A local fishery has banned shelf life bait now, even spoken to some well know bait companies who have said they wouldn't reccomend shelf life and only use frozen! With the advance in bait technology, are shelf life's really that bad? I know from the days of rock hard starmer baits things have improved dramatically.
The argument is it's bad for the water quality and poor fish growth
The argument is it's bad for the water quality and poor fish growth
In reply to Post #1
Enzymes?
I think you mean preservatives
Enzymes?
I think you mean preservatives
In reply to Post #1
Chuck your shelfies in the freezer, and they´ll be frozen in no time 
Nowadays most companies substitute the word shelflife for stabilized
Chuck your shelfies in the freezer, and they´ll be frozen in no time
Nowadays most companies substitute the word shelflife for stabilized
In reply to Post #4
Or chuck your shelflifes in a bucket of water the night before and wash them out a little
Or chuck your shelflifes in a bucket of water the night before and wash them out a little
yes they are that bad
In reply to Post #6
Based on what did you say that?
Based on what did you say that?
Read not so long ago that shelf baits have improved so much that they are as good as frozen (think I got it right), but I don't eat them so who knows.
In reply to Post #5
Or chuck them in the bin and grab a bag of frozen.👍
Or chuck them in the bin and grab a bag of frozen.👍
In reply to Post #1
A respected bait maker said that a surprising number of baits in the freezer of a Tackle shop are shelf life. They can keep them in a regular warehouse and the retailer puts them in the freezer so they look higher quality. Sunny Delight used the same trick with the fridges in supermarkets!
A respected bait maker said that a surprising number of baits in the freezer of a Tackle shop are shelf life. They can keep them in a regular warehouse and the retailer puts them in the freezer so they look higher quality. Sunny Delight used the same trick with the fridges in supermarkets!
In reply to Post #1
. . .whatever the current quality of shelf-lifes they must have some kind of preservative in them that frozen perhaps don't . . .on this basis I'll be sticking with frozen
. . .whatever the current quality of shelf-lifes they must have some kind of preservative in them that frozen perhaps don't . . .on this basis I'll be sticking with frozen
In reply to Post #1
I think the amounts and in some cases types / ways of preserving have changed from the awful shelf-life baits from years ago.
Pretty sure I read Gary Bayes feeds his fish a mix 50/50 shelf-life and fresh and they seem to thrive.
Although I have chosen to use shelf-life baits I use very little and if I'm honest and it was my lake then I'd prefer that only fresh / frozen baits were used.
I think the amounts and in some cases types / ways of preserving have changed from the awful shelf-life baits from years ago.
Pretty sure I read Gary Bayes feeds his fish a mix 50/50 shelf-life and fresh and they seem to thrive.
Although I have chosen to use shelf-life baits I use very little and if I'm honest and it was my lake then I'd prefer that only fresh / frozen baits were used.
In reply to Post #12
Totally agree.
I keep saying this, but in many food source frozen and shelf life baits now, the base mix is the same, the only difference occurs after drying.
Freezer baits into the freezer, shelf life baits into a glycerol/sugar syrup dip and then dried again.
The glycerol preservation process MAY make the shelf life baits more instantly attractive, whereas the enzyme/sugars coming to the surface from frozen baits on day 2/3 may improve their attraction.
Both have their merits.
Totally agree.
I keep saying this, but in many food source frozen and shelf life baits now, the base mix is the same, the only difference occurs after drying.
Freezer baits into the freezer, shelf life baits into a glycerol/sugar syrup dip and then dried again.
The glycerol preservation process MAY make the shelf life baits more instantly attractive, whereas the enzyme/sugars coming to the surface from frozen baits on day 2/3 may improve their attraction.
Both have their merits.
