09-22-2020, 11:36 AM
You have already gotten some good input from qualified sources. I'll just add a couple of things from my own experience and preferences.
MINNOWS: Optional to salt them before freezing. Doesn't hurt and can help firm them. And most fish like salt. Vacuum sealing is the best way to remove air and prevent freezer burn. But my way of freezing in a little water...with all of the air bubbles squeezed out...works well too. I have used minnows frozen 2 years and they feel, look and smell like fresh caught. But, to take it one step further, it is okay to refreeze tougher minnows like chubs and small carp. If you have kept them cold during your fishing trip...and have some left over...refreeze them as if they were freshly caught (new bag, a bit of water, etc.). I have had trips on which the "recycled" minnows got more attention than fresher ones. And not just with catfish.
Don't thaw frozen minnows in your microwave...or even in warm water. I take them out of the freezer the day before a trip. I leave them to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and then put them in the refrigerator. By the next morning they are still a bit frozen but will be just right when you hit the water. As mentioned, I keep them in small insulated containers. In summer I may add a couple of small squares of frozen "blue ice"...and they stay firm all day. If you forget to thaw the minnows in advance, just leave them outside of your cooler on the way to the lake. The ones on the outside will be thawed enough to peel off and use when you get there...and as soon as the others begin thawing well, plunk them in the cooler. Some minnow fans prefer to leave their minnows frozen and then cut them up while still hard. For softer fleshed minnows that insures good clean cuts without smashing.
CUT BAIT: I use fish flesh from carp, perch and white bass. I fillet and skin the carp first. Carp meat is tough. You don't need the skin to hold it on the hook...and it is tough to remove from the hook. I usually scale perch before filleting and freezing. Once the scales have frozen and dried they are like armor...tough to put the hook through. But I do leave the skin on and it helps keep the bait on the hook longer. White bass? I freeze small ones whole...and some large ones too. I use the small ones whole for bait but the larger ones can be easily scaled and cut up when thawed. And like perch, their skin helps hold the bait on the hook. Some larger white bass I scale and fillet before freezing. Sometimes I fish a whole fillet. Other times I cut the fillets into chunks or strips.
A word of advice on prepping cut bait: Try not to rinse all the blood and flavor out of it before freezing. Leave it bloody and gooey. A small amount of water frozen into the package will not dilute the scent enhancement very much. Just keep the water at a minimum...just enough to allow you to squeeze out all the air bubbles before sealing and putting in the freezer.
And thawed cut bait should be kept just like the minnows on a trip...inside an insulated container...possibly with some synthetic ice gel packs. I have some sheets of small packs that I cut up and use one, two or more as needed for the bait I am using and the container it will be in. Those work well for crawlers too. But as previously suggested, it is wise to wrap them in a paper towel or small cloth to insulate them against direct contact with your prized worms. Better than melting ice cubes though.
MINNOWS: Optional to salt them before freezing. Doesn't hurt and can help firm them. And most fish like salt. Vacuum sealing is the best way to remove air and prevent freezer burn. But my way of freezing in a little water...with all of the air bubbles squeezed out...works well too. I have used minnows frozen 2 years and they feel, look and smell like fresh caught. But, to take it one step further, it is okay to refreeze tougher minnows like chubs and small carp. If you have kept them cold during your fishing trip...and have some left over...refreeze them as if they were freshly caught (new bag, a bit of water, etc.). I have had trips on which the "recycled" minnows got more attention than fresher ones. And not just with catfish.
Don't thaw frozen minnows in your microwave...or even in warm water. I take them out of the freezer the day before a trip. I leave them to thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and then put them in the refrigerator. By the next morning they are still a bit frozen but will be just right when you hit the water. As mentioned, I keep them in small insulated containers. In summer I may add a couple of small squares of frozen "blue ice"...and they stay firm all day. If you forget to thaw the minnows in advance, just leave them outside of your cooler on the way to the lake. The ones on the outside will be thawed enough to peel off and use when you get there...and as soon as the others begin thawing well, plunk them in the cooler. Some minnow fans prefer to leave their minnows frozen and then cut them up while still hard. For softer fleshed minnows that insures good clean cuts without smashing.
CUT BAIT: I use fish flesh from carp, perch and white bass. I fillet and skin the carp first. Carp meat is tough. You don't need the skin to hold it on the hook...and it is tough to remove from the hook. I usually scale perch before filleting and freezing. Once the scales have frozen and dried they are like armor...tough to put the hook through. But I do leave the skin on and it helps keep the bait on the hook longer. White bass? I freeze small ones whole...and some large ones too. I use the small ones whole for bait but the larger ones can be easily scaled and cut up when thawed. And like perch, their skin helps hold the bait on the hook. Some larger white bass I scale and fillet before freezing. Sometimes I fish a whole fillet. Other times I cut the fillets into chunks or strips.
A word of advice on prepping cut bait: Try not to rinse all the blood and flavor out of it before freezing. Leave it bloody and gooey. A small amount of water frozen into the package will not dilute the scent enhancement very much. Just keep the water at a minimum...just enough to allow you to squeeze out all the air bubbles before sealing and putting in the freezer.
And thawed cut bait should be kept just like the minnows on a trip...inside an insulated container...possibly with some synthetic ice gel packs. I have some sheets of small packs that I cut up and use one, two or more as needed for the bait I am using and the container it will be in. Those work well for crawlers too. But as previously suggested, it is wise to wrap them in a paper towel or small cloth to insulate them against direct contact with your prized worms. Better than melting ice cubes though.