I don't think you can go wrong with a brine before freezing... It definitely will toughen up your baits and it's done all the time for tolling baits like Ballyhoo... I've also seen it done with mullets used for a dredge...It keeps the baits from getting soft and washing out while trolling.Most are using equal parts of Kosher salt and Baking Soda.
Here's an article I found on this
https://georgepoveromo.com/article-2...made_easy.html
