Freezing Peeler

[cod head]

hes abit waspy int he

[gullyworm]

Originally Posted by cod head

hes abit waspy int he

lol..

[MRG2000]

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Jez, it annoys the hell out of me when folks refer to 'lungs' in crabs. They're bruddy CRUSTACEANS, OK? They don't even look like lungs!!!

They don't have bloody lungs!!!
They have gills .. you know like fishees!

There is so much krap talked about freezing and using peelers.

They are a fine bait, when used effectively (like any bait!). They are not MAGIC or a BLUEY-STYLE 'WONDERBAIT'! (wot a good joke that was!)

You wouldn't believe the thousands of pounds worth of bought peelers I've seen used to no effect.
This season is a good example on the S Coast. Smuts a plenty!
85p peelers used in abundance ... very effective for smuts and baby bream (and eels).
Just as effective for smuts ... free peeler spiders hanging out to dry at the bottom of every groyne between Hastings and Weymouth!
Too lazy? Live too far away? Make the effort and get to an estuary or river mouth or bridge and collect 30 small hardbacks ... nothing bigger than an inch across. Use two or three on a 3/0 and catch your ration of smuts for free!

Wanna freeze left-over peelers? Just rinse in fresh water and freeze on cold trays. Wrap in cling film. They'll keep fine for 6 weeks like this.

Really need to keep for 3 months??? OK, rinse, peel, quick freeze!

Remove the GILLS?
50 years has taught me that it's totally unnecessary!
If fish don't wanna eat 'em; they spit 'em out! Seen a cod or bass stuffed full of hardbacks. Did they dissect out the gills first? Or remove the shells? Of course not!

A bit of stress here i think !...its definatly better to remove the lungs as they will spoil and taint the crab..

Lungs / Gills surely the same thing ,they both do the same thing harvest oxygen essential for every creature to survive..

[maghouse]

Fresh live peeler - makes no difference from my experience - thats how the fish eat them !
To freeze down - gotta remove the lungs/gills/ladys fingers/wiggly bits otherwise the bacteria in the lungs which isn't killed off by freezing will taint the flesh ... IMHO of course ....

[lazy hooker]

hi guys
when i'm using fresh peelers i just shell em and whip them on, don't bother de-lunging them.
when i freeze them id do take out the lungs/gills because crabs have a bacteria in the lungs which remains within the lungs when the crab is alive, when you freeze them with the lungs in this particular bacteria can withstand the temperature of the freezer and may even spread tainting the rest of the crab, but the reel problem starts when you start to defrost them, the bacteria multiplies at a beserk rate spreading into and tainting the rest of the bait....

john

ps the bacteria can't be too good for your freezer either unless they are really well wrapped..