Dear Simon Crow,
I have recently started fishing a local day ticket carp fishery. The regulars I have spoken to say that freezer baits are far more successful than shelf lifes. Can you explain the difference between the two baits and the correct way to prepare frozen boilies.
Thanks a lot,

Ben Allan
Surrey.

There are loads of lakes around the country that produce better results to one more than the other, so you’ve made the right choice by picking up on what the lads at the fishery have told you. Basically, the difference between the two is that the de-naturing process of a shelf life is done by adding preservatives like Sodium Benzoate or Potassium Sorbate, whilst a freezer bait is frozen instead (it doesn’t include the preservatives).

My biggest day ticket carp was caught using a freezer bait. Here it is weighing 34lb 8oz.

A lot of anglers don’t like shelf life chemicals being added to their baits because they think carp are put off by their inclusion, but on the opposite side of the coin there are a lot of lads who don’t mind them and still catch lots of carp. The choice is yours at the end of the day, but I must admit that I favour frozen baits in preference to shelf life, despite the fact that my biggest UK carp to date was caught on a shelf life!

Ready-mades or frozen, it’s up to you since they both catch carp.

Crowy