Re using bait

[crabby daddy]

May be a dumb question but anyway.  Supposed you baited a 1200 ft trot line and had a slow day most of the bait untouched and the rest very little.  Should you unbait the line and start over for the next day or refrigerate and reuse the next day? Oh the line is baited with fowl necks. If reused should you salt the bait or what?

[tattoo]

eather refrigerate it or freeze it . it will be good for the next day ,

[itsslow98]

I suggest freezing it personally i feel it being in the frig would cause it to get a little more tender and easily picked the next day. I sometimes get 3 uses out of my line baited with necks as long as there arent 1,000 tiny crabs picking it away.

[Crab Shack]

I would freeze it too, if you refrigerate it, the elephants may get to it.  You know when an elephant has been in your refrigerator by the foot prints in the cheesecake.  Ask Chef Lar.   

[dfran]

I would definitely refridgerate it rather than freeze it. Freezing damages the meat by freezing the water in the neck, expanding it, and causing the tissue to tear. When it thaws the meat will be less solid that it was before because the freezing process will shred the meat. Thats why when you thaw a frozen steak you get all that blood and water out of it as it thaws. The tissue is torn and can't hold the liquid inside anymore.

[TAXI CRAB]

If you plan on using it the next day just put it in the fridge , a frozen line takes a while to thaw.

[Crabbin Fever]

FREEZE IT! 

[green]

As a newbie, I don't know much about crabbing. But as a cook, I think I can weigh in on the freeze vs. refrigerate question. I freeze chicken necks to make soup. Even though when you freeze a steak or hamburger, they do release some water, but I don't agree that it shreds the meat or tears the tissue. A defrosted steak has the same consistency as a fresh one. A chicken neck has a tougher consistency than a steak and it takes a lot to break it apart.

I suggest freezing it personally i feel it being in the frig would cause it to get a little more tender and easily picked the next day. I sometimes get 3 uses out of my line baited with necks as long as there arent 1,000 tiny crabs picking it away.

  I agree with  itsslow98 - I think the freezing would be better.

[Seanile]

Just curious, why would you want to freeze it, as opposed to refrigerate, if you're going to use it the next day, as the original poster has stated?

[flounderpounder]

As a newbie, I don't know much about crabbing. But as a cook, I think I can weigh in on the freeze vs. refrigerate question. I freeze chicken necks to make soup. Even though when you freeze a steak or hamburger, they do release some water, but I don't agree that it shreds the meat or tears the tissue. **********A defrosted steak has the same consistency as a fresh one. *************A chicken neck has a tougher consistency than a steak and it takes a lot to break it apart.  I agree with  itsslow98 - I think the freezing would be better.

glad im not eatin where your cookin....lol

[dfran]

As a newbie, I don't know much about crabbing. But as a cook, I think I can weigh in on the freeze vs. refrigerate question. I freeze chicken necks to make soup. Even though when you freeze a steak or hamburger, they do release some water, but I don't agree that it shreds the meat or tears the tissue. A defrosted steak has the same consistency as a fresh one. A chicken neck has a tougher consistency than a steak and it takes a lot to break it apart.  I agree with  itsslow98 - I think the freezing would be better.

You've got to be kidding :owhen water freezes it expands. You are trying to tell everyone on this forum that Frozem meat tastes as good, same consistency as fresh. Evidently you have no taste buds. Thank God I haven't eaten in your resturant.

[green]

glad im not eatin where your cookin....lol

You've got to be kidding :owhen water freezes it expands. You are trying to tell everyone on this forum that Frozem meat tastes as good, same consistency as fresh. Evidently you have no taste buds. Thank God I haven't eaten in your resturant.

I am actually an extremely good cook. I don't freeze hamburger or sausage because they do suffer from it, but I have never had any problem with steak. Maybe you don't know how to wrap steak properly for freezing. I often buy a package of 4 ribeyes, cook two and freeze two, and there is no difference in the taste. As far as the chicken necks are concerned, they are going to be cooked in water anyway, so there is no difference. Unless you are a chef, I doubt you know as much about cooking as I do. Everyone I have cooked for has always wanted more. I have very good taste buds. I don't smoke. I enjoy cuisines from all over the world. One of my great passions is gourmet food, so until you taste something I have made, I think you should reserve your judgement.

[Dreampixels]

LARRY LARRY!

[baycrabber1]

baits cheap.  leave no question to it re bait it

[madcrabber1113]

baits cheap.  leave no question to it re bait it

       I agree.I have tried every way and nothing beats fresh bait.I r have ran two lines right next to each other in every possible way of trying to save bait but I can say by my trial and error nothing beats fresh bait.I hope this helps.

