[John Smith_inFL]

Just spoke with the company about the shelf life of FishBites bait . . . .

Just in a tackle box, sealed bag - 6 months to a year.
In the refrigerator, sealed bag - 12 months or more.
In the freezer, probably unlimited.

The key to determining if the bait is still viable is - - - -
dry and brittle - toss it
smell is gone - toss it
good color and soft - use it.
so, if you have a bag that is over a year old, still has some color, still smells good,
still soft and pliable, USE IT. But, my personal recommendation is to add some fresh
bait with it on the hook: shrimp, clam, mullet, squid, yada yada yada.

I have almost a full bag of each of their baits that are a year old and didn't want to toss them out.
There is no date on the package, so when you buy some, mark the date with a marker.
jus my Dos Centavos

Tight Lines !!

 

[pmcdaniel]

If you can still get a hook through it without impaling your finger it will work from my own experience.

 

[gilly21]

I bought a bag last September. Kept it in my door for over a year and it work as good after a year as it did side by side against fresh bought stuff around me.

 

[SmoothLures]

The stuff is great. The only bad thing is the shelf life, or rather the coloring. I have a couple bags a year old and they do turn brown/reddish. One of the main reasons I like them is for some color for a pompano. Still caught some whiting and croaker on the dark colored stuff though.

Thanks for calling them. I was actually going to email them about it but never got around to it. Will throw some in the freezer and see how they do this winter.

 

[FishinMortician]

The inventor used to say to use the dried baits. That they work just fine. Now he is saying buy some new stuff. Hmmmmmm

I buy directly from their website and store the bags in a Ziploc in the refrigerator door. Then before fishing I use scissors to cut up the strips and put those in a pill bottle. Put the bottle in my pocket and avoid the cooler altogether. When back home, they go back in the fridge.

I went from piercing twice, to just once near one end, and allowing them to dangle down off the circle hook.

As stated, the color acts as an attractant, and I get some relief from my bead addiction.

 

[John Smith_inFL]

bead addiction That's funny right there.

But, Mortician, If you have ever met the infamous Larry Finch and other very successful pompano killers,
one quickly finds himself hanging out at wal-mart wearing dark glasses and floppy hat fondling colored shiny beads !!!!
What I am going to try his winter for pomps is some pink or orange vinyl survey tape cut into 1/4 x 1/2" strips to add to the hook.
it is as soft as the bait and adds a bit of color. And will add that bit of lost color to the faded FishBites. (hopefully).

 

[FishinMortician]

bead addiction That's funny right there.

But, Mortician, If you have ever met the infamous Larry Finch and other very successful pompano killers,
one quickly finds himself hanging out at wal-mart wearing dark glasses and floppy hat fondling colored shiny beads !!!!
What I am going to try his winter for pomps is some pink or orange vinyl survey tape cut into 1/4 x 1/2" strips to add to the hook.
it is as soft as the bait and adds a bit of color. And will add that bit of lost color to the faded FishBites. (hopefully).
View attachment 16745

If you are buying your beads at Walmart, you are wasting your efforts. I mean there you are, having to wear shoes, and all they got is kids stuff. Instead search the internet looking at sites that sell steelhead and trout tackle and baits. They have beads that sink, and beads that float, beads that have shrimp oil inside, and beads that go whizzzz. Consider the various shapes as well. You can get your bead freak on real good.
When I use beads they will be the smaller Worden's Lil Corkies in Clown color and Flo Yellow. I use small Corkies because my hook will be a #1 size and the bait a Fishbite. I want just a little bit of lift. I stick the bait one time near the end and it hangs off the hook, and swims in the current without twirling or spinning. The entire mess kind of flaps a little. I choose bright yellow because it is visible underwater at greater distances.
The large bright orange beads work great for redfish, and only sometimes for pompanyo. Do not listen when they whisper in your ear that ornage tricks them into thinking the bead is sand flea eggs. That story should have been shut down a long time ago.
I have caught fish using blue, white, green, purple, gold, silver, white and black. When I was getting fish on the blue, do you think the green would have turned them off ?
Now using the Fishbite as my bead allows me to switch colors easily without disengaging my rigs. I don't have to cheat on my bead aholic recovery program. Life is so much simpler. I also get a cleaner presentation without a bead. I use flouro leaders and a small tiny knot.
Bead and bait all in one.... what's not to like about that ?
BTW- Have you tried the Mortician Rig ?
That will up your catches much better than a new bead will. It simply does everything you would want a rig to do: Easy to tie up, casts for big distance, presents the baits very well, tricky to spit once the fish samples the bait, strong enough to land the beast, and the no more tears formula means no tangles or wrapped leaders. You should at least try it.
Mr Finch fishes differently than me. I doubt I could keep up with him as he works very hard at it. Travels alot, too. His best trick is when he places his baits under the fish's nose. Yes he likes his beads, but it ain't beads getting it done for him. He has a talent for finding a hot bite, and when he does, you can bet he has the bait they want, and he is casting where they want it. I seriously doubts he plans his day around his bead selection. So don't think beads hold iron.......only man can hold the iron.

