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Pellet and groundbait-shelf life?

R

Richard Lomas

Senior Member
I store all my dry bait in a cool,dark garage and wondered how long it remains in usable/safe condition for fishing?

I have never seen any storage and use by dates on any pellets,groundbait or general fishing bait so would welcome views on this.
 
I put all my shelflife bait (pellets, boilies and groundbait) in reseable bags and they last ages.
Obviously you need to keep then dry, but I have bags of boilies that are 2 years old in the bottom of my bag and I would readily use them.

I also have shelflife baits in glug that have been in there 3 seasons, and will be for many more seasons until I top them up with fresh baits.
 
use by dates are only used for foods for human consumption,
however, best before should be put on bait.
 
Can depend on ingredients but keep cool, in the dark, sealed with a minimum of air and dry are some good pointers to maximise 'life'.
Some pellets did or do contain ingredients that act as anti oxidants - the old elips and salips for example - which seem to keep very well.
I take my stuff and split into 1kg lots, seal the bags and then freeze them. Some ingredients such as milk proteins are far too expensive to waste.
As I recall, bulk bags of pellets bought from the fish feed manufacturers did have a best or use by date.
Some pellets do tend to go off quicker than others.

Cheers
Bob
 
Andy Millichamp said:
If they did, wouldn't the manufacturers just put 6 months or so to get anglers to throw away perfectly good bait and buy some more?
Click to expand...
they already do with food, i trust my nose and taste with food rather than the use by.
but your right about the 6 months.
 
I used to save and store all manner of baits trusting they would remain effective.Not knowing for sure whether they were deterioating or not and often cursing the lack of interest from fish.

Having just started to make my own baits with recognised ingredients from a respected supplier,I can tell you my confidence levels have shot up.
Being able to use hookbait made earlier that day gives me the best possible chance if fish are present or can be drawn in.:)

At worst, if I blank I can be pretty sure that it was not due to dodgy well used,tired bait.I would assume that fish were simply not present .Okay there are other factors that come into it,but if you can all but eliminate the hookbait issue that got to be a step in the right direction.

Bait sizes and shapes can be altered to offer a slightly different presentation. if you make your own bait.

I am sure there will be some that will have caught a fish on a boilie that has been rolling about under the car seat for a few years but sometimes barbel will eat almost anything when really up for it.

Before I get shot at for suggesting something exotic or expensive,,,
I reckon you can easily get a seasons worth of bait ingredients for under £100
that two anglers could share if you not fishing at every single oppotunity.

Next time should anyone use a mouldy old pre war, rock hard,boilie and you dont have any joy bet you might give fresher bait a passing thought, ;)

"Fresh is best , init":p


Regards Mark
 
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