Author Topic: Bait preserving. (Read 486 times)

Mallard · « **on:** June 14, 2004, 01:18:00 AM »

How do you fellows preserve your baits and get the scent to "preserve" at the right point. I know that sodium benzoate is the tool used by most, but I've tried both dry and water disoved use of this and found that the bait still renders for a couple more days, and even as long as a week later than the sodium benzoate was added. It seems to slip past that mildly tainted scent right into the more than desired point quicker than the benzoate can start working. Thoughts?

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2004, 02:59:12 AM »

As you say Mallard, the addition of preservatives doesn't bring the tainting process to a screeching halt. That is just something one has to take into consideration in timing I guess, I don't have any secret technique. Dissolveing the preservative in water, which you have tried, does help the preservative to better and more quickly permeate the bait chunks. Keeping the jug out of light helps too as light continues to break down lures and baits. Burying the bait in the cool, dark ground is the best one can do. Ace

Wackyquacker · « **Reply #2 on:** June 14, 2004, 04:21:38 AM »

Add the benzoate stir sparingly and refrigerate or in some manner reduce the temperature to near freezing and hold it there for as long as you can ...a day should be fine.

Tainting, is in reality a microbial fermentation. The biggest problem with taint slipping past the "prime" comes from the fact that you are dealing with a mixed fermentation...one organism produces "foodstuffs" for the next. These organisms are growing in the surface layers of the meat and their end products are what you smell. When these compounds get into the air some of them break down...oxidize etc. and the smell goes away. Sooo when you mix your stuff you are also mixing out volatiles (smells) and mixing in oxygen (causing smell molecules to break down). Ergo your concoctiion stops smelling the "same". This may in fact give the impression that the taint keeps going far longer than is.

Sodium Benzoate inhibits growth pretty fast at the correct concentrations. These concentrations will vary from organism to organism that's just the way things are. If you mix the stuff thoroughly you will cause the rapid release of volatiles and cause them and or other compounds to decompose after interacting with the introduced atmosphere oxygen. Add "plenty" of benzoate, stir a bit, chill (to stop microbial growth) and keep cool until the benzoate dissolves and or reaches equilibrium throughout the mass via simple diffusion.

The cooler you can do your tainting the slower things will go and this may make it much easier to control...certainly it will be easier to lower the temp to near freezing at the end while you're waiting for the benzoate to equilibrate through out the mix.

Hope this simplified explination sheds some light on things. Won't be able to add more for a week plus...we're heading north in less than an hour. Take care.

jim-NE · « **Reply #3 on:** June 14, 2004, 06:45:23 PM »

and, if you think you have a batch that is getting too "loud" on you, you can always use that bait later in the year when a louder bait seems to work better. I make a lot of my own bait, too, and there were many "trial and error" batches over the years, too. Sometimes what didn't seem right to my nose also ended up being a very good bait on the actual line for me. How we perceive and detect odors is very different from our animal counterparts.
Jim-NE

RdFx · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2004, 01:38:40 AM »

What Jim has said is true and that is why i mentioned before to write everything down so if you do get a batch that works that you will know what you did. It important to use same ingrediants and same procedures again to get your same results . That is why some people say it is cheaper and easier to buy lures or bait fm established lure makers. BUT if you like to experiment ect and willing to spend time you can come up with some interesting results.....Besides having all the neighbor hood dogs visiting your home

Trapper-Jack · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2004, 08:07:56 AM »

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Sometimes what didn't seem right to my nose also ended up being a very good bait on the actual line for me.
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Sometimes I think that we have a certain smell in mind of what our bait should smell like because of what has been used and worked before. I think because it smells different than usual is why it works. Some natural attraction and some curiosity as to what's new, especially if they had a negitive experience with the old bait.

Dave Lyons · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2004, 07:02:12 PM »

Well since we are on the subject of bait. I have a few questions. I have been killing chucks. Well I have been thinking since they are around and I can now legally use them for bait.

Do you have to taint the bait down before added into bait solution?

Also do you add anything to your bait ( Castor, toquin musk) or does that start getting in to lure making.

Dave

Asa Lenon · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2004, 06:00:42 AM »

Dave:
Generally one taints the meat first, then adds the preservative and ingredients and lets them age in a cool dark place until trapping season. However, there is no set rule about the procedure, one may add the ingredients first while the meat is tainting. Generally one will get a different odor doing it that way but it doesn't mean it isn't a good odor. Actually, when one adds any ingredients such as castor to a meat bait base, they now have a lure. If lures didn't generally produce better results than plain bait, commercial lure makers would have never come into existance and thrived year after year for scores of years. My opinion, the more ingredients in the mix the better as it generally adds more enticement to the animal and keeps the animal at the set longer once they have accepted.
Ace :grin: