# How long do you soak bait for before you rebait?



## Just.fish90 (Jan 28, 2012)

I always go out and soak bait for big drum and I usually soak a whole 6' or big chunk of mullet. I usually change my mullet every 45min-hour if i got a bite or not. My question is how long do you guys let you're bait soak before you rebait? Or do you just leave it for hours till you get a bite?
How big of a bait do you guys CAST out for medium sized sharks 4-6ft?(I'm thinking of trying out shark fishing-no yak)


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## RjTheMetalhead (Dec 3, 2011)

Every 15 minutes usually for cut bait. Croakers and little blues have usually chewed it up pretty good by then.
Whatever scent that was there is probably gone anymore time than that.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

That is not a black and white question. It depends on water temps, type of bait, freshness of bait and how many refreshments have been consumed throughout the fishing session. I want my freshest bait on the hook at all times. If I have a near limitless supply of fresh I change every 10-15 minutes. After reeling in I give the bait a bit of a squeeze. If some blood ozzes out the bait gets fired back out. If the bait looks washed and dull new bait on the hook. Heads can soak 4X as long a steak. Thats only if the crabs are not bad. Mullet lasts a bit longer than spot and spot lasts a bit longer than bunker. Those are the primary three baits you will fish for drum. Sea mullet is longer on the hook then spot but less then mullet. Tuna belly will last longer then all of the above but less then noggins. Colder water adds time you your bait soak. Night time will add 10-20% more time on a soak. Immediately following a fish on the beach will decrease time a bait soaks for the next hour or so while you are pumped up. Adult beverages will increase time on your baits soak incrementally until a drum is witnessed in close proximity. At this point you must reel in your bait quickly, put on the prittiest bait in your cooler and hit the next cast with everything you have to only crack off and leave yourself a birdnest to be picked out at a later date, laugh at the next day and provide amusement to your buddies. Hopefully your backup rod is soaking a bait already while you open up or pour your next drink in disgust....You know to straighten your thoughts out.

There are times when a cloudy eyed mullet is the ticket and will be the only bait that draws in the biguns. As witnessed first hand two falls ago! In general though, fresh is best! Hopefully that clears things up . seriously, the bottom line is if you think you need to change it, change it. Putting fresher bait on will never cost you a fish.


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## cooper138 (Aug 8, 2012)

Good answer by gilly. Anything over 20 to 30 minutes I figure I'm fishing on credit. When soaking two rods I try and rebait them on an alternate schedule about fifteen minutes apart so I always have a fresh bait in the water.


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## BASSnDRUM (Jul 18, 2013)

10-15 minutes for me. Partly because I'm impatient, and partly because if something hasn't hit it by then something is wrong...


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

For a head about every 20-30 min, by then little sharks have picked it to the bone and possibly got hooked. Body chunks a little sooner, and for a small whole fish 30 min and for a big guppy bait like a whole 2-3 lb blue an hour or so


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## Just.fish90 (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks for the advise guys this helps out a lot. I'be been soaking for way too long, usually because ill fish a couple yards away with fresh shrimp. Ill start changing bait more often I'm sure this will improve my numbers in the fish I hook up with.


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## KevinImX0 (Dec 25, 2011)

it depends whats in the water. If there are alot of crabs and stuff i try to check my baits pretty often. I do enjoy nature and the time out by the sea, but there only so much i can take before i need to do something... So if theres no action. Might as well check my baits and practice casting


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## fisho (Jan 6, 2009)

*just listen to gilly!*

and don't throw away that OLD bait sittin in the bottom of your cooler water. it's done caught em up too. sh*z > we caught 5+ biggens off the same dam black drum head for over 2 hours one night. zup w/ dat?!?

*i only fish custom heads.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Gilly, you CRACK ME UP!!!! Those are the truest words ever spoken on bait changing...word!!!


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## HStew (Jan 8, 2009)

Damn, you folks use some big bait in Texas...6' . I would say that size bait would last till something 25' or bigger comes along.


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## Just.fish90 (Jan 28, 2012)

This is what ill use at a pier or jetty. Hooked up with a 42" red two weeks ago. I use smaller chunks of cut bait in the surf. I've seen plenty of guys throw out a whole 10' mullet out with its tail cut off though.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Just.fish90 said:


> This is what ill use at a pier or jetty. Hooked up with a 42" red two weeks ago. I use smaller chunks of cut bait in the surf. I've seen plenty of guys throw out a whole 10' mullet out with its tail cut off though.


I think a 10ft mullet is a record.....just jerkin your chain man, it should say 10" not 10'


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

gilly21 said:


> That is not a black and white question. It depends on water temps, type of bait, freshness of bait and how many refreshments have been consumed throughout the fishing session. I want my freshest bait on the hook at all times. If I have a near limitless supply of fresh I change every 10-15 minutes. After reeling in I give the bait a bit of a squeeze. If some blood ozzes out the bait gets fired back out. If the bait looks washed and dull new bait on the hook. Heads can soak 4X as long a steak. Thats only if the crabs are not bad. Mullet lasts a bit longer than spot and spot lasts a bit longer than bunker. Those are the primary three baits you will fish for drum. Sea mullet is longer on the hook then spot but less then mullet. Tuna belly will last longer then all of the above but less then noggins. Colder water adds time you your bait soak. Night time will add 10-20% more time on a soak. Immediately following a fish on the beach will decrease time a bait soaks for the next hour or so while you are pumped up. Adult beverages will increase time on your baits soak incrementally until a drum is witnessed in close proximity. At this point you must reel in your bait quickly, put on the prittiest bait in your cooler and hit the next cast with everything you have to only crack off and leave yourself a birdnest to be picked out at a later date, laugh at the next day and provide amusement to your buddies. Hopefully your backup rod is soaking a bait already while you open up or pour your next drink in disgust....You know to straighten your thoughts out.
> 
> There are times when a cloudy eyed mullet is the ticket and will be the only bait that draws in the biguns. As witnessed first hand two falls ago! In general though, fresh is best! Hopefully that clears things up . seriously, the bottom line is if you think you need to change it, change it. Putting fresher bait on will never cost you a fish.


 Excellent answer,in short,*common sense is key..*


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Drumdum said:


> ,*common sense is key..*


Uuuummmmmm???? Whats that?


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## dawgfsh (Mar 1, 2005)

Gilly 
Now that really covered it !! Great post


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

gilly21 said:


> Uuuummmmmm???? Whats that?


 Something that the "new age internet feeshermen" have a lack of at times.....


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## notso (Jul 18, 2005)

Biggest Drum I ever caught came on a boo fish steak that had been soaking for over an hour..... I had decided that beverages were calling me that night.

On the other hand Pat and Arch change baits every 20 min no matter what. They drum fish like it's their job...  Maybe that's why they catch more than everyone else..


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## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

When I fish cob mullet every 15 to 20 min. Sometimes 30 min. max. Got in the habit while observing some of the handful of best on Avon doing it. It was timed with a watch by some...that is how important it is as I saw.

Pat times his....like clockwork.


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