Fresh vs Frozen

LiamNE

LiamNE

Well-known member
Some opinions and advise on the matter please

I have been using frozen bait these past few weeks instead of my usual fresh just to save a bit of money really...our lass still lookin for a job and money being a bit tighter

Anyway I havnt had a nice fish since using frozen bluey, black (oiled) lug or squid. On 2 occasions the past few weeks I have blanked or had poor fish when the next day, or the day before decent fish have been caught - starting to think it is bait related...I am usually pretty lucky but this has been a bad spell for me.

Whilst fresh will always be best, is frozen bait really THAT much worse or am I just unlucky lately?
 
Same here ive never had a decent catch on frozen baits! i always thought it was just conditions and lack of fish but as time has gone on and lots of money spent on it! i have come to realise although there doesn't seem to be any sense in it the freezing process seems to take something out of what should be viable bait. and EVERYTIME i use freshh baits i ALWAYS do well on the same marks. am sure someone must have looked into this and worked out what the freezing process changes but i can't fathom it at all. am just pleased its not just me :)
 
frozen

frozen

frozen blacks. mussel. squid .razour all fish well but fresh all ways first choice if possible runny down tipped off with squid mussel takes some beating fresh or frozen
 
still getting all my fish l8'ly on frozen crab but with fresh mussel, i'm lucky in away that i can get fresh mussel & rag when ever i want it, its only 10 minute walk from my front door. but
would'nt b without fresh mussel.
still fish on the beaches just taking frozen crab.
bill
 
I do like my frozen bait! Like Bill says, this time of year I'll be using a bit of frozen crab along with mussel (always frozen for me) and frozen blacks (if I've got any - haven't used much this winter). The only bait I'll use fresh is lugworm, lugworm & more lugworm! Any mackerel I'll be using for the odd scratch for whitings etc will be frozen - likewise any bluey that I may have.

Even in the height of summer when I'm gathering fresh crab and fishing with it up the coast for the reddies I'll be using it 50/50 with some fresh-frozen. Frozen crab releases its scent a lot quicker and the fresh takes longer but doesn't wash out so quick. That's the only rule I go by really - change baits a bit more often if using frozen.

Gary :)
 
g-force said:
I do like my frozen bait! Like Bill says, this time of year I'll be using a bit of frozen crab along with mussel (always frozen for me) and frozen blacks (if I've got any - haven't used much this winter). The only bait I'll use fresh is lugworm, lugworm & more lugworm! Any mackerel I'll be using for the odd scratch for whitings etc will be frozen - likewise any bluey that I may have.

Even in the height of summer when I'm gathering fresh crab and fishing with it up the coast for the reddies I'll be using it 50/50 with some fresh-frozen. Frozen crab releases its scent a lot quicker and the fresh takes longer but doesn't wash out so quick. That's the only rule I go by really - change baits a bit more often if using frozen.

Gary :)
Click to expand...
could'nt have put it better myself gary lad i also use fresh & frozen crab in summer, i splint a fresh crab with a frozen & few fresh mussel (deadly)
bill.
 
Thanks for opinions.

Think I will go with the mussel technique then to finish off my frozen bait. I do have mussel but froze that aswell :rolleyes:
 
Fresh V Frozen

Fresh V Frozen

cod head said:
Ive often thought the same thing, ive personally never had a good session on just frozen bait
Click to expand...

Fresh every time for me....only thing is it's a minimum of 60-70 mile round trip to the nearest tackle shop selling bait ? If there is any left worth having ?
Thing is When they are having it, anything will do, but when it's hard fresh will always win.
Fish...Makky, blue, squid, sprats all O.K. frozen, as it's the oils in them, in fact it can make them better, when they fester a bit !
Mussel imho suffers... fresh every time, very underestimated bait.;)
I got some fresh gullies a few weeks back, coalies went barmy for them, had first cod this year on them, froze the rest, not had a bite on them in 3 sessions.
Fished the brig last year with my brother, using lovely jelly frozen peeler, got tuned, by lobbers's mate, 20 yds away, with 5 good cod, on fresh crab, we never had a bite....speaks for me ?
Mel....
 
