I'm after a decent year round quality shelf life boilie. I've used both fresh and shelf before and I'm coming off CCMoore Live System (freezer).
Due to storage issues i have no option going into next year so would like to make an educated decision.
The thing is however is the assumptions that seem to exist online about the horrors of preservatives that must be the worst of the worst. Yet manufacturers throw into the mix stabilised, boilies simply dried slightly longer or food grade preservatives only.
I noticed on the packaging of Crafty Catchers King Prawn shelf life baits the ingredient glycol which is a glycerin i believe which surely is a safe way of preservation.
I know I'll get people who have never or will never trust shelf life baits but for the foreseeable future I'll require shelf life so any current shelf life converts etc with their picks would be helpful.
Due to storage issues i have no option going into next year so would like to make an educated decision.
The thing is however is the assumptions that seem to exist online about the horrors of preservatives that must be the worst of the worst. Yet manufacturers throw into the mix stabilised, boilies simply dried slightly longer or food grade preservatives only.
I noticed on the packaging of Crafty Catchers King Prawn shelf life baits the ingredient glycol which is a glycerin i believe which surely is a safe way of preservation.
I know I'll get people who have never or will never trust shelf life baits but for the foreseeable future I'll require shelf life so any current shelf life converts etc with their picks would be helpful.
In reply to Post #1
They use propylene glycol. Usually in the mix and then also thinned with whatever flavour and water soluble betaine then coated after rolling.
I believe doing it this way they can air dry them for a similar time as freezer baits leaving a softish bait that wont go off.
rather than a rock hard dry shelfie of times gone by.
As to which bait you should go for thats entirely up to you and it needs to be something that suits your situation.
Something that kicks out a hard hit saying 'im here' for short sessions or something subtle but very much nutritionally based for campaigns or even longer sessions to keep the fish coming back rather than snatching an inquisitive fish or two.
You wont go wrong with Sticky baits Krill to be fair. Well proven.
They use propylene glycol. Usually in the mix and then also thinned with whatever flavour and water soluble betaine then coated after rolling.
I believe doing it this way they can air dry them for a similar time as freezer baits leaving a softish bait that wont go off.
rather than a rock hard dry shelfie of times gone by.
As to which bait you should go for thats entirely up to you and it needs to be something that suits your situation.
Something that kicks out a hard hit saying 'im here' for short sessions or something subtle but very much nutritionally based for campaigns or even longer sessions to keep the fish coming back rather than snatching an inquisitive fish or two.
You wont go wrong with Sticky baits Krill to be fair. Well proven.
In reply to Post #1
I can only recommend the two shelf-life baits I've used which is Baitworks Atlantic Heat & DNA Baits S7 & SLK.
Atlantic Heat had a more coarse texture than DNA's baits with both brands being soft, Baitworks packaging said natural salts & sugars were used as preservatives whilst DNA's did state that Potassium Sorbate was used, possibly one and the same to a degree?
As anglers what really matters is it's effectiveness, both companies baits worked very well for me with a number of recaptures, fish passing bait on the mat and from what I witnessed heavy feeding with them returning over and over.
Up until recently I would not have bothered with shelf-life baits but have to say I'm a convert and lets be honest it's how you fish that will make the biggest difference shelf-life or not.
I can only recommend the two shelf-life baits I've used which is Baitworks Atlantic Heat & DNA Baits S7 & SLK.
Atlantic Heat had a more coarse texture than DNA's baits with both brands being soft, Baitworks packaging said natural salts & sugars were used as preservatives whilst DNA's did state that Potassium Sorbate was used, possibly one and the same to a degree?
As anglers what really matters is it's effectiveness, both companies baits worked very well for me with a number of recaptures, fish passing bait on the mat and from what I witnessed heavy feeding with them returning over and over.
Up until recently I would not have bothered with shelf-life baits but have to say I'm a convert and lets be honest it's how you fish that will make the biggest difference shelf-life or not.
In reply to Post #3
I'm pretty sure that potassium sorbate has had bad press from a fish health point of view hasn't it?
I'm pretty sure that potassium sorbate has had bad press from a fish health point of view hasn't it?
