Curious how you guys prepare you cut bait? Is fresh the only way to go or can it be froze?
Caught a couple Redhorse suckers the other day and was thinking about that but wasn’t sure. All I have ever done was cut up fresh chubs. Thanks.
Fresh is best, but frozen will work (especially if that’s all that’s available).
I’ve gone to filleting them. Seems to work better then chunks for me.
Ditto on BK’s comments. If you want to go a step further you can “sour” your sucker for early spring channels. There have been plenty of days when it has out produced fresh sucker for me. I like slightly soured sucker vs. real sour bait because really sour bait smells so dang bad. Just cut up your sucker and keep it in your fridge for a week or until your wife starts to say “what the %^&* smells so bad in the fridge”. You can keep it outside in warmer weather also to sour it quicker but I prefer to annoy my wife…. 
While I always prefer fresh, I have caught lots of nice channels on frozen cut bait. Some bait shops keep dead suckers and sell frozen bags of them for a good price. Sometimes I get a bag of nice 4-6″ suckers and I just use them whole on a 0/4 stinger rig. 2 hooks really seem to help keep the bait on the hook.
How do you keep the soured bait on a hook? I left a sucker out for a few days in 30-40 degree weather and no way any part of it would stay on a hook, too jellified, if that’s a word. Every cast bait goes one way hook and sinker go the other.
You let it go too far. You just want it spoiled and stinky, not falling apart.
Brian,
How big of a fillet do you use and do you have any issues with it being pulled off the hook? Thanks.
Shawn
About…
2.0 centimeters x 4.25 cm
or a piece as wide as your index finger and as long as from your knuckle to the tip of your finger nail. Assuming your nails have been manicured recently.
That’s about the size. Bit more, little less.
Change frequently. 
Oh yes. Forgot the head! Put them on the hook and step on it! 
Here is an old Doug Stange/In-Fisherman recipe. Again, I don’t sour my bait this much…
Quote:
Direct sunlight tends to break down fish too quickly, although experiment if you need the bait in short order.
Although I haven’t tried this with fish, I have used plastic nightcrawler containers for shrimp. The plastic keeps the sunlight out and the top would pop off if an explosion were close at hand. 
Day #1 (after 24 hours of sitting outside) Good odor and worked good for channels.
Day #2 Didn’t work for crap guiding. Most if not all my clients wouldn’t let me open the container the second time.
I’m thinking sucker/fish would take longer to stink up.
I usually cut up my bait in chunks with skin(to keep on hook) and freeze, the bait will keep for a couple of trips. Once meat becomes mushy it’s time to toss.
Wow a lot of great info, thank you guys and gals . Think I’ll give it a shot and experiment a little between them. Thought about trying that red juice stuff from team catfish with the sucker as well.
I remember hearing about souring bait but didn’t remember how they did it, going to have to try that.
What’s your preferred cut bait fish? Appreciate all the input fellas ( even if you get your nails manicured 
).
I really like chubs for cutbait if you can get them. Sucker minnows are really good too.
I am of the opinion that once you freeze them and thaw them out again, whatever you don’t use that trip can be tossed out. They just turn into mush at that point. I like to freeze them in smaller batches and only take what I need for each trip.
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