 

[chuckitfar]

If you are buying your beads at Walmart, you are wasting your efforts. I mean there you are, having to wear shoes, and all they got is kids stuff. Instead search the internet looking at sites that sell steelhead and trout tackle and baits. They have beads that sink, and beads that float, beads that have shrimp oil inside, and beads that go whizzzz. Consider the various shapes as well. You can get your bead freak on real good.
When I use beads they will be the smaller Worden's Lil Corkies in Clown color and Flo Yellow. I use small Corkies because my hook will be a #1 size and the bait a Fishbite. I want just a little bit of lift. I stick the bait one time near the end and it hangs off the hook, and swims in the current without twirling or spinning. The entire mess kind of flaps a little. I choose bright yellow because it is visible underwater at greater distances.


The large bright orange beads work great for redfish, and only sometimes for pompanyo. Do not listen when they whisper in your ear that ornage tricks them into thinking the bead is sand flea eggs. That story should have been shut down a long time ago.
I have caught fish using blue, white, green, purple, gold, silver, white and black. When I was getting fish on the blue, do you think the green would have turned them off ?
Now using the Fishbite as my bead allows me to switch colors easily without disengaging my rigs. I don't have to cheat on my bead aholic recovery program. Life is so much simpler. I also get a cleaner presentation without a bead. I use flouro leaders and a small tiny knot.
Bead and bait all in one.... what's not to like about that ?
BTW- Have you tried the Mortician Rig ?
That will up your catches much better than a new bead will. It simply does everything you would want a rig to do: Easy to tie up, casts for big distance, presents the baits very well, tricky to spit once the fish samples the bait, strong enough to land the beast, and the no more tears formula means no tangles or wrapped leaders. You should at least try it.
Mr Finch fishes differently than me. I doubt I could keep up with him as he works very hard at it. Travels alot, too. His best trick is when he places his baits under the fish's nose. Yes he likes his beads, but it ain't beads getting it done for him. He has a talent for finding a hot bite, and when he does, you can bet he has the bait they want, and he is casting where they want it. I seriously doubts he plans his day around his bead selection. So don't think beads hold iron.......only man can hold the iron.

Wow corkies....I thought I was the only fool on the beach using them. I have had success with em, but hid em for fear of being laughed at. I am a west coast transplant and was a die hard steelheader. I also tie an egg loop hook and attach a bright color tuft on yarn on it. Old habits die hard.

 

[FishinMortician]

Wow corkies....I thought I was the only fool on the beach using them. I have had success with em, but hid em for fear of being laughed at. I am a west coast transplant and was a die hard steelheader. I also tie an egg loop hook and attach a bright color tuft on yarn on it. Old habits die hard.

No worries......break out your steelhead gear and try to get some of it to work for you in the surf. Pompanyo enjoy many of the same things as your western steelhead did. These little fish make their living spotting little critters crawling along the sand. Big eyes, and a little extra color helps them spot your offering.
Your steelhead rods will allow you to throw brightly colored jigs. Their whippy action will be an aid to you when the rod is spiked, and as the fish travels across that last little stretch of swash before hitting the sand.
Your steelhead beads will work for allowing the fish to find your fine offerings. Add them as you normally would if you have wild eyed gawkers. LOL
A little trick for you. Snell your circle hook, but don't trim the tag end. Instead let it hang back past the bend of the hook, and slip on a steelhead bead. Then burn the end of the tag end making a blob knot. Add a smaller bead behind if you need to. Just make sure they don't just slide off. Now bait using clam or shrimp and that bead will rest alongside the bait, adding some attractant for you. Makes the presentation cleaner.
Try some of your other steelhead techniques, like the Egg Fly. A nifty little trick I came up with this Summer - attach one of your steelhead flies to a flouro leader in the 15lb test size. Next form a loop knot, with the loop being the size of a quarter, and the overall length being about 8". Now simply cats paw that loop onto the tail wire of your sputnik sinker and it will slide up and down and spin around beautifully for you. Add a Fishbite if you want, but keep everyhting light so if moves in the current. It also works when reeling back in. You can also detach the rig entirely, and just cast the sinker with fly for extreme distance. I use circle hooks for this technique and add a Fishbite.
Keep in mind that you will never be any better than the crabs; if you allow them to dictate what you should do and what you are not allowed to do. Let them laugh and just move along. I have had some really nice people say things that were unfair. Everyone gets crabby now and then, but some think that being nasty is their lot in life. Just be nice and soon they will leave you alone.
Make up some of my Mortician rigs, add the skills you have already acquired out West with regards to atrractants, and you will be the one laughing on the beach. Trust me on this one, and good luck. Let me know if you need some help, I promise not to laugh too hard.