Keeping Casters

[robinta]

Hi folks.

I'm going fishing on Friday, but due to work commitments had to buy my Bait tonight.

I've got a couple of pints of casters still in the vacumm sealed bag.

As it's so hot, and I don't have a Bait fridge, how would you recommend looking after them?

Should I just leave in the bags somewhere as cool as possible, or is it better to put in Bait tubs covered in water?

Ta in advance

Robin

 

[chefster]

Hi folks.

I'm going fishing on Friday, but due to work commitments had to buy my Bait tonight.

I've got a couple of pints of casters still in the vacumm sealed bag.

As it's so hot, and I don't have a Bait fridge, how would you recommend looking after them?

Should I just leave in the bags somewhere as cool as possible, or is it better to put in Bait tubs covered in water?

Ta in advance

Robin

Stick them in the fridge indoors-they’re vac sealed

 

[robinta]

Stick them in the fridge indoors-they’re vac sealed

Cheers

I'm aware of that - however, as they are alive, I'd read that they needed a bit of fresh air every now and then.

Plus.. I can't see me being allowed to put anything maggot related in the fridge

 

[Captainchaos]

Hello , I keep mine in a cool box in a shady spot outside , kept in the unopened vacuum bags no probs for a few days, change your ice blocks morning and night and put some newspaper between the ice blocks and caster bags.

 

[dilshouse]

I use a Preston Innovations bait cool bag. Couple of ice blocks and leave outside under cover. They'll be fine.

 

[bluemack]

Pick up a mesh bag from Morrisons/tesco fruit & veg section ,pop ya casters in and hang them inside your
toilet cistern they,ll get a regular flush of cold water AND no one will know they are there.

 

[chefster]

Cheers

I'm aware of that - however, as they are alive, I'd read that they needed a bit of fresh air every now and then.

Plus.. I can't see me being allowed to put anything maggot related in the fridge

I’ve left them in them vac-bags for weeks, opened them, washed them and used them no problem , once you open the vac bag to let them have some fresh air,as you put it they’ll be knackered in days

 

[robinta]

I’ve left them in them vac-bags for weeks, opened them, washed them and used them no problem , once you open the vac bag to let them have some fresh air,as you put it they’ll be knackered in days

Great... That puts my mind at rest

Cheers

 

[baggy]

I’ve left them in them vac-bags for weeks, opened them, washed them and used them no problem , once you open the vac bag to let them have some fresh air,as you put it they’ll be knackered in days

100% they last 4 to 6 weeks, as Gaz said when you open the bag wash them and they are good to go

 

[smiffy]

They’ll last a while. My tuppence worth? Try and get some fresh for the hook if you need them as hookbait
Only need a handful. Could always ponce a few off someone else

 

[chefster]

They’ll last a while. My tuppence worth? Try and get some fresh for the hook if you need them as hookbait
Only need a handful. Could always ponce a few off someone else

Why ???

 

[smiffy]

Why ???

Only time I’ve used vacuum packed Casters is one trip to Holland and the difference between fresh and vacuum packed on the hook was noticeable. All three of us noticed a difference. People on changeover day advised us to turn some hookers for each day. We were also going to unpack them and fridge them down but were advised to keep them packed
A lot of it boils down to knowing you’re fishing with the freshest, bestest hookbait and the confidence that brings
Some of our bags of vacuum packed went grey during a session.

Also. You don’t know how long they’ve been in the fridge at the shop.

 

[chefster]

Only time I’ve used vacuum packed Casters is one trip to Holland and the difference between fresh and vacuum packed on the hook was noticeable. All three of us noticed a difference. People on changeover day advised us to turn some hookers for each day. We were also going to unpack them and fridge them down but were advised to keep them packed
A lot of it boils down to knowing you’re fishing with the freshest, bestest hookbait and the confidence that brings
Some of our bags of vacuum packed went grey during a session.

Also. You don’t know how long they’ve been in the fridge at the shop.

