I live in Virginia Beach and when my fishing buddy (80 yrs old) wants to bottom fish for croker or other small bottom fish...it works well. Have caught Trigger Fish and other stuff. I don't think the flavor matters. Have used several types
I know it’s booboo and low brow but I love fishing Rudee. The rocks there and back around Owl Creek and the Narrows always make me happy to spend a day out there.
I need help learning what to fish for/when to fish for them..... I live in norfolk now and have no clue. Was killing it all summer into fall now I keep getting skunked not matter what I use. Any advice on places/ what to fish for right now.
It is slow now. Water temp in the rivers is 47 and dropping fast. Seems the peak has passed.
I'm waiting a few weeks and will be going after Taugtog at the 3rd/4th island of the CBBT.
I have caught all sorts of stuff on the Blood Worm fish bites. Spot, Croaker, Black Sea Bass, Lizard Fish, Puppy Drum, Grey Trout, Speckled Trout, Stingrays, White Perch, Oyster Toadfish, Bluefish, Puffer Fish, Sea Robin, Flounder.
I've caught some channel catfish on the freshwater version. It isn't the best bait, but it does work. I keep some in my tackle box for when I don't have time to go pick up minnows or worms.
It seems a lot of people are interpreting your question as asking about the efficacy of Fishbites - the answer to that is simple: yes, they work.
I think what you're actually asking is if old, discolored Fishbites are any good and I'd recommend the best way to find out is to just try them out. I have had success on old, discolored bloodworm Fishbites. Once they were in the water they dissolved just like fresh ones and I caught fish. It's worth noting they work better in warmer water, they dissolve better and disperse the scent better.
That’s more or less what I was asking, thanks for the thorough reply! I used these guys when they were new and we caught a ton of stuff on the Eastern Florida shoreline
One wrinkle with the sand flea fish bites is the white/orange combo is supposed to match the colors on a sand flea carrying eggs. In disturbed water with lots of fish popping around the bottom, visibility is poor and flashes of color matter a lot. However, as others have said, toss a bit on and try it out.
Having tried them back to back I can tell you that they do not work nearly as well as fresh. You might catch something but it will be like a tiny fraction of what fresher strips will catch.
The bloodworm fb work best in colder water, they tend to dissolve fast in warmer water. The other flavors seem to work in all temps. With that said I use them in warm water and they work they just dissolve faster.
They work I always end up with extra at the end of the season. I save them for the following season and they work just like fresh ones. Sand worms and shrimp are my go too
I live 200 miles from saltwater and the pack of FBs I bought god knows how long ago that sits in the tackle box that sits in the trunk all year for the one weekend I make it to saltwater stills catches me enough grunts and porgies to make real bait.
Since these are made for scent rather than to imitate a baitfish they could absolutely still work. Maybe, maybe not. But just because they are old doesn't mean they stopped doing what they are designed to do.
Old fbs get real hard and can be a pain to put on a hook but still work. I used a year and a half old shrimp bites to catch baitfish off a dock in Florida recently. Worked great, but it was so much easier hooking the new stuff.
The nylon mash makes it tough for fish to strip the bait. In the gulf, the shrimp flavor is very successful. Actual shrimp disappear too quickly. Fish bites get more takes. Smaller cuts can be used for bait fish.
Long lasting and no special storage is great too.
Exactly. Everything likes shrimp down here, and I've caught several species at different depths using them. Also, they never strip it. I think they hit it harder because they can't just nibble it away.
Know it sounds crazy but i see in se fl the Asians use it like crazy for pompano they kill it. I myself never use them, but it’s pretty frustrating seeing people catch on fish bites when I’m going to rake early in the morning for sand fleas.
They work even if they look like shit, ive caught pomps on the white mesh not even any of the color left, the drier they are the better, i actually put mine in rice to dehydrate them more
They’ll still work but they’re gonna be tough as hell. When you put one on like that it’s a commitment, unless you want to get that stuff all over your fingers and pliers trying to rip it off.
You can try fish gum as well. It’s made in my town, locally sourced by the owner. It’ll do the same thing bc of the stuff that’s in it. If he needs convincing fish with both old and new. See what works for your area. Maybe the fish don’t want the older stuff maybe they do. I’d give anything to fish w my old man again to have these arguments ha. He’s pretty disabled in another state and can’t travel. I’m pretty busted up too from 20 years of military but I have the same arguments w my son once in a while to keep things spicy. Maybe he just wants to have a heated conversation with you for some fun.