In reply to Post #13
Not all shelf life have it added after boiling - some have glycerol/sorbate added at the “wet” stage
Not all shelf life have it added after boiling - some have glycerol/sorbate added at the “wet” stage
In reply to Post #14
Mpg is the biggest U.K. preserver. The difference in the preservation is down to what grade of preserver people use and how much of it they use. You either preserve the living **** out of it and your baits will be mould free for years but taste like battery acid or you use a much lower percentage and run the risk of your bait turning in warm weather. A high grade preserve in low amounts alongside a roller who knows how to adjust his liquids to compensate the awful taste will be the best option for shelf life users. Very few go to that trouble. To test the theory just nibble a nut based shelf life and taste it. Fishmeal baits hide the poor preserve taste but in a nut bait it's easily detectable. I wish the public would go for freezer bait more or at least buy preserved bait but with low level preserver and just use the bait within two months.
Mpg is the biggest U.K. preserver. The difference in the preservation is down to what grade of preserver people use and how much of it they use. You either preserve the living **** out of it and your baits will be mould free for years but taste like battery acid or you use a much lower percentage and run the risk of your bait turning in warm weather. A high grade preserve in low amounts alongside a roller who knows how to adjust his liquids to compensate the awful taste will be the best option for shelf life users. Very few go to that trouble. To test the theory just nibble a nut based shelf life and taste it. Fishmeal baits hide the poor preserve taste but in a nut bait it's easily detectable. I wish the public would go for freezer bait more or at least buy preserved bait but with low level preserver and just use the bait within two months.
In reply to Post #15
....and then there's the MPG vs Sorbate arguments...... 😂
....and then there's the MPG vs Sorbate arguments...... 😂
In reply to Post #16
Use fresh and then it's not a problem 😂
Use fresh and then it's not a problem 😂
Or tinned corn...
In reply to Post #15
Mpg is a rather sweet liquid. So if your using mpg as preservative it will never taste like battery acid.
Mpg is a rather sweet liquid. So if your using mpg as preservative it will never taste like battery acid.
In reply to Post #19
I can assure you msg is not sweet! Glycerine is sweet. Mpg is not
I can assure you msg is not sweet! Glycerine is sweet. Mpg is not
In reply to Post #20
Then you've tatsed the wrong bottle, Mpg has mildly sweet, almost tasteless taste.
And if you don't believe me, buy some and taste or believe the comments from animal feed industry where mpg is used to treat ketosis.
Btw, some of the preservatives you based on mpg have more additives that make it sour. For that reason, some of my friends are using my own created mixture based on mpg because it has no bitter taste when used in bait!
Then you've tatsed the wrong bottle, Mpg has mildly sweet, almost tasteless taste.
And if you don't believe me, buy some and taste or believe the comments from animal feed industry where mpg is used to treat ketosis.
Btw, some of the preservatives you based on mpg have more additives that make it sour. For that reason, some of my friends are using my own created mixture based on mpg because it has no bitter taste when used in bait!
In reply to Post #1
Which companies produce the best preserved/shelf life bait?
Which companies produce the best preserved/shelf life bait?
In reply to Post #22
A lot of people on here rate the a bait. Not tried them myself though.
A lot of people on here rate the a bait. Not tried them myself though.
In reply to Post #22
A Bait is highly rated
A Bait is highly rated
In reply to Post #21
I've used potassium sorbate at upto 12g a kilo. With the baits air dryed for 24 hours they last 3 months no problem and can't taste any difference to a freezer bait. Certainly no burnt or harsh taste.
The bait takes around 4-6 hours longer than freezer baits to get to the same stage of softness so I'm happy to carry on in this method.
I've used potassium sorbate at upto 12g a kilo. With the baits air dryed for 24 hours they last 3 months no problem and can't taste any difference to a freezer bait. Certainly no burnt or harsh taste.
The bait takes around 4-6 hours longer than freezer baits to get to the same stage of softness so I'm happy to carry on in this method.
In reply to Post #15
Funny you should say about Nut baits. I remember tasting a Dynamite Monster Tiger bait donkeys years ago and i vowed never to use them as they tasted of chemicals, really harsh BUT how many fish have they caught over the years? Indeed shelf life baits in general.
A lot of people far more knowledgeable than me on this thread but what i can say is stabilised baits work. I havent used anything else for the last 4 years and more than held my own on any water ive been on and we are not talking puddles here where carp don't have any choice but to eat any old crap thats thrown at them.
