Best salt for brining bait...

[Waterwolf2230]

Hi Guys,

I'm wondering what the difference is between the various forms of salt and its effects on the bait. There is a large price difference between various salts. For example, 10kg bags of Kosher salt are about $40 where I live. Today I saw Canadian Tire selling pool salt (very fine consistency) at $8 for 20kg bags. I see some are using rock salts as well. If its not used for consumption, would that pool salt serve the purpose of drying out the bait? I hope so as its FAR more cost effective...

Last season, I had lots of luck with both Pautzke Fire Brine in blue and green and in the the Pro-cure Brine N Brite Complete - Chartreuse. I'm just looking to see if something more cost effective would still be as productive.

I've seen some online talking about using Mrs. Stewarts Bluing Agent to get the blue color into the bait but can't find that anywhere in Canada. From my experience for what its worth, the blue brined bait was the ticket. Do you have any other creative ways to get the blue into the bait while brining it?

Thanks in advance for your advice,

Curtis

 

[Derby]

PNT carries it Mrs. stewards... we buy it by the pallet..

 

[tubber]

I squirt a tablespoon of Mrs. Stewart (try Safeway laundry dept.) into a large mayo jar of pool salt and shake it up. I use this as a dry brine. If I keep water from splashing into my bait cooler, it will last for weeks. The bag will last me years. Works fine for me, but I don't fish bait often.

 

[carpeweekend]

Salmon University (google it) has a great brining recipe that includes using Mrs. Stewarts bluing. You can buy it online if you can't make it to PNT. Makes a great brine but be prepared for some blue stains on your boat.

 

[advTHXance]

For a dry brine, you want non-iodized coarse salt. You can buy it by the box at Walmart for like $1/ea.

For a wet brine, you can buy pre-mixed "brine-n-bite" basically anywhere that sells fishing supplies. Mrs. Stewarts liquid bluing and the Salmon University recipe will work as well, but I had a hard time finding it in Victoria.

 

[Waterwolf2230]

I squirt a tablespoon of Mrs. Stewart (try Safeway laundry dept.) into a large mayo jar of pool salt and shake it up. I use this as a dry brine. If I keep water from splashing into my bait cooler, it will last for weeks. The bag will last me years. Works fine for me, but I don't fish bait often.

Okay so you don't find the pool salt being as fine as it is has any adverse affects on the bait? I'm surprised that it only takes 1 TBSP to make all that salt turn blue. I do get to PNT a few times a year, if I can't find it in the meantime I'll pick it up there next time...

How does 'Iodized Salt' adversely affect the bait? Does it wreck the scales?

 

[advTHXance]

Im no scientist but I think the iodized salt either burns the bait or dyes it. I remember reading that Salmon U. article (could actually have been a diff article) and they specifically said to make sure its non-iodized salt to avoid this.

 

[Waterwolf2230]

Im no scientist but I think the iodized salt either burns the bait or dyes it. I remember reading that Salmon U. article (could actually have been a diff article) and they specifically said to make sure its non-iodized salt to avoid this.

From what I've been able to determine, Pool Salt is non-iodized and is the least expensive form of salt, so I'm going to give that a go...I'll report back with my results!

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

From what I've been able to determine, Pool Salt is non-iodized and is the least expensive form of salt, so I'm going to give that a go...I'll report back with my results!

I've heard people talking about using pool salt with good results. I use non-iodized pickling salt from superstore. Makes the bait last for months!

 

[Waterwolf2230]

I've heard people talking about using pool salt with good results. I use non-iodized pickling salt from superstore. Makes the bait last for months!

I know a 44lb bag might be overkill but it works out to $0.18/lb vs pickling salt which is $1.15/lb.

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

I know a 44lb bag might be overkill but it works out to $0.18/lb vs pickling salt which is $1.15/lb.

I only salt a couple packs at a time - so I haven't gone though even one box yet If I bought the pool salt, my other half would get suspicious that I was going to dig a pool for her

 

[advTHXance]

Just make sure you keep that 44lb bag sealed when storing it, or youll have a 44lb brick! I bought about $8 worth of the "Great Value" pickling salt last year and I think Ive still got 3 or 4 boxes left. You can just drain the excess moisture every so often to stretch its lifespan. I change mine out when it starts to get stinky.

 

[Reeltime]

Army and Navy kosher salt ... i try to keep it dry and cold last a lot longer ... after a day of fishing there will be a bit of moisture in the bag of salted bait so i'll
leave the bag open in the freezer ,seems to draw out the moisture from the salt making it dry again .

 

[gunnerlove]

Water softener salt. Probably the cheapest food grade salt going.

 

[fish brain]

I used one pound of pickling salt for all last summer. there is still some in my bait cooler as I keep my bait in the salt all the time. For the investment in one pound that will likely last all summer, why buy an $8.00 bag that will probably just turn into a big lump?

 

[cabazon]

Shar-Kar has big bags of coarse salt I've used it for brining salmon for smoking etc for years really Cheap

 

[Whole in the Water]

I like to keep it simple. I use a dry brine (toughens up the bait faster), course salt , few drops of blue food coloring with a little bit of powdered milk for shine. Simple and effective!

 

[Blackmax]

This year I picked up a bottle of the brine liquid for the first time, I found you need to leave it at least the length of time they say about 32 hours. The bait came out very shiny and fairly tough. You can reuse the brine by adding salt the next time.

 

[Fish Camp]

I worry sometimes i 'm possining the strikes by using anything but a good pickilling slurrry of salt that is empied after every use.transportation of this slurry spills.

 

[Time]

Pool salt bags too big, unless you have a pool (I wish), kosher salt or pickling salt is non-i0dized and is in every grocery store.