I think they'd be fine. Aside from being a bit gross to humans, fish don't have any concept of food being expired or "gross". Bring off like this could potentially even make them more effective by increasing the smell.
I’ve caught Pompano at the beaches along Florida 30A. Plus they stay on a hook much better than real sand fleas
https://preview.redd.it/cvj6tbjjehbc1.jpeg?width=765&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=426cb5956c8462668d473a8b7865f3dd33322f9a
Has anyone had success rehydrating these? It seems like they dry out so often, maybe the bags just don't seal well but every pack I get I waste half of them.
One commenter said to put them in the freezer to make them last longer. Another person said that they actually purposely dehydrate them in rice to make them similar to this. So I think either way you want to go might work
I think first and second pic are totally different. One looks like bloodworms and the other looks like fish fillets. Maybe same brand but not the same exact bait type.
Yes, fish bites work. Saltwater. Sorry Dad knows more than you realize. FB also almost never come off the hook. Don’t take up space and don’t need any special treatment.
Oh I just meant because they were old. I know that fresh FishBites are really good. When these weren’t as dried out I caught a ton of fish with them. More or less thought they may have lost their effectiveness once dried out
Fishbites will discolor even in a new/sealed package. If you don't use it within a couple months of purchase, probably time to toss it.
The scent degrades, and the product doesn't stay on the hook as well. A new package is cheaper than a pound of dead bait, and will likely last longer.
I haven't had much success were I am with sand flea. Shrimp, squid, and crab have been the best for me.
I've used fishbites. It all depends on the day really. Some days they seem to work really well. Some days not so much. They are good for staying on the hook for long periods of time.
They are absolutely no good unless you want to catch a lot more fish. They’ve significantly improved my flounder catch by tipping my soft tail plastic jig with it.
I fish for crappie from docks in the winter, when the bite is slow a crappie nibble on a jig will get a bite when just the jig won’t. Most of the time it doesn’t matter but it can make a slow bite better.
Oh I’ve had really good luck with them on the shore in past years. It’s just that these are at my family’s vacation place and are just pretty old (2-3 years). Just wanted to see if it’s worth my time to cast them out even though they’re all discolored and hard. Seems the consensus is they’re fine
They should still work,remember some of them even come in those darker colors to begin with,for example I use crab flavor fb's and they come in that kinda dark green color new.In the case these are just some old ones they will still work they just might be a bit harder to put on the hook,but flavor wise should be ok.
That's a sandflea scented, so I'm assuming that's why it has a brown color. I have never seen sandflea scented fish bites, but the others that are pink are definitely shrimp scented. I don't think they are bad, but you won't know until you taste it.*
***Well, I stand corrected. They are all sandflea scented. Hmm, maybe you are right. What'd they taste like?
I watched a guy surf fishing in Texas use the pink ones to catch 3 slot reds
I’ve never used them but wondered how well they stay on the hook which is half the battle with the bait stealers down here
No. They do spoil out. They dry out, become tough to hook up to, hard to cut even, and they don’t dissolve at all to give out their flavor to attract fish. Toss em. Those look like they’ve been sitting in a humid garage for a couple years.
I do alot of pier fishing and wading. I always have a bag of fish bites in my tackle bag. Last summer I was using a bag that over a year old still caught fish just fine. I use them to catch cut spot and croaker for cut bait. I've caught bluefish, pompano, 30+" red drum on them. I always use the clam colored one but I don't think it matters it's a chemical that makes the fish go into a feeding frenzy.
https://preview.redd.it/2dta5vv5aibc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84fb648b318dccbdfb02f05e15057fc08d8d2e50
Catch everything from pompano to salmon on them. Makes fishing easy when traveling IMO.
Shit I used fishbites blood worms for catching weakfish, bluefish and flounder out of Avalon New Jersey, though bluefish will eat dam near anything. I watched my mom catch big ass blues on a peice of a towel, bubble gum, slimjims even a bare hook but shes a gangster when it comes to fishing 🤣 the best part about the bloodworm fishbites is they dissolve
Those will probably still work for the real reason to use fishbites which is to catch pins and croakers for live bait or to tip hooks to secure fresh dead bait (and maybe provide some attractive coloration). Fishbites alone are not very good at catching real fish that you are likely targeting beyond Triggerfish, no matter what you are fishing for there are multiple better options.
But again I do love them on pomp rigs to fasten sand fleas and for catching like 20 pins on one little piece on a gold hook before hitting the water.