Funny you should say about Nut baits. I remember tasting a Dynamite Monster Tiger bait donkeys years ago and i vowed never to use them as they tasted of chemicals, really harsh BUT how many fish have they caught over the years? Indeed shelf life baits in general.
A lot of people far more knowledgeable than me on this thread but what i can say is stabilised baits work. I havent used anything else for the last 4 years and more than held my own on any water ive been on and we are not talking puddles here where carp don't have any choice but to eat any old crap thats thrown at them.
In reply to Post #25
That's a lot of potassium sorbate.
That's a lot of potassium sorbate.
In reply to Post #27
Per kilo of basemix ? It's below the recommend level by the suppliers including BAF.
The bait breaks down perfect and has no taste difference so I don't see it as high at all.
Per kilo of basemix ? It's below the recommend level by the suppliers including BAF.
The bait breaks down perfect and has no taste difference so I don't see it as high at all.
In reply to Post #28
I had an odd experience with a bait once. One bag of frozen I used 2 years after purchase and I couldn't buy a bite on it. Used a bag of shelfies in the same variety at the same time and they were just as productive as ever. Both baits were the same age but the shelfies seemed to last better even though the freezer bait had remained frozen for the whole time. I never tried them side by side when they were both fresh but I was surprised by the result.
I had an odd experience with a bait once. One bag of frozen I used 2 years after purchase and I couldn't buy a bite on it. Used a bag of shelfies in the same variety at the same time and they were just as productive as ever. Both baits were the same age but the shelfies seemed to last better even though the freezer bait had remained frozen for the whole time. I never tried them side by side when they were both fresh but I was surprised by the result.
In reply to Post #21
Pharma grade mpg is the one with the least smell and least taste, but that is not the most commonly used type in bait is it as it's way more expensive. It is what I use if I ever have to preserve anything(but prefer fresh bait). Over the years i have probably purchased several thousand litres from various places and Mpg has a distinctive chemical taste and smell that taints bait. That is why the best bait companies modify it with sweetners and liquids to cover it up! I have baf one in my hand right now. Smells like chemicals taste like it too! Remember there are several grades of mpg!
Pharma grade mpg is the one with the least smell and least taste, but that is not the most commonly used type in bait is it as it's way more expensive. It is what I use if I ever have to preserve anything(but prefer fresh bait). Over the years i have probably purchased several thousand litres from various places and Mpg has a distinctive chemical taste and smell that taints bait. That is why the best bait companies modify it with sweetners and liquids to cover it up! I have baf one in my hand right now. Smells like chemicals taste like it too! Remember there are several grades of mpg!
In reply to Post #28
If i use potassium sorbate, i use 0.3% (3gram for a kilo)
If i use potassium sorbate, i use 0.3% (3gram for a kilo)
In reply to Post #30
I'm using pharma grade because I can get it cheap from my local pharmacy. When you buy mpg that isn't pure it can be acidic due to some remains of acetic acid nd other stuff. But still mpg with a high purity has no acidic taste, even industrial grade is fine. At work we are using the industrial grade and this one is also not tasting acidic
So, i don't know what grade you're purchasing from you bait suppliers
I'm using pharma grade because I can get it cheap from my local pharmacy. When you buy mpg that isn't pure it can be acidic due to some remains of acetic acid nd other stuff. But still mpg with a high purity has no acidic taste, even industrial grade is fine. At work we are using the industrial grade and this one is also not tasting acidic
So, i don't know what grade you're purchasing from you bait suppliers
In reply to Post #31
Tried it at around 4-5g in a yeast and liver mix and unless air dried for days on end it didn't keep more than 3-4 weeks. I've seen absolute zero issues at 12g and have seen people use it up to 20g with zero issues.
At 12g and air dried for only 24 hours the bait still retains a nice soft inner.
Tried it at around 4-5g in a yeast and liver mix and unless air dried for days on end it didn't keep more than 3-4 weeks. I've seen absolute zero issues at 12g and have seen people use it up to 20g with zero issues.
At 12g and air dried for only 24 hours the bait still retains a nice soft inner.
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