# Best way to freeze cob or finger mullet



## sloughseeker (Dec 26, 2004)

Hey Kenny, I'll be down south of you next weekend and may put up a couple freezer bags of mullet to have on hand this Dec. & Jan. for stripers, if'n I can't find any fresh at that time  Help me out here with some pointers on the best way to go about it. Salt ? Water ? No Water ? No Salt ? Freeze Whole ? Cut Off Belly ? I'll be back for a long weekend Oct. 15th and again on the 29th. Down south of coarse, but I still hope to hookup with you. I just bet Tater has had one of those growth spurts since I seen him last.
sloughseeker kent


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Not Kenny, but with me I take th mullet and soak em in a brine in th fridge then move to bag and salt alot. That being said as ya know fresh is best.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

sloughseeker said:


> Hey Kenny, I'll be down south of you next weekend and may put up a couple freezer bags of mullet to have on hand this Dec. & Jan. for stripers, if'n I can't find any fresh at that time  Help me out here with some pointers on the best way to go about it. Salt ? Water ? No Water ? No Salt ? Freeze Whole ? Cut Off Belly ? I'll be back for a long weekend Oct. 15th and again on the 29th. Down south of coarse, but I still hope to hookup with you. I just bet Tater has had one of those growth spurts since I seen him last.
> sloughseeker kent



Listen to Dawg,only *make sure you use Kosher Salt....*  If ya got Hadens,the belly idea is a gooden..

You got a cell? Give me a call Kent,maybe we can hook up,Tater in tow..  Tater's gotten much bigger since you last seen him,promise..


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## clinder (Mar 2, 2005)

i FREEZE EM IN AIR TIGHT BAGS WITH AN ELECTRIC AIR REMOVER AND SEALER NO SALT OR NOTHIN.THEY STAY "FRESH" FOUR 8-9 MONTHS. BUT I HAVE HEARD OF SALTING THEM FIRST. i SALT EM ONCE THERE THAWED THOUGH IT TOUGHENS THE MEAT SO SMALL FISH CANT REMOVW IT AS EASY.


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## clinder (Mar 2, 2005)

I Meant Remove!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

clinder said:


> i FREEZE EM IN AIR TIGHT BAGS WITH AN ELECTRIC AIR REMOVER AND SEALER NO SALT OR NOTHIN.THEY STAY "FRESH" FOUR 8-9 MONTHS. BUT I HAVE HEARD OF SALTING THEM FIRST. i SALT EM ONCE THERE THAWED THOUGH IT TOUGHENS THE MEAT SO SMALL FISH CANT REMOVW IT AS EASY.


 I generally don't use frozen bait,but do use kosher salt when I have fresh bait. Reason: Cause many times you can't get fresh bait in a wk or so period there might be NO BAIT.. I've found that if you layer the bait in ice with some kosher salt the bait stays fermer and will last at least a week,if you tend to it..
Got a friend that fishes Eastern Shore of Va a lot. At times it's REALLY TOUGH to get bait over there. He takes menhaden,which is about the hardest bait to freeze as it goes soft so quick,and freezes it the way Dawg said. He has caught more drum on the frozen with salt than he has with no salt.. He said the frozen with no salt is like mush in comparison.. 

Also learned from an ole timer commercial fisherman over here that if you have menhaden the best way to use them for bait and have them last is to cut the belly section off,guts and all out then layer in ice..


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## clinder (Mar 2, 2005)

Yeah I Freeze A Few Bags At The Begining Of Winter For Early Spring Cause I Get Itchy When I Cant Go Fishin So I Normally Start Before Anything Shows Up In The Late Winter When Theres No Bait.or Fish I Might Add!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

clinder said:


> Yeah I Freeze A Few Bags At The Begining Of Winter For Early Spring Cause I Get Itchy When I Cant Go Fishin So I Normally Start Before Anything Shows Up In The Late Winter When Theres No Bait.or Fish I Might Add!!!!!!!!!!!!


 Many times here,bait is scarse.. The menhaden are in short supply,especially in striper season,which can drag into late winter. Sometimes it's even tough to get bait when the drum are here in the fall as well.. I think that is the reason why Kent is asking the question. That and the fact that he is fishin Ocock,bait is almost impossible to get there at times..


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## clinder (Mar 2, 2005)

THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD BIG FISH AND NO BAIT. ONE THING FOR SURE THOUGH IF THE BIG ONES ARE THERE TEY EATIN SOMeTHING!!!!


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

clinder said:


> THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD BIG FISH AND NO BAIT. ONE THING FOR SURE THOUGH IF THE BIG ONES ARE THERE TEY EATIN SOMeTHING!!!!


 There eatin hadens and crabs,kinda hard to obtain at times here..


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## clinder (Mar 2, 2005)

Ive used frozen blue crabs many times just freeze em whole and alive. nothin like good chunks of crab for a red1!!!


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## croaker (Jun 18, 2004)

*I've done a brine .....*

....for cooking a turkey, but I don't think that would work on frozen bait. What is the magic formula for a bait brine? Salt cups per gallon.

Thanks


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## the old guy (Dec 17, 2003)

I haven't tried it but I know one native told me that years ago they would dump live finger mullet into a brine solution, In that way the salt would end up all through the fish. I would then freeze them separately before bagging.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

croaker said:


> ....for cooking a turkey, but I don't think that would work on frozen bait. What is the magic formula for a bait brine? Salt cups per gallon.
> 
> Thanks


I'm not real scientific, I take a pot,fill it with water and dump a bunch of kosher salt into it and put fish in it.


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## croaker (Jun 18, 2004)

*Cdog....*

That's what I hoped someone would say

Thanks


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