Frozen and dead bait online in India

Common frozen baits are prawns, squid, sardine, mackerel and other small oily fish. Oily fish leave a scent trail that draws snapper, grouper, catfish and many bottom fish. Squid is tough and stays on the hook, which suits rough water and nibbling fish.

Cut fish into strips or chunks sized to your hook, and squid into thin strips. Cutting bait while it is still slightly frozen gives cleaner pieces. A fillet strip that flutters works well drifted in current; a chunk works better on the bottom. Bait thread or elastic cotton helps soft baits stay on the hook.

Thaw bait slowly in a cool box rather than in the sun, which spoils it quickly. Take out only what you need and avoid refreezing bait several times, as it turns soft and loses scent. At home, wrap bait well and keep it separate from food.

Frozen bait needs to arrive cold, so check where a listing ships from and how it is packed. Buying from a shop in or near your city is usually the safest choice. Bait sold for fishing is not meant for eating.

Take leftover bait and packaging home rather than throwing it in the water or on the beach, and do not use protected species as bait.

For many bottom and scavenging fish it works just as well, because scent matters more than movement. For active predators, live or very fresh bait usually gets more bites.

Use firm baits such as squid, cut fish while it is still slightly frozen, hook it through the skin and wrap soft baits with bait thread.

You can once, but bait that is thawed and refrozen repeatedly becomes soft and loses scent. Thaw only what you need.

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