Bait Staying Fresh?

[nottskev]

Mike, when you say fresh corn goes off quickly, what kind of time period do you mean? I've always found tinned corn lasts the day ok. I usually wash off the sugar to stop everything getting sticky and keep it damp and out of the sun. It seems to stand a night in the fridge, too. Frozen corn is ok for feed but I thinks it's an inferior hookbait - too soft, and tinned corn goes soft if you freeze it. If anything, old corn dries and shrivels rather than going gloopy.

On a similar theme, has anyone noticed this? Chopped meat/punched pieces seem to last longer when they're lightly covered in an oil-based flavour. I've found it last for a week and more if fridged between sessions. Before I started doing this, it used to discolour and go off much more quickly.

 

[103841]

Same as Kev, I wash mine prior to using to avoid sticky fingers, (keep juice for gb), keep corn in an airtight container and never leave it in the sun, mine seems to last weeks when refrigerated!

 

[rayner]

I'm not a fan of corn, only use it in winter. one tin of corn lasts months. I put it in a plastic box and it just goes in and out of the freezer after every session. I don't wash it, I think it fishes better the stickier it gets. It even starts to smell a little after a few trips with no problem, the fish still eat it.

The thing with meat if it's cut small it will float after it's been frozen, a touch of groundbait soaks up the fat then it's OK.
I use a lot of 3mm cubes, it's good for roach and skimmers. Punched meat is another favourite with me, that's another bait for the freezer. I like it better when it goes soft after being frozen. All I do to stop it drying is cover it with damp kitchen towel.
I've been catching well using an apple corer for punching larger pieces.

 

[mikench]

I have hitherto opened a can of corn( green Giant is my preferred corn bring larger kernels) drained off the liquid and stored it in a kwik lok type container. After a days use I put it in the fridge. It lasts 3 days or so. I will rinse it in future.

Meat lasts me for a good couple of weeks if I coat it in GB( your method I recall Kev- I have copied this) or F1 liquid. I always keep it in the fridge between sessions. Expanders are treated the same and last a week.

Prawns are often frozen and defrosted several times without ill effect for fishing.

 

[no-one in particular]

I used to put my leftover corn from a tin in a jam jar, one with those sealed lids with a popper on it. I would add some experimental flavour some times like a spoonfull of jam but this is optional. Then pour boiling water into the jam jar leaving a gap about half inch from the top then screw the lid on. I would wait until I heard or saw that the lid button had depressed to make sure it was sealed. This would last till I next went fishing, or longer. It's sterile and sealed and makes a nice soft flavoured corn.
I never like throwing anything away, mum and dads influence, rationing and all that but it made some interesting bait to try out, you can add flavours or dyes.
I never thought about other baits but, wheat, hemp maybe.

 

[Another Dave]

Prawns are often frozen and defrosted several times without ill effect for fishing.

I can confirm that after two years in and out of the freezer they become prawn floaters.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I tend to only buy relatively small tins of corn for hook bait so there is rarely much left over at the end of a full day of fishng. If there is then I usually put it in the food processor for a few moments and then freeze for use in my groundbait next time out.

The same goes for any left over hemp as that too goes in the next batch of groundbait . . . . I rarely if ever use meat these days but again it is an inexpensive bait so the left over goes out or the birds . . . . .