In reply to Post #1
If you read what manufacturers say, they say there's hardly any difference between fresh freezer baits and shelfies. I'd guess the iffy reputation that shelfies have goes back in time to when they weren't that good. But now most of the manufacturers do shelfies as well as freezer baits, and as stated on this forum, the only difference is the drying process and the addition of glycerine.
I haven't tried these baits as I go for freezer bits, but take a look at theabaits.com, some people on here really rate them. They only do shelfies, but they don't call then shelfies, see extract from their website!!
"I have never liked the term shelf life baits and to be honest did not like shelf life baits. I went out of my way to change this and since 2008 we have made baits differently. These baits are for all the world fresh baits but they do not need freezing, just keep cool and dry. They will last a long time and be at their best for at least 6 months."
Rgds
F
If you read what manufacturers say, they say there's hardly any difference between fresh freezer baits and shelfies. I'd guess the iffy reputation that shelfies have goes back in time to when they weren't that good. But now most of the manufacturers do shelfies as well as freezer baits, and as stated on this forum, the only difference is the drying process and the addition of glycerine.
I haven't tried these baits as I go for freezer bits, but take a look at theabaits.com, some people on here really rate them. They only do shelfies, but they don't call then shelfies, see extract from their website!!
"I have never liked the term shelf life baits and to be honest did not like shelf life baits. I went out of my way to change this and since 2008 we have made baits differently. These baits are for all the world fresh baits but they do not need freezing, just keep cool and dry. They will last a long time and be at their best for at least 6 months."
Rgds
F
In reply to Post #4
Not sure, post it up if you wouldn't mind.
Not sure, post it up if you wouldn't mind.
In reply to Post #6
Sticky Krill for me. Their range will cover all eventualities. They have caught me a lot of fish in a fair few venues in the last 5 or 6 years.
Sticky Krill for me. Their range will cover all eventualities. They have caught me a lot of fish in a fair few venues in the last 5 or 6 years.
In reply to Post #6
I was also under the impression from older material online that this wasn't a wise choice for bait preservative.
I may be completely wrong which is why i started the tread in the first place for those who may know and trust certain baits.
I was also under the impression from older material online that this wasn't a wise choice for bait preservative.
I may be completely wrong which is why i started the tread in the first place for those who may know and trust certain baits.
In reply to Post #6
There are a few articles if you Google it
There are a few articles if you Google it
In reply to Post #6
I can't put a link up regarding this as it goes back to before there was an internet and the written word was king.
I used to put potassium sorbate into my own baits in the early nineties until I read a couple of articles that mentioned the damage it would do to the flora in the carps digestive tract.
I'm sure if you used Google something helpful would pop up.
I can't put a link up regarding this as it goes back to before there was an internet and the written word was king.
I used to put potassium sorbate into my own baits in the early nineties until I read a couple of articles that mentioned the damage it would do to the flora in the carps digestive tract.
I'm sure if you used Google something helpful would pop up.
In reply to Post #11
This declares that potassium sorbate is safe to use for all animal species below a threshold of 3.4g/kg feed
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4239
This declares that potassium sorbate is safe to use for all animal species below a threshold of 3.4g/kg feed
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4239
Loads of unscientific information, some from this very forum and parts of papers out there, way over my head a lot of it and doesn't really cover the actual issue, why would it?
I also remember the Angling magazine article with links to another study, thought like Smurf that this had been rubbished some what?
Potassium Sorbet being the potassium salt of Sorbic Acid could end up being labelled as Salt, it can also be mixed with other chemicals for preservative uses, bit of a minefield really and much would depend on the amount and way it's used.
From my own perspective I don't use much boilie and with the vast amounts of different baits going into the lakes I fish I will continue with shelf-life baits but with an open mind.
I also remember the Angling magazine article with links to another study, thought like Smurf that this had been rubbished some what?
Potassium Sorbet being the potassium salt of Sorbic Acid could end up being labelled as Salt, it can also be mixed with other chemicals for preservative uses, bit of a minefield really and much would depend on the amount and way it's used.
From my own perspective I don't use much boilie and with the vast amounts of different baits going into the lakes I fish I will continue with shelf-life baits but with an open mind.