[dfran]

I am actually an extremely good cook. I don't freeze hamburger or sausage because they do suffer from it, but I have never had any problem with steak. Maybe you don't know how to wrap steak properly for freezing. I often buy a package of 4 ribeyes, cook two and freeze two, and there is no difference in the taste. As far as the chicken necks are concerned, they are going to be cooked in water anyway, so there is no difference. Unless you are a chef, I doubt you know as much about cooking as I do. Everyone I have cooked for has always wanted more. I have very good taste buds. I don't smoke. I enjoy cuisines from all over the world. One of my great passions is gourmet food, so until you taste something I have made, I think you should reserve your judgment.

I'm sorry.......but I have to disagree with you. I can't believe you are saying that frozen is as good as fresh, especially beef. There is no way that any "chef" would serve a frozen steak as a fresh product. I worked for Sysco Foods for 26 years and met 100's of Real "chefs" and not one of them would serve frozen and thawed steak in their restaurant, they would grind it up and use it for sloppy Joes for the kitchen help before they would let it go to a customer.

I think we need Larry to to enter this discussion. 

[jack1747]

LARRY LARRY!

Where is that bum anyway... Always got something to say until we need him... 

[green]

I'm sorry.......but I have to disagree with you. I can't believe you are saying that frozen is as good as fresh, especially beef. There is no way that any "chef" would serve a frozen steak as a fresh product. I worked for Sysco Foods for 26 years and met 100's of Real "chefs" and not one of them would serve frozen and thawed steak in their restaurant, they would grind it up and use it for sloppy Joes for the kitchen help before they would let it go to a customer.

I think we need Larry to to enter this discussion. 

I'm not saying that if I had a restaurant I would serve frozen beef; however I know that the best way to age beef is to keep it at a temperature just above freezing for about 11 days. If I ordered steak in a restaurant, I would expect it to not have been frozen, but if it was a nice restaurant, it would have been almost two weeks since that cow was slaughtered - not exactly fresh.
The average consumer can't buy aged beef and can't age it themselves, so the beef they cook is relatively fresh - not comparable to what you would get at a top steakhouse. I would prefer to cook fresh rather than frozen - but if I pack it correctly before I freeze it, don't leave it in the freezer too long, and defrost it properly, I don't notice any difference in the quality, texture or flavor of the meat. If you don't pack the meat properly and air is allowed to reach the meat, then the quality will drop. However, if I have a choice between letting that meat sit in the refrigerator for another day growing bacteria or freezing it, I will always choose the safer option - freezing.

[green]

It sounds like none of you ever freeze meat or eat meat that has been frozen. What do you use your freezers for?

[Grizzly36]

It sounds like none of you ever freeze meat or eat meat that has been frozen. What do you use your freezers for?

Ice and popsicles

[rdbeard]

if your line is 1200 ft or more i'd put it in the freezer for 3 to 5 hrs and just male it cold. it takes longer for it to freeze solid if the line is long and in a barrel or bucket. i can't understand rebaiting if the baits still good and not rotten or gone bad. it takes a 40 lb box to bait my lines with just a little left over so i've got to use whats still good. every week i go over my line and replace anybait crabbed more that 2 days bor is over half eaten and i catch plenty crabs. i understand that fresh is best but someimes not economical.

[double E]

If he puts it in the freezer today how in the world would he have time to thaw it for tomorrow. If I pull my line out of the freezer this evening(around 5-6pm) It best be one hot night for that line to thaw by 5:30am. Trust me it is not a pleasant event when you are letting your line out and about have way thru you find out the line is still frozen solid in the middle. If you do freeze it a good way to check if it is thawed all the way is to feel the bottom of your bucket, if it is still cold it is probably still frozen in the middle.

[Crabby Captn John]

Very few restaurants receive meat fresh. Nearly all receive it boxed and frozen. A friend that was a butcher at a big box store said he never ate meat from there. He would go to a local grocery chain as their meat was most likely only frozen once unlike where he worked. He also asked where is came from as he would not eat imported meat. He would buy that reduced if planning to cook it within 24 hours too. According to him, unless a local butcher cuts what was bought locally it has been frozen at least once before it is available to consumers.

[Dreampixels]

Best thing he can do is pull it into another container making sure it is thawed, do this while having a hose to thaw it as you pull it.

Soft line holds lots of water and can be a real pain -stiffer line freezes and thaws better - also placing the line in a drain-able container before freezing will reduce the water content drastically.

[rdbeard]

Double E, i'm well aware how long it takes to thaw a line thats been frozen for more than a full day. but from my experiance my lines take up to 8-12 hrs to freeze solid. now this may be because i'm puttin in 2 lines 1200 ft each but i doubt that 3 -5 hrs would freeze even 1 1200 ft line solid. put that same line in a refridg. and the middle won't even get cold overnight. justy tryin  to help please don't act like i'm stupid, been doin it for awhile.