA​

Good Luck :thumbs:

 

[binka]

iirc the last time I froze casters was a few years ago during the local tackle shop's Christmas shutdown.

Lol...

Just been digging around in the bait freezer for deadbaits and came across two large (2 pint plus) bags of frozen casters.

Adamant that they must be really old I then noticed a till receipt pressed to the side of the carrier bag that they were outer wrapped in which was from Tesco and dated May of this year.

Of course, I remember everything now... :wh

 

[trotter2]

There was an old guy, now passed away. He used to preserver casters in isinglass said they would keep for over 6 months or more like eggs. He had chickens and preserved eggs the same way during the 2nd world war.