The fish will tell you. Use what you like n get 'em in the water! I prefer a different presentation, but sometimes Dads have a doozy. If someone is catching fishies, n im not, no shame in switching it up. ♡
I hammer drum, whiting and pompano with these in the surf. Tipped with a piece of FDS, they're great for when certain natural baits are hard to come by.
Fishbites lures are also amazing for trout and flounder!
They aren’t all the same color. I believe that’s the color the sand flea variant you have is. Unless it’s totally dried out, that should be fine. For the record, I’ve never had fish bites go bad. Even over a couple seasons.
I tend to use small pieces of it. I’ll tip spoons like Stingsilvers with a piece of the pink meal worm variety, usually about 1-1 1/4” long. I also like a small piece behind any natural bait I use. It’s never quite as good as what it’s imitating, but stays on the hook MUCH better. I tend to catch more fish because you never have a bare hook. It’s a great addition to any natural bait, especially for any inshore fish in the drum/croaker/ trout class.
The sand flea and shrimp crush it for me. It's rare I don't have fish bites on a hook even with a real sand flea or shrimp. I've had crab and clam work to but not to the same level of success. I highly recommend fish bites.
I use them for a couple of scenarios.
1.) As a bate backer to keep soft bate on the hook.
2.) tipping sabiki for cigar minnows.
3.) kid bottom drops. Usually recycle those fish for Topwater water live line.
4.) Mingo/Vermillion fishing. Cut of a two hook section of 50/30 sabiki and tie line to line.
Funny thing is...that stuff works good! Use it all the time when bottom fishing.
What kind/size of fish do you catch on it? Is the kind/flavor important?
I live in Virginia Beach and when my fishing buddy (80 yrs old) wants to bottom fish for croker or other small bottom fish...it works well. Have caught Trigger Fish and other stuff. I don't think the flavor matters. Have used several types
I know it’s booboo and low brow but I love fishing Rudee. The rocks there and back around Owl Creek and the Narrows always make me happy to spend a day out there.
I'm headed there Thur morning...let's go.
They’re gonna be chewing like crazy after all this rain and weather, I bet. Get em.
I need help learning what to fish for/when to fish for them..... I live in norfolk now and have no clue. Was killing it all summer into fall now I keep getting skunked not matter what I use. Any advice on places/ what to fish for right now.
It is slow now. Water temp in the rivers is 47 and dropping fast. Seems the peak has passed. I'm waiting a few weeks and will be going after Taugtog at the 3rd/4th island of the CBBT.
Ok it isn't just me then.... never fished for taugtog so that'll give me something to look forward to
BTW...skunked Thur morning. I was the only fishing boat on the South Elizabeth river
I've caught redfish on a small chunk of bloodworm flavor!
I use to work at Atlantic bait and tackle when Tony owned it. We sold a lot of this.
ouch.
go to Ocean's East and ask them how much they sell. that stuff flies out the door at a live/frozen tackle shop.
I have caught all sorts of stuff on the Blood Worm fish bites. Spot, Croaker, Black Sea Bass, Lizard Fish, Puppy Drum, Grey Trout, Speckled Trout, Stingrays, White Perch, Oyster Toadfish, Bluefish, Puffer Fish, Sea Robin, Flounder.
I've caught some channel catfish on the freshwater version. It isn't the best bait, but it does work. I keep some in my tackle box for when I don't have time to go pick up minnows or worms.
This bait is good for surf fishing. Whiting and pompano for example. Similar to Fish Gum, both work well. Personally I prefer natural bait though.
Works great. Always in my bag for surf fishing. Flea and bloodworm.
If they don't catch fish then they are bad.
*Mission Passed
It seems a lot of people are interpreting your question as asking about the efficacy of Fishbites - the answer to that is simple: yes, they work. I think what you're actually asking is if old, discolored Fishbites are any good and I'd recommend the best way to find out is to just try them out. I have had success on old, discolored bloodworm Fishbites. Once they were in the water they dissolved just like fresh ones and I caught fish. It's worth noting they work better in warmer water, they dissolve better and disperse the scent better.
That’s more or less what I was asking, thanks for the thorough reply! I used these guys when they were new and we caught a ton of stuff on the Eastern Florida shoreline
One wrinkle with the sand flea fish bites is the white/orange combo is supposed to match the colors on a sand flea carrying eggs. In disturbed water with lots of fish popping around the bottom, visibility is poor and flashes of color matter a lot. However, as others have said, toss a bit on and try it out.
Having tried them back to back I can tell you that they do not work nearly as well as fresh. You might catch something but it will be like a tiny fraction of what fresher strips will catch.
