spring fever
Well-Known Member
Doubt it-it's just chemicals-nothing dairy about it!!
Salting Anchovies
- Thread starter Steelheadhobo
- Start date
Peterman
Active Member
"Salmon Fishing University" has a good recipe for the Anchovie/Herring brine...
A lot of times I dont use all the bait I take with me... Im just wondering how often I can take them in and out of the fridge.. How many days are they good for?? I usually just do the salt water-coarse salt and creamo method as I leave the boat launch....
but then Im left with a half dozen or so.... they go back into the fridge.. what sort of shelf life to they have? I keep an ice pack on then in the cooler while im fishing...
A lot of times I dont use all the bait I take with me... Im just wondering how often I can take them in and out of the fridge.. How many days are they good for?? I usually just do the salt water-coarse salt and creamo method as I leave the boat launch....
but then Im left with a half dozen or so.... they go back into the fridge.. what sort of shelf life to they have? I keep an ice pack on then in the cooler while im fishing...
Charlie
Well-Known Member
To brine bait is very important, more so than what most think. It keeps the bait bright, firm, provides scent, shine and helps keep the scales intact. Brining does help attract fish. The recipe is an old one and has been around forever. I do not know where it originated, but I have been using it for years and it works very well.
Thereis a little difference in how I do it than others, as I have the advantage of keeping all the bait in a small on board freezer keeping it frozen and only take out what is needed, as needed, usually only one package at a time. Because of this, I do not need to pre-brine all the bait at once, rather just premix the brine in a three-gallon bucket; and then as a package is opened I throw the remainder in the brine mix. By doing this I always have freshly brined bait. I highly recommend, you pre-brine bait you plan to use 1 or 2 days prior to fishing, unless you have the ability to keep your bait frozen. This brining solution will keep the bait firm for weeks if refrigerated or kept cool on ice in your cooler. This recipe should brine approximately6 dozen anchovies.
In a three-gallon bucket, mix:
· 2 ½ gallons Water, left out overnight to non-chlorinated.
· 3 tablespoons Mrs. Stuart'sliquid bluing, used to make the bait more reflective. This is found in the "laundry"section at your grocery store.
· 4 cups Salt (canning, rock, kosher, or road). Not table salt!
· 1 cup powdered milk, firms the bait with outburning the anchovy.
· 2 tablespoon Garlic oil
You can adjust the portions as needed for amount of bait you want to brine. Once you start brining your bait you will find you will use about half the bait you have been.
Thereis a little difference in how I do it than others, as I have the advantage of keeping all the bait in a small on board freezer keeping it frozen and only take out what is needed, as needed, usually only one package at a time. Because of this, I do not need to pre-brine all the bait at once, rather just premix the brine in a three-gallon bucket; and then as a package is opened I throw the remainder in the brine mix. By doing this I always have freshly brined bait. I highly recommend, you pre-brine bait you plan to use 1 or 2 days prior to fishing, unless you have the ability to keep your bait frozen. This brining solution will keep the bait firm for weeks if refrigerated or kept cool on ice in your cooler. This recipe should brine approximately6 dozen anchovies.
In a three-gallon bucket, mix:
· 2 ½ gallons Water, left out overnight to non-chlorinated.
· 3 tablespoons Mrs. Stuart'sliquid bluing, used to make the bait more reflective. This is found in the "laundry"section at your grocery store.
· 4 cups Salt (canning, rock, kosher, or road). Not table salt!
· 1 cup powdered milk, firms the bait with outburning the anchovy.
· 2 tablespoon Garlic oil
You can adjust the portions as needed for amount of bait you want to brine. Once you start brining your bait you will find you will use about half the bait you have been.
sammyslabber
Active Member
Mmmm C reamo another(non-dairy) edible oil product.
Mrs.Stuart's liq.blue is for laundry, try a food grade colouring instead...sorry Charlie @ Starkist we only select the best (chemical free salmon)
...sammy
Last edited by a moderator:
Bait tricks
Member
Thanks, I'll go buy some actual powdered milk then.
greenhornet
Active Member
Well I guess i can let out a few secrets here!!!!!
I thaw my chovies in the fridge,when just thawed cut the package in an I shape.Across the top and bottom and up the middle open the two flaps use coarse rock salt and cover the anchovies with the salt.Fold the flaps back over the anchovies.Repeat the process for how ever many packs you intend to use on your trip.Stack all the packs one on top of each other,put in a plastic bag in the FRIDGE,use a plastic bag that doesnt leak do not use a safeway or save-on bag as it has holes in the bottom of it.I use a white kitchen catcher.Leave them in there for 2 to 3 days when u take them out there will be a half a cup of water or more in the bag.I then take out the packages rinse off the anchovies with water dry them with paper towel then dry the pack they came in re-pack them and salt them again fold flaps back and stack them they are now ready to use.Keep them cold always.take with you a few dozen for the day leave the rest in the fridge or cold cooler.The anchovies will go from the thickness of your finger to the thickness of cardboard they will be awesome,I learned this secret from two pros on wcvi and used it for the past twenty years out fishing most boats 3 to 1.People always yell what are you using I say anchovies they look all puzzled and reply well we are to and we havent caught f!$# all,I know they havent salted for 4 to 5 days like I have.It takes some time to do this method but it is so worth it!!!!! When you hook up your chovies in a teaser head keep your chovie straight not bent or curved,you want a tight fast roll like a drill bit.Use a 5 to 6 ft leader behind a flasher or no flasher up to you,and troll at 2.9 to 3.2 mph you will get big results or Ill eat a package of anchovies myself!!!!! When I looked at my buddies bait I said what the frick is that shriveled piece of $#!t he replies I dont use an anchovie unless its been salted for 5 days,that day twenty years ago we hooked and released 22 big springs .Now I wont use one unless its salted for 3 to 5 days.Would never use any other method!!!!!!!!