Basically for me , I only really fish commercials, be it for carp or mixed fishing and I don’t find the fish that discerning….if a carp will grab 5/6 casters rammed on a 14 hook I don’t think it’s bothered about the quality, and for skimmers,ide,tench,f1,s I’ve not really noticed…..Having said all that though , I would always use fresh casters when possible, I’ve only really used the vac-packed in emergencies

 

[smiffy]

Basically for me , I only really fish commercials, be it for carp or mixed fishing and I don’t find the fish that discerning….if a carp will grab 5/6 casters rammed on a 14 hook I don’t think it’s bothered about the quality, and for skimmers,ide,tench,f1,s I’ve not really noticed…..Having said all that though , I would always use fresh casters when possible, I’ve only really used the vac-packed in emergencies

I’m a bit oldskool chefster. I was always taught, after presentation comes bait quality. When I was matchfishing I would have to order my Casters midweek for the shop owner to riddle them off for me to give me the best chance of good quality. Even now there’s a massive difference in size between shop bought and home turned Caster.
Maggot was the same. Someone like Gozzer will remember the rush to ” borrow” homebreds off the anglers that did them, If he wasn’t one of those himself There will be many others here that swore, maybe still do, by homebreds over shop bought maggots because of the difference in quality and that they caught you more fish.

It could, though, just be down to confidence

 

[Ken the Pacman]

They are probably already dead but as above the competition in a fishery makes the fish less fussy.
Chuck a few out for the birds and they will still eat them until they are really stinking.
Its true that you cant beat a freshly run off caster though.

 

[Simon R]

Personally I would never use vac-packed casters - they're dead and once opened they go off very quickly.

Once opened I'd give 'em a rinse and then just bung them in a baitbox - no point keeping them in water - that just slows the rate that live casters change to floaters - short of the second-coming occurring before tomorrow there's no way your casters will develop any further.

Simon

 

[Ken the Pacman]

As Simon says above they will not turn any further as they are dead but exposed to fresh air they just go greyish black in colour unless they have been preserved with one of the various chemicals used which prolongs the rotting process.

 

[G0zzer2]

Someone like Gozzer will remember the rush to ” borrow” homebreds off the anglers that did them, If he wasn’t one of those himself There will be many others here that swore, maybe still do, by homebreds over shop bought maggots because of the difference in quality and that they caught you more fish.

I believe that using gozzers (which I used to breed) gave an advantage only when fishing for bream.

As for keeping casters, if they are placed, dry, into a paper bag,before being bagged up in a plastic bag, that not only prevents burn, but they will keep, in my experience, for a week with no noticeable loss of quality. After that I would open the bag, give them five minutes air, then place them in CLEAN cold water in the fridge. If you change the water just once, giving them five minutes air, they should be OK until the next weekend.

 

[davylad]

Honestly I've had some great catches on casters weeks old. I opened a couple of sealed bags for a match tomorrow, as I prefer my casters darker and I try to get them the same colour. I wrap them in a wet towel and just keep an eye on them until they're right for me. I'm not sure why some say they won't carry on turning, as I've done that twice before, and again today and they are just how I want them. Some prefer their casters at different stages, as the theory is they'll sink at various speeds, I don't want them like that myself. You could bury a 14 in the casters of yester year, you'd be lucky to get an 18 in them nowadays, if fishing single that is.

 

[Ken the Pacman]

They only stop turning any further if they are dead, they can only go off from there.
Benny Ashurst who more or less invented caster fishing used to redden his up as Davy in a wet towel in a fridge until they reached the colour he wanted, I tried it a few times for the canal but cant say it really improved catches.
On the other hand I remember when the world championships were fished on the Erne I was helping at the bait farm to riddle casters which was done on a timed basis and Milo Columbo of the tackle firm turned up as we had just run off about 10 gallon of white or very pale caster which would have been left to darken off before bagging. Milo says "I buy" so Keith says how many to which Milo replied "All" so he got the lot bagged up and was very pleased.
Talking to Roberto Trabucco later in the week it turns out that the Italians thought the white caster was the ultimate bait for the river because they were heavier and sank more in the same place when loose fed, Kevin Ashurst reckoned mixed colours spread a trail better drawing fish from lower down the peg.
When you think about it Milo was right for pole fishing, Kevin was right for running line fishing but either could work on the day.