Dear Spug

I am writing to you for your expert advice and to resolve a long-standing dispute between my boyfriend and I. My boyfriend is a keen carp angler and has been for many years. However, over the past few years my fridge has been taken over with his containers of soaking hookbaits. On numerous occasions I have asked him why he can’t just leave them in buckets and keep them in his fishing van, but he has told me that they must stay in the fridge to keep fresh. Is this really the case, or can he move them out so I can have my fridge back?

Hope you can help.

Jo Cooke, Cambs.

Hi Jo

Thanks for the question. As much as I hate to admit it, the truth is that you could probably have your fridge back! I regularly soak my hookbaits and never put them in a fridge as I have always found that the flavourings and dips I use have a shelf life that will far out-last any need to prolong their life.

Having said that, there is a possibility that he may be using a dip/glug that does not have a long shelf life, such as straight tiger nut juice, which can go off quite quickly. The best thing to do is to try to find out which ones he is using, and if he is using the wrong ones, impress him with your new-found knowledge and buy him some ready-made hookbait enhancement systems such as some of the ones from the Mainline range, which don’t need refrigerating!

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Spug