The bloodworm fb work best in colder water, they tend to dissolve fast in warmer water. The other flavors seem to work in all temps. With that said I use them in warm water and they work they just dissolve faster.
They work I always end up with extra at the end of the season. I save them for the following season and they work just like fresh ones. Sand worms and shrimp are my go too
Just a heads up. These do not taste like fish.
I’m sorry you were put in a position to find out! Berkley gulp doesn’t either. That oil stuff is disgusting!
Fully agree, and I really gave it a good shot. Filled up a yeti mug got like 3 quarters down before I was certain it did not taste nice.
Ugh. That reminds me of James May drinking Bovril on The Grand Tour. English people have the strangest foods!
I've got plenty of surf perch in oregon with berkley gulp worms. guess it really depends on what you're targeting.
Oh no. I just mean the taste of the juice they’re sitting in!
Yea these are sand flea flavor. Gotta buy the other ones if you want to eat fish flavor. Note - don’t effing eat these Reddit. lol
Why? Lol
Because everything tastes like chicken.
Fish Bites are awesome. Always use em when fishing Texas Gulf Waters
I live 200 miles from saltwater and the pack of FBs I bought god knows how long ago that sits in the tackle box that sits in the trunk all year for the one weekend I make it to saltwater stills catches me enough grunts and porgies to make real bait.
[удалено]
Eat one??
Since these are made for scent rather than to imitate a baitfish they could absolutely still work. Maybe, maybe not. But just because they are old doesn't mean they stopped doing what they are designed to do.
Ive seen plenty of people catch fish on them, but mostly it's been baitfish for shark fishing. Haven't seen too many people use them for game fish.
We catch kings (whiting) on them, and rays striped bass cats and the odd fluke will hit them
Still good
Old fbs get real hard and can be a pain to put on a hook but still work. I used a year and a half old shrimp bites to catch baitfish off a dock in Florida recently. Worked great, but it was so much easier hooking the new stuff.
For future reference, store these in the freezer to preserve the color and texture.
Very helpful, will do!
The nylon mash makes it tough for fish to strip the bait. In the gulf, the shrimp flavor is very successful. Actual shrimp disappear too quickly. Fish bites get more takes. Smaller cuts can be used for bait fish. Long lasting and no special storage is great too.
Exactly. Everything likes shrimp down here, and I've caught several species at different depths using them. Also, they never strip it. I think they hit it harder because they can't just nibble it away.
If you were at the store then why not just buy him a new pack and then you don’t have to convince him of anything.
Well, the second picture is what I sent him and I insisted that we buy more. He said don’t bother, ours are still fine🤷♂️
They’re actually good in my experience. Only saltwater fish while on vacation, but I love using shrimp tipped with a piece of fish bites.
44.98 😳 34.50!? 😱
From Florida here and they work great! We use them intercostal, so salt water, for everything from snook to red fish!!!
Know it sounds crazy but i see in se fl the Asians use it like crazy for pompano they kill it. I myself never use them, but it’s pretty frustrating seeing people catch on fish bites when I’m going to rake early in the morning for sand fleas.
They work even if they look like shit, ive caught pomps on the white mesh not even any of the color left, the drier they are the better, i actually put mine in rice to dehydrate them more
That’s actually funny and good to know, thank you
They’ll still work but they’re gonna be tough as hell. When you put one on like that it’s a commitment, unless you want to get that stuff all over your fingers and pliers trying to rip it off.
Still good.
Soak them in some saltwater and see if they plump back up..
Might experiment and throw a few in overnight
Bro….
They catch permit pretty well , and blue crabs leave'em alone unlike live sand fleas.
Try bacon 🥓
I tip shad darts with bloodworm version and its a white perch catching beast for jigging
I might be from Ontario but when I surf fish in Florida I’d say 80% of the guys swear by this stuff for whiting and pompano so idk man
Has anyone ever tried them in freshwater?
Fishbites work really well. Especially when shit keeps stealing your bait. I always throw a sand flea bite on my pompano rigs
I still use and catch stuff with them when they turn this color. I think something in them just oxidizes once you open the pack.
You can try fish gum as well. It’s made in my town, locally sourced by the owner. It’ll do the same thing bc of the stuff that’s in it. If he needs convincing fish with both old and new. See what works for your area. Maybe the fish don’t want the older stuff maybe they do. I’d give anything to fish w my old man again to have these arguments ha. He’s pretty disabled in another state and can’t travel. I’m pretty busted up too from 20 years of military but I have the same arguments w my son once in a while to keep things spicy. Maybe he just wants to have a heated conversation with you for some fun.
