Freezing cutbait Question

[shefland]

I have been hammering the tullibies this wiinter, last winter I tried freezing them for future use up at Lockport, they thawed out very soft, I vacumn packed them, then froze them, no better, any suggestions?

[Canuck]

We freeze them hole and keep them frozen until we actually cut them for the hook. It is actually better if U can freeze them individually that way it is easier to only take one out at a time. I will keep a cooler with an ice pack in the boat and keep them as frozen as I can until I am ready to use them and I only cut one fish up at a time. They usually keep frozen for 1/2 a day if they aren't used up. If U can get the tuluibees with the eggs ALL the better. I found at least 4 to 1 with the piece with the eggs vs a chuck without any eggs.

[Canuck]

I forgot to mention, I see U mentioned U are intending on coming up to Stu' this spring well, why freeze only tulibuees U should freeze sone suckers because they are usually better in the spring (June) than tulibuees. Tulibuees will work but they are better in Sept.

[shefland]

Thanks Canuck, I know tullies work better in September, I like to be loaded for "bear" when I head to your neck of the woods, sometimes bait seems to be a problem for us, especially when goldeyes are elusive, I have access to suckers in the spring when they are spawning I'll get some of them also. I talked to you last fall, you were getting ready for moose hunting, see you next June on the water.

[Steve Foss]

Tullibees will thaw softer than goldeye. On the Red, I always used goldeye caught right out of the river, and froze them whole when I had extra. Thawed out, they still are firm, and the skin is so tough that once you get a hook through it, it's on really well.

You probably know that fresh goldeye tend to outproduce the frozen ones.

If you want to play it safe and bring bait along in case the goldeyes are hard to find, just go buy frozen ciscos about 6 to 8 iches long. They are firm when thawed, and ciscos and tulibees are the same species of fish. Most of the small ones bought for bait are marketed as ciscos, and the larger ones are called tulibees by most people, leading some to think they're two different species.

I have three different fish species identification guides and they all say they're the same.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
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