Shelf-Life Boilies: Are They Any Good?
What are your thoughts on refreezing boilies after use? Are you one for using them straight out of the freezer when angling, or do you prefer to let them thaw out?
In the last Rotary Letter, I was interested to see Jimmy mention that he uses shelf-life baits. I assume this is just because they go out well in a throwing stick. I know they are hugely popular, and tackle shop shelves are weighed down with them, but I fail to see how they can be as effective as a fresh bait which doesn’t contain preservatives. I like fresh bait that is soft, breaks down relatively quickly, and therefore releases attractors… a bait that is active and ‘turns’ within a few days.
A few years back, I found myself out of bait as I had failed to order any from my usual supplier in time, so I got some from an alternative source. I had used it successfully before, so I was perfectly happy to get more. I popped down to pick up 10 kilos, asking, of course, for frozen. It came out frozen, but when I got home, I did as I do with any new bait delivery: I took some out, and once it had thawed out, I tasted it. Straight away, I noticed that slightly bitter taste of a preserved bait, and on closer inspection, it had that slightly waxy look to it. I put some in a bag and left it on a shelf in the garage, and also dropped a few in a glass of water. After a few days, the water had barely changed colour, and a week later, the bait in the bag still looked brand new… ‘shelfies’ sold as fresh/frozen!
I’m a million miles from being a bait expert, but I know what I like and what I am confident in. To me, this stuff was completely inert, and apart from the visual aspect, I failed to see how it could be all that attractive compared with a fresh, active bait. It’s like the hard, rubbery texture is sealing in whatever attractors are in the bait, defeating the object surely…
I used to swear by Baitworks Hot Fish Oil, and always gave my freebies a generous slug of it when I took them out of the freezer. In recent years I have generally used the fish protein-type glugs, which are obviously heavier and sink. Recently, I asked Spence at Aquabait if he could do a Hot Shrimp oil to complement the foodbait, and as it happened, he was already working on one. He sent me a bottle, and it’s lovely stuff, so I will be giving it a go now the weather’s warmed up.