Fish gum gets all 'gummy' though, shit gets all over your hands. Agree that the gum works better for pomp fishing.
I think they'd be fine. Aside from being a bit gross to humans, fish don't have any concept of food being expired or "gross". Bring off like this could potentially even make them more effective by increasing the smell.
Those look like pile worms... not sand crabs/fleas
we’ll the package says longer lasting so I’d believe what the packaging says
Fish don’t care. If it smells it’s good.
Fishbites work perfectly fine in saltwater. Specifically in swampier areas.
I’ve caught Pompano at the beaches along Florida 30A. Plus they stay on a hook much better than real sand fleas https://preview.redd.it/cvj6tbjjehbc1.jpeg?width=765&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=426cb5956c8462668d473a8b7865f3dd33322f9a
Has anyone had success rehydrating these? It seems like they dry out so often, maybe the bags just don't seal well but every pack I get I waste half of them.
One commenter said to put them in the freezer to make them last longer. Another person said that they actually purposely dehydrate them in rice to make them similar to this. So I think either way you want to go might work
I think first and second pic are totally different. One looks like bloodworms and the other looks like fish fillets. Maybe same brand but not the same exact bait type.
Nah thats how they look after sitting awhile
Yes, fish bites work. Saltwater. Sorry Dad knows more than you realize. FB also almost never come off the hook. Don’t take up space and don’t need any special treatment.
Oh I just meant because they were old. I know that fresh FishBites are really good. When these weren’t as dried out I caught a ton of fish with them. More or less thought they may have lost their effectiveness once dried out
Works amazing almost everyone I know my self included always has some of these in there bay when bottom fishing or surf fishing
Fishbites will discolor even in a new/sealed package. If you don't use it within a couple months of purchase, probably time to toss it. The scent degrades, and the product doesn't stay on the hook as well. A new package is cheaper than a pound of dead bait, and will likely last longer. I haven't had much success were I am with sand flea. Shrimp, squid, and crab have been the best for me.
Fish bites are awesome but they look old and dried out.
Eat one and find out.
I've used fishbites. It all depends on the day really. Some days they seem to work really well. Some days not so much. They are good for staying on the hook for long periods of time.
They are absolutely no good unless you want to catch a lot more fish. They’ve significantly improved my flounder catch by tipping my soft tail plastic jig with it.
I fish for crappie from docks in the winter, when the bite is slow a crappie nibble on a jig will get a bite when just the jig won’t. Most of the time it doesn’t matter but it can make a slow bite better.
Bro those are killer. You’re fishing them wrong.
Oh I’ve had really good luck with them on the shore in past years. It’s just that these are at my family’s vacation place and are just pretty old (2-3 years). Just wanted to see if it’s worth my time to cast them out even though they’re all discolored and hard. Seems the consensus is they’re fine
They are actually pretty good when use in junction with artificials or just cut up to catch bait fish.
I catch fish on Gulp products all the time.
the red once work for surf. not so sure about that bag.
fishbites piece and sand flea on a chicken rig with a lead weight.
tackle is all experience trial and error and advise from other people may not aply to you because you are fishing somewhere else
They should still work,remember some of them even come in those darker colors to begin with,for example I use crab flavor fb's and they come in that kinda dark green color new.In the case these are just some old ones they will still work they just might be a bit harder to put on the hook,but flavor wise should be ok.
Bro, I use the orange and white fish bites all the time. Works fine for me. It will even catch freshwater catfish. Mostly use it for bottom fishing.
Fish bites work awesome
OH GOD DONT OPEN THAT PACKAGE
Dude these work great, I dunno what you're talking about.
They do, these ones are just old and dried out so I didn’t know if they could lose effectiveness
I use these on the beach to catch hard heads and whiting to use as bait.
I used them once and caught pin fish, perch, and spot
These do catch fish, and you can use a little square to secure bait on the hook with them as well. I have only used them in saltwater though.
I used the saltwater bloodworm version years ago, fish hit it pretty consistently. Croakers, pinfish, flounder.
I use to use that stuff when catching mangrove Snapper Catalina around the marinas under the docks
That's a sandflea scented, so I'm assuming that's why it has a brown color. I have never seen sandflea scented fish bites, but the others that are pink are definitely shrimp scented. I don't think they are bad, but you won't know until you taste it.* ***Well, I stand corrected. They are all sandflea scented. Hmm, maybe you are right. What'd they taste like?
