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Vacuum Packing Bait

Damian Kimmins

Damian Kimmins

Senior Member
I have mentioned on here previously on some threads of the benefits of using a vacuum packing machine, but these passed few months have introduced to me a new level of convenience.
All told, last season, I possibly only fished two weeks. That presented some problems. Last year around September time I purchased some cooked hempseed. I used some of it but the majority of it was surplus. Earlier than September, possibly July (just checked and it was March!), I purchased 5 kilos of freezer Trigga Ice boilies some of which was used at the end of the last season but as you can imagine, like the hempseed, I had a lot of surplus.
All of it, the boilies in March and the hemp in September was bagged and vaccuum packed. I did NOT, I repeat did NOT, freeze or refrigerate either (I hadn't planned that, but was able to monitor the packs to assess their need for freezing).
I have since, this season, fished a few days opening up both the hemp and the Trigga Ice, and I could not discern any difference whatsoever to the smell of the bait from what it should. In fact I would say the Trigga was even more aromatic (how that was the case I don't know but it really was).
I know there are possibly many on here that would espouse the fresh is best, and that's ok, but when things are as they are now with the cost of fuel and what not, I thought I might pass on given my experience recently, how cost saving these little and inexpensive machines can be.
I will no longer worry about having to keep bait frozen or trying to carefully store bait in order that it is in tip top condition.
 
 
I buy the A4 size bags from eBay
12 quid for 100.
Use a rule and a Stanley blade to cut them open when needed and it’s good to re use several times before it’s too small.
 
Excellent tip Damian, thanks
I cook up my own hempseed and freeze but always a pain to defrost, plus I take up a whole drawer in the freezer these days with bait and groundbait.
Do you have to dry your hempseed before sealing? Or can you seal when wet?
Hope this isn’t a silly question….
 
Roger Hopkins said:
Excellent tip Damian, thanks
I cook up my own hempseed and freeze but always a pain to defrost, plus I take up a whole drawer in the freezer these days with bait and groundbait.
Do you have to dry your hempseed before sealing? Or can you seal when wet?
Hope this isn’t a silly question….
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It's not a silly question at all Roger.
I was going to mention about but didn't want to complicate anything.
It would be wise to bear in mind that if there is a lot of liquid making it's way up the bag towards the sealing element, the seal may be compromised. The Amazon machine I linked earlier has a wet setting on the unit, but I would still rather a dry seal, so for that reason I would drain the hemp as much as possible and try to avoid getting any liquid around the bag where the seal might be, or least give it a dry if you have.
Whilst the vacuum machine removes all the air it goes without saying that the integrity of the seal will make sure it stays out, ensuring the freshest possible bait.
Just that little area of consideration should be enough for you not to have to consider again anything about your bait.
 
Damian Kimmins said:
It's not a silly question at all Roger.
I was going to mention about but didn't want to complicate anything.
It would be wise to bear in mind that if there is a lot of liquid making it's way up the bag towards the sealing element, the seal may be compromised. The Amazon machine I linked earlier has a wet setting on the unit, but I would still rather a dry seal, so for that reason I would drain the hemp as much as possible and try to avoid getting any liquid around the bag where the seal might be, or least give it a dry if you have.
Whilst the vacuum machine removes all the air it goes without saying that the integrity of the seal will make sure it stays out, ensuring the freshest possible bait.
Just that little area of consideration should be enough for you not to have to consider again anything about your bait.
Click to expand...
Mine has a wet setting too and all it does is draw a vacuum for less time to avoid pulling the moisture into the seal and when sealing it does this for a longer time to ensure a good seal even if the bag is damp at that point.
The wet setting is excellent and reliable.

I use this setting for hemp because if you are freezing hemp you need some water in the bag to keep the seed from dehydrating in the freezer so I personally wouldn’t drain the bags of all water and compromise the bait because dehydrated dried out hemp seed can float.
I would definitely have a small amount of liquid in there. Dry the inside of the bag where it runs across the sealing band and use the wet setting on the machine and it comes out perfect and will stay hydrated through freezing.
IMG_5072.jpeg
 
But freezing dehydrates doesn't it?
I might be wrong, but I think you need to leave liquid in there because of where you like storing your hemp. Don't store it in the freezer, drain all the liquid and I believe you'll have a bait that is equally as fresh with much more convenience.
I may be wrong in stating this but freezing just slows down the decomposition process by reducing temperature and slowing any bacterial element - suck the air out of the bait you might store and you are literally stopping that decomposition. There is, in my mind, very little need to freeze once you've done that.
 
