Using live or frozen bait in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina is excellent for catching fish. Either frozen or live bait is used in coastal waters, the Atlantic Ocean, rivers, streams, ponds, reservoirs, etc. When purchasing or catching live bait, never toss it away. Instead, freeze the bait for future use. Don’t waste your hard-earned money or effort catching when it is capable of being used again for a future fishing outing. Here is what you need to know about turning live bait into frozen bait. Save the time locating frozen bait near me.  

Why Should You Save Live Bait And Turn It Into Frozen Bait

Purchasing live bait does not come cheap because of the efforts to capture and keep them alive. 

Because of the process of capturing bait, expect to shell out money. When a day of fishing is slow, and a portion of the bait remains unused, don’t throw it into the garbage or the water. 

Drain the bait and place it evenly in ziplock bags. Once sealed in the bag, label the date, the type of bait, and set in the freezer for use at a later time. 

The same holds true when catching bait with a sabiki rig or cast net. When the bait is thick, bucket fulls are attainable in a few casts of the throw net. 

Again, don’t dispose of bait that has been caught or purchased.  Freeze and use for a day of fishing in the future.  

What Types Of Freshwater And Saltwater Live Bait Can Be Froze

Rather than needing to find frozen bait near me, take a trip to your freezer and pull a bag of previously live bait. Here are the freshwater and saltwater bait types that are used after freezing.

Freshwater

Here is a lit of the most common freshwater live bait in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The baits include shad, herring, menhaden, minnows, chubs, and more. Options include salting the frozen bait or fishing unsalted on a hook beneath a float or the bottom. 

Saltwater

In saltwater, anglers most frequently freeze shrimp, mullet, mud minnows, pilchards, ballyhoo, sardines, etc when fishing in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Drift the baits or drop to the bottom in inland and offshore waters. 

What Can Fresh Bait Turned Frozen Be Used For

Don’t assume that live bait is required to catch game fish. Frozen bait which has been thawed is highly effective. Here are the types of fish that will eat frozen bait. 

Saltwater

When inshore or offshore fishing in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, frozen baitfish and crustaceans are effective for catching many fish. The species include redfish, flounder, kingfish, grouper, snapper, mahi-mahi, sharks, and more. 

Freshwater

Again, don’t hesitate to drop thawed formerly fresh bait in lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. Anglers catch bass, catfish, walleye, perch, muskie, and more through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. 

Is Frozen Bait Good

While fresh live bait is ideal, frozen bait, when properly stored, is also excellent when adequately presented. 

While frozen bait is available at shops offering frozen bait near me, it is best to use caught or purchased live bait and freeze. 

Unfortunately, chain retailers and local bait and tackle shops store frozen bait for extended periods. When held, the bait loses scent, is freezer burnt, and becomes less attractive for fish to bite. 

When catching or buying live bait and freezing, anglers can monitor the way it is stored and the length of time. 

Store what was live bait in small sealable bags. Rather than thawing a large bag that will not be used in its entirety, save the remainder for future fishing outings. 

Does Fish Bait Expire

While bait does not expire, it becomes less attractive to fish and more challenging to keep on the hook the older it gets. 

Bait stored beyond six months becomes discolored, mushy, and takes on the scent of a freezer compared to a fish or crustacean. 

When the bait is stored for six months away, use the fish or crustaceans as chum compared to hooking and dropping to entice a strike. Anglers will become frustrated because it will be picked clean with ease. 

Avoid The Trip For Frozen Bait Near Me

After the day of fishing is done and live bait remains, pull the remaining fish or crustaceans from the live well or bucket with an aerator pump. Check out the Bubble Box, we use it regularly. 

Stow the leftover is small sealable bags for use down the road. Thawed bait is excellent for teaching young children to fish by cutting into small pieces and presenting on small hooks. Save money, don’t toss leftover live bait.