Carp for bait.

Can I catch and freeze carp this summer and use it for bait in the fall?

Depends on how good of a fisherman you are .

I grind or chunk it and add liquid smoke. My best coon bait.

Yes with no problem

I save them up in the summer then in early fall use the meat saw to steak them into palm sized chunks while still frozen. Then I bag them in bread bags to control the amount I can thaw out as needed, plus they stack better in the tube like bags.

Freezing then cutting/sawing is the way to go. I still have 10 buckets left from the 33 or 34 I cut up 2 years ago. So I'll be looking to get a few more carp in a couple of months.

Yep cutting them thawed seems like it would be more dangerous when snagging to loose meat getting pulled by the blade.

I freeze my fish then cut them up with the band saw. Then you let them taint a bit then lay the pieces on cookie sheets and freeze then individually. Then you can fill Ice cream buckets and put them back In the freezer. This way you don't end up with a big lump of frozen bait.

Fish Is exellent bait an stays frozen an keep.long time. I never used liquid smoke. Does it actually taste good ? Are mink interested in liquid smoke?

Buddy uses it for his bear baits it's food grade stuff you probably had some and did not know it.

I have found that fish Is a better bait for coon. Not so much for mink.

Carp, fun to catch...fun to catch with. The gift that keeps on giving.
Jim

I used to freeze them for turtle bait. Frozen carp lasts longer than fresh in the water and turtles don't like rotten fish. You need to change the bait every day.

I found fish exellent mink coon bait, does liquid smoke effect fish bait mink negatively ? However I believe reason not got it. Is attractive canines water. Dog possibility

I can’t think of a thing I have not caught with using carp for bait, the nice thing about it is everything will eat it.

Thousands of other trappers do it that way so you should be able to too !!!
Dennis

The easiest way I have found to cut them up is to freeze them solid then take them out of the freezer for a few minutes (I am cutting them up in the summer, longer may be needed if you do them in the fall) until the frost on the outside of them disappears, then saw away! They get just a little soft and saw so much easier than frozen rock hard. I do not have a band saw like in the above picture. I bought an electric chain saw at a yard sale for 5 bucks and use that (no chain oil is needed, fish oil from the fish being sawed works fine) and made a wooden cradle to hold the fish stable. With this setup I can make carp steaks from about 40 carp an hour for turtle bait.

A better way to set up your fish bait Is to use salt.
Place a layer of fish chunks In the bottom of your 5 gallon bucket. Then cover with a layer of salt. Keep this going till you either run out of fish or salt or when the bucket becomes full. You don't have to even cover the bucket since flies won't bother It.
The salt preserves the fish so It will last longer at your set and It also gives the fish a stronger smell. Since most fish when fresh has very little odor. The salt also gives you a little freeze protection for your bait. Frozen bait does not give off the same odor as un frozen bait.
The other nice thing Is you can drive around with a bucket full of bait In the back of your truck forever with out It going bad or freezing. Just grab a hand full of bait and get It done.

I fully intend to try a few of these ideas this coming season y’all

If your dealing with bucket sets I think the adding fresh to the old has it’s advantages as it offers both at the same time by spring it all stinks to high heaven .

I looked at Erics pictures of all the carp. Some of my buddies were going to go on this carp shooting contest. I told them I could use a few carp for bait. You probably all ready know where this Is headed. LOl
I was gone with the family that Saturday and got home late so I never looked In the shop. But On Sunday morning I took a look Well there weren't just a few carp In the shop there were 40 carp. I had bait but I wasn't a happy camper.

It was a drive by carping!!!! Poor beav......

Liquid smoke. Not attractive mink? Attractive to dogs ? Wouldn't want them go in water after it in pocket. Does it actually taste good if coon eat it on fish , the liquid smoke ?