Has anybody tried this?

A couple friends of mine who ice fish Lake Erie told me to give this a try. Freezing my emerald shiners with Vodka. They claim the shiners stay firmer this way instead of just freezing them. Has anybody on IDO tried this?

Never heard of it, but from the college drinking days I know it is NOT easy to freeze vodka….What do you do, leave it out in 0 deg and hope it never gets warmer outside?

No need to freeze them. Just throw them in the vodka.

I was told the shiners will jell and not freeze, thus staying firmer when using. I have used frozen and salted shiners with good results, but plan on giving this method a try.

You can’t freeze vodka, unless you mixed it with more than equal parts water.
Like trying to freeze gasoline. Someone is pulling your leg.

As I stated before, when placed in the freezer they will jell not freeze.

I’m from Erie and yep it’s true. We have had a horrible time getting bait for perch in the last few years. Frozens have saved us on more than one trip.

Jarrod,
Do you notice any difference between plain frozen and vodka frozen minnows as far as firmness or difference in the bite?

Why not freeze them in coke? Stay firm and easy to get them apart.

Just what my wife wants to see in the freezer, large gelatinized minnows bobbing in vodka.
Anyway fish with a high oil content do not freeze well, so this seems like a good way to keep them firm-but would’nt the vodka leech out the scent?

tim hurley wrote:

Anyway fish with a high oil content do not freeze well, so this seems like a good way to keep them firm-but would’nt the vodka leech out the scent?

Alcohol always seems to attract a crowd.

Mmmm. Sardine vodka.

Yes, hard freeze doesn’t do well, alcohol does the trick.