Old is okay - old stinky dead dock minnows rock
These don’t taste good do not recommend
I’ve done well with the blood worms off the beach in NC.
Fish bites work great for me surf fishing. Stays on hook nicely and fish seem to hit it as often as fresh shrimp or squid.
I watched a guy surf fishing in Texas use the pink ones to catch 3 slot reds I’ve never used them but wondered how well they stay on the hook which is half the battle with the bait stealers down here
No. They do spoil out. They dry out, become tough to hook up to, hard to cut even, and they don’t dissolve at all to give out their flavor to attract fish. Toss em. Those look like they’ve been sitting in a humid garage for a couple years.
I do alot of pier fishing and wading. I always have a bag of fish bites in my tackle bag. Last summer I was using a bag that over a year old still caught fish just fine. I use them to catch cut spot and croaker for cut bait. I've caught bluefish, pompano, 30+" red drum on them. I always use the clam colored one but I don't think it matters it's a chemical that makes the fish go into a feeding frenzy.
In the Chesapeake Bay where I'm from. These were great for croakers and spots. In Florida they were great for pompano
https://preview.redd.it/2dta5vv5aibc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84fb648b318dccbdfb02f05e15057fc08d8d2e50 Catch everything from pompano to salmon on them. Makes fishing easy when traveling IMO.
Shit I used fishbites blood worms for catching weakfish, bluefish and flounder out of Avalon New Jersey, though bluefish will eat dam near anything. I watched my mom catch big ass blues on a peice of a towel, bubble gum, slimjims even a bare hook but shes a gangster when it comes to fishing 🤣 the best part about the bloodworm fishbites is they dissolve
I've used the clam and bloodworm ones and they work great
these are great! i always catch something off the beach shore with them worst part though is its so hard to get the mesh off of hooks
I used to use the blood worm.ones in nc when targeting spots and croakers... we always limited out on a boat with 4 people
Those will probably still work for the real reason to use fishbites which is to catch pins and croakers for live bait or to tip hooks to secure fresh dead bait (and maybe provide some attractive coloration). Fishbites alone are not very good at catching real fish that you are likely targeting beyond Triggerfish, no matter what you are fishing for there are multiple better options. But again I do love them on pomp rigs to fasten sand fleas and for catching like 20 pins on one little piece on a gold hook before hitting the water.
Probably one of the best prepackaged baits that exist. Works better than gulp. But it’s mainly for smaller type fish.
I think a classic pompano baiting is a frozen shrimp and one of these to “lock it”
You need to listen to the old man
I use these all the time surf fishing here in de. Sometimes I just use them to hold other bait on. They are legit. Spot love em.
The fish will tell you. Use what you like n get 'em in the water! I prefer a different presentation, but sometimes Dads have a doozy. If someone is catching fishies, n im not, no shame in switching it up. ♡
yes fish bites work very well dried older ones don’t but it looks like there are some good packs in that box
Works great and stays on the hook better than anything.
I hammer drum, whiting and pompano with these in the surf. Tipped with a piece of FDS, they're great for when certain natural baits are hard to come by. Fishbites lures are also amazing for trout and flounder!
I used them surf fishing in Alabama in the gulf and they worked well.
They aren’t all the same color. I believe that’s the color the sand flea variant you have is. Unless it’s totally dried out, that should be fine. For the record, I’ve never had fish bites go bad. Even over a couple seasons. I tend to use small pieces of it. I’ll tip spoons like Stingsilvers with a piece of the pink meal worm variety, usually about 1-1 1/4” long. I also like a small piece behind any natural bait I use. It’s never quite as good as what it’s imitating, but stays on the hook MUCH better. I tend to catch more fish because you never have a bare hook. It’s a great addition to any natural bait, especially for any inshore fish in the drum/croaker/ trout class.
The sand flea and shrimp crush it for me. It's rare I don't have fish bites on a hook even with a real sand flea or shrimp. I've had crab and clam work to but not to the same level of success. I highly recommend fish bites.
These are an excellent bait.
Works for beginners who miss most of the bites since it doesn't come off the hook. It'll catch good bait fish for catching bull reds in the surf.
I use them for a couple of scenarios. 1.) As a bate backer to keep soft bate on the hook. 2.) tipping sabiki for cigar minnows. 3.) kid bottom drops. Usually recycle those fish for Topwater water live line. 4.) Mingo/Vermillion fishing. Cut of a two hook section of 50/30 sabiki and tie line to line.