LiamNE said:
Some opinions and advise on the matter please

I have been using frozen bait these past few weeks instead of my usual fresh just to save a bit of money really...our lass still lookin for a job and money being a bit tighter

Anyway I havnt had a nice fish since using frozen bluey, black (oiled) lug or squid. On 2 occasions the past few weeks I have blanked or had poor fish when the next day, or the day before decent fish have been caught - starting to think it is bait related...I am usually pretty lucky but this has been a bad spell for me.

Whilst fresh will always be best, is frozen bait really THAT much worse or am I just unlucky lately?
Click to expand...

frozen black and crab done right, should be ok, but stil think fresh is best
 
Have always used frozen baits over the years mixed with fresh "have never went out fishing thinking must use just fresh tonight on this mark or frozen on this spot always had both and really struggle to say which is best I suppose it just how goes when your baits in the water
 
Imo every bait has its day my 3 biggest fish are on bluey some of my best sessions have been with frozen so wasting .money on fresh lol. Its always best taking both tho. NvS for me was a prime example,I had fresh yellows fresh and frozen mussel frozen razor and bluey,only bait they were interested in was frozen mussel!! .I mean how many people go fishing without any frozen bait? 99% of us will take bluey and macky just in case . I dont honestly think you can go wrong with bait, at the end of the day its upto the fish lol
 
spongebob said:
Imo every bait has its day my 3 biggest fish are on bluey some of my best sessions have been with frozen so wasting .money on fresh lol. Its always best taking both tho. NvS for me was a prime example,I had fresh yellows fresh and frozen mussel frozen razor and bluey,only bait they were interested in was frozen mussel!! .I mean how many people go fishing without any frozen bait? 99% of us will take bluey and macky just in case . I dont honestly think you can go wrong with bait, at the end of the day its upto the fish lol
Click to expand...

totally agree sponge bob most cod av taken this season have had frozen mussel on mixed with fresh yellows or blacks or a mix of the lot have had frozen crab in me flask and not needed it
 
It depends on where and when you're fishing.
Some examples of where frozen baits outfish fresh, in the winter frozen runnydown tipped with frozen macky will outfish fresh worm almost every time for flounders in the river wear. Frozen crab normally oufishes fresh crab fishing for coalies on shields pier, frozen macky usually outfishes fresh macky fishing for whitings around roker, frozen runnydown sometimes outfishes fresh lug in the tyne for cod (some days fresh fishes better here sometimes frozen.

Other times fresh bait is a must for success, such as the river wear in the summer, if you dont have fresh crab you're not dancing.
Just after xmas i was fishing on the rathouse using frozen runnydown catching lots of good whiting but no cod, my mate fishing right next to me using fresh lug getting decent cod every cast.

Fishing is simple
Right bait
Right place
Right time

Don't discount using frozen baits, often MORE effective than fresh.
 
I use mostly frozen all the time with fairly good results,runny down,razor,muscle,squid, bluey,and even refreeze unused bait for next session.works for me but each to their own.:)
 
all my frozen bait wrapped in cling film, then wrapped in newspaper, and taped up tight. mussel from the wear, and macky from the pier. all free of charge:)

innit crap when you get frozen stuff from the tackle shop and turns out mush.

best get your own, when the cod disappear, fills in the time until September arrives:D
 
Will always prefer fresh over frozen. Apart from fishing for coalies, very rare nowadays, but they love frozen peeler. Yet winter, cart/peeler/blacks all frozen make up most my baits. Summer, fresh peeler all day long.
 
curious

curious

Boro5707 said:
Will always prefer fresh over frozen. Apart from fishing for coalies, very rare nowadays, but they love frozen peeler. Yet winter, cart/peeler/blacks all frozen make up most my baits. Summer, fresh peeler all day long.
Click to expand...
what bait were you using when you caught that codling,in picture profile?:)
 

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