I make so much at a time it could be months before a bag is opened. Freezing it is just belt n braces really for me.
Your right if it’s not been freezed then reducing the liquid is fine but I like to freeze it aswell and I do this in enough liquid to reduce the dehydration effects. The bags alone will slow the effects of it going off by a lot but there’s still air in it. If it’s going to be potentially afew months I’d definitely freeze
 
Just to ressurect this , I have just bought a Vacuum sealer, and intend to try Damiens method , just drying out the hemp as much as possible, then sealing .
I am hoping that sealing Hemp that has been dried as much as possible will enable me to use the freezer space for other baits , in fact , I may well try sealing up Halibut pellet paste . Not sure how well it will last but hopefully it will work as well. Anybody have any experience of this ?

I am well used to freezing Hemp and still have a couple of pints frozen that need to be used up first .

The Vacuum sealer is like a new toy atm. I have spent a good while vacuum packing up a shedload of Cod fillets that I caught two days ago .No doubt I will get fed up of it sooner or later , but the idea of vacuum packed cooked hemp on a shelf just waiting to be used without defrosting is quite appealing .

David
 
David Craine said:
Just to ressurect this , I have just bought a Vacuum sealer, and intend to try Damiens method , just drying out the hemp as much as possible, then sealing .
I am hoping that sealing Hemp that has been dried as much as possible will enable me to use the freezer space for other baits , in fact , I may well try sealing up Halibut pellet paste . Not sure how well it will last but hopefully it will work as well. Anybody have any experience of this ?

I am well used to freezing Hemp and still have a couple of pints frozen that need to be used up first .

The Vacuum sealer is like a new toy atm. I have spent a good while vacuum packing up a shedload of Cod fillets that I caught two days ago .No doubt I will get fed up of it sooner or later , but the idea of vacuum packed cooked hemp on a shelf just waiting to be used without defrosting is quite appealing .

David
Click to expand...
After draining your hemp David, add some hemp oil (or any other you fancy) then vacuum seal…thus draws the oils into the hemp and prevents dehydration if you also freeze it
 
What a brilliant idea - why don’t know this already!!! Gonna buy one tonight as I tend to make a lot of hemp.

Anybody tried vacuum packing maggots by any chance?
 
David Craine said:
Just to ressurect this , I have just bought a Vacuum sealer, and intend to try Damiens method , just drying out the hemp as much as possible, then sealing .
I am hoping that sealing Hemp that has been dried as much as possible will enable me to use the freezer space for other baits , in fact , I may well try sealing up Halibut pellet paste . Not sure how well it will last but hopefully it will work as well. Anybody have any experience of this ?

I am well used to freezing Hemp and still have a couple of pints frozen that need to be used up first .

The Vacuum sealer is like a new toy atm. I have spent a good while vacuum packing up a shedload of Cod fillets that I caught two days ago .No doubt I will get fed up of it sooner or later , but the idea of vacuum packed cooked hemp on a shelf just waiting to be used without defrosting is quite appealing .

David
Click to expand...
Don't be afraid of trying freezer bait boilies too Dave.
Just a little tip - just monitor the bags for air ingress. I've never had issue but once you spot that there is still time to repack if necessary.
Good luck.
They are that integral to my keeping bait fresh, I have two vacuum packing machines - one at home and one down at a mates not far from the river.
 
Damian Kimmins said:
Don't be afraid of trying freezer bait boilies too Dave.
Just a little tip - just monitor the bags for air ingress. I've never had issue but once you spot that there is still time to repack if necessary.
Good luck.
They are that integral to my keeping bait fresh, I have two vacuum packing machines - one at home and one down at a mates not far from the river.
Click to expand...
I dont use those things Damian , its hard enough deciding what bait to use without confusing the issue with those infernal man made chemical balls . 🤣

Good tip re checking for air ingress , thinking about it no harm in “ double bagging “ with a second vacuumed bag .

To be sure to be sure as the Irish say .

David
 
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