Use by dates

[Jack H]

I’ve just been looking through some different pots and liquids in my carp bag, and have seen that some pots of pop ups have shelf life dates that are the end of this year. The pot is full as I’ve not had chance to use them yet, so are they ok to use after the best before? Do past best dates make an impact to catch rates? Do fish find them more attractive? It would be interesting to know everybody’s thoughts.

Jack

[Oldskoolfool]

Flavours and additives do go off mostly through oxidation. Flavours with Flavours in can have a short life of up to 2yrs - you can still use them if you want but they are past thier best.

I have used flavours similar to what carper use throygh woek , often same source and we kept them in light tight Ali bottles under nitrogen in a freezer - not a small plastic bottle/pot

If the pot is distorted by its contents bin it - leached thr plastic

You can try th.e but if they smell off suggest bin them

[Jack H]

Flavours and additives do go off mostly through oxidation. Flavours with Flavours in can have a short life of up to 2yrs - you can still use them if you want but they are past thier best.

I have used flavours similar to what carper use throygh woek , often same source and we kept them in light tight Ali bottles under nitrogen in a freezer - not a small plastic bottle/pot

If the pot is distorted by its contents bin it - leached thr plastic

You can try th.e but if they smell off suggest bin them

Thank you. I’ve got a bottle of mainline fosoil which best before ends at the end of the year. Can’t see myself using a whole bottle in that time, and seems a shame to waste it.
All other pots of pop ups smell fine, so will probably hang onto them.

Jack

[Cyprio]

Depending on the make up of the fluids some will keep. More so if their flavours. Check on eBay there’s some avid collectors of earlier or out of production bait products some at ridiculously high sell prices.
The pop ups won’t go off you can revitalise their attraction my soaking or just spraying.

Andybabyhammer on here will tell you how effective revitalised boilies will still get you a PB. Just because it doesn’t fit well with humans wildlife is different, that’s why we can’t understand your dog when it won’t eat kibble and yet will eagerly devour a cow pat

[Happy Hayes]

I’ve just given away a bottle of monster crab to a carp angler I know it must be at least twenty years old ( he nearly ripped me hands off) and it still stank like it did all them years ago .
As far as pop ups are concerned as Cyprio said just boost them with the same or another flavour.
I’ve got tubs of glugged hook baits that have been soaking for years and I’d be confident in using them now as long as they don’t look or smell dodgy .
All my bait flavours etc have always been kept in a dark room if that’s of any interest.
The end of the day as far as hook baits are concerned imho it’s a confidence thing
Regards
Tom

[Jack H]

Depending on the make up of the fluids some will keep. More so if their flavours. Check on eBay there’s some avid collectors of earlier or out of production bait products some at ridiculously high sell prices.
The pop ups won’t go off you can revitalise their attraction my soaking or just spraying.

Andybabyhammer on here will tell you how effective revitalised boilies will still get you a PB. Just because it doesn’t fit well with humans wildlife is different, that’s why we can’t understand your dog when it won’t eat kibble and yet will eagerly devour a cow pat

I’ve seen some of the old Rod Hutchinson flavours on eBay going for silly money. Can’t understand it as surely after 20 odd years it would have gone rancid.Ive actually got some pop ups soaking in liquids, more of an experiment to see how long they last. After over a year of soaking they still smell fine. Will have to get some matching liquids to keep the pop ups topped up.

Cheers
Jack

[Jack H]

I’ve just given away a bottle of monster crab to a carp angler I know it must be at least twenty years old ( he nearly ripped me hands off) and it still stank like it did all them years ago .
As far as pop ups are concerned as Cyprio said just boost them with the same or another flavour.
I’ve got tubs of glugged hook baits that have been soaking for years and I’d be confident in using them now as long as they don’t look or smell dodgy .
All my bait flavours etc have always been kept in a dark room if that’s of any interest.
The end of the day as far as hook baits are concerned imho it’s a confidence thing
Regards
Tom

All my hookbait tubs are kept in a Nash hookbait bag which is lined. Everything else like liquids are kept in a dark room as you say. Will keep an eye on them.

Thanks
Jack

[Cyprio]

Personally wouldn’t bother soaking baits full time. They take on a lot which to a fish could be off putting.

Only exception I’ve had is bright yellow baits soaked excessively in Banana flavour fished in the depths of winter when the lakes were prone to freeze during the night.
Other than that if I’m feeding 10kg plus of bait why would I want to fish an Alien on the Hook it defeats the point of feeding heavy to increase confidence.
I only match the Hatch now, and being honest smaller versions of freebie’s up your chances.
But hey use what gives you confidence and makes the shops happy

[Jack H]

Confidence is definitely key. A local lake does really well on bright yellow baits. Sort of defeats the point of camouflaging your end tackle to the nth degree, to then use a bright coloured pop up. Funny game this fishing lark. Agree on the smaller baits. I find it keeps them more active in the swim for longer.

Thanks

Jack