Tight lines
Billydoo
I thaw my chovies in the fridge,when just thawed cut the package in an I shape.Across the top and bottom and up the middle open the two flaps use coarse rock salt and cover the anchovies with the salt.Fold the flaps back over the anchovies.Repeat the process for how ever many packs you intend to use on your trip.Stack all the packs one on top of each other,put in a plastic bag in the FRIDGE,use a plastic bag that doesnt leak do not use a safeway or save-on bag as it has holes in the bottom of it.I use a white kitchen catcher.Leave them in there for 2 to 3 days when u take them out there will be a half a cup of water or more in the bag.I then take out the packages rinse off the anchovies with water dry them with paper towel then dry the pack they came in re-pack them and salt them again fold flaps back and stack them they are now ready to use.Keep them cold always.take with you a few dozen for the day leave the rest in the fridge or cold cooler.The anchovies will go from the thickness of your finger to the thickness of cardboard they will be awesome,I learned this secret from two pros on wcvi and used it for the past twenty years out fishing most boats 3 to 1.People always yell what are you using I say anchovies they look all puzzled and reply well we are to and we havent caught f!$# all,I know they havent salted for 4 to 5 days like I have.It takes some time to do this method but it is so worth it!!!!! When you hook up your chovies in a teaser head keep your chovie straight not bent or curved,you want a tight fast roll like a drill bit.Use a 5 to 6 ft leader behind a flasher or no flasher up to you,and troll at 2.9 to 3.2 mph you will get big results or Ill eat a package of anchovies myself!!!!! When I looked at my buddies bait I said what the frick is that shriveled piece of $#!t he replies I dont use an anchovie unless its been salted for 5 days,that day twenty years ago we hooked and released 22 big springs .Now I wont use one unless its salted for 3 to 5 days.Would never use any other method!!!!!!!!
Tight lines
Billydoo
Charlie
Well-Known Member
Mmmm C reamo another(non-dairy) edible oil product.
Mrs.Stuart's liq.blue is for laundry, try a food grade colouring instead...sorry Charlie @ Starkist we only select the best (chemical free salmon)
Don't know about the, "sorry Charlie @ Starkist we only select the best (chemical free salmon)? Might want to check on the chemicals you dump!
As far as Mrs Stuarts? Well "Mrs" sammyslabber, I doubt seriously that you have ever used "food grade colouring"? If you have then you know it creates quite the mess and will stain the boat!
The only thing I can say there is if you don't like cleaning up a mess, DO NOT USE "FOOD GRADE COLOURING"danthewire
Active Member
Safeway, laundry section.
T
tortuga
Guest
Exactly, if you have that down all you need is salt.
I only use salt when I'm stuck with very fresh bait. I buy bait which has been in sub zero cold storage for about a year. That toughens them up enough that I can just thaw them in a bucket of sea water and they stay firm until I use them up. I only thaw what I will use and thaw more as needed on a trip. Handling bait from a salt brine drys out the hands/skin and line cuts/splits are inevitable.
Interesting method... Used to do a lazy man's version, just throwing salt on the day before, have since moved to liquid brine. May have to give this a try.
swamp donkey
Member
bluing is very elusive to find in the interior of bc! does anyone know if they carry it at the harbour chandler in nanaimo?
trophywife
Crew Member
any grocery stores, laundry section, i find it hit and miss
searun
Well-Known Member
That's where those blue gloves you can buy in a box of 100 from Costco come in...never have a problem while fishing bait so long as you wear gloves. Not sure I would rely on sea water to firm up my bait - you must have good stuff.
Peahead
Well-Known Member
Post is below
Last edited by a moderator:
Peahead
Well-Known Member
Geenhornet says in his post about the 5 day salt treatment is that he finds he can more easily get a tight roll from this method of brine he describes.....so essentially he is saying the tight roll IS produced with his 5 day salt teatment- interesting. The closesest to this I can think of is sometimes if I have left a salted chovy out in the sun for 30-40 min on the gunnel and it gets very tough and papery thin - I have often thought it needs to absorb back more water to be more cylindrical to get a tighter roll .......maybe it doesnt.
greenhornet
Active Member
Hi Peahead
This method ive used forever,they will look like **** all shriveled up but im telling you,you can roll the same one for an hour and still will be perfect providing a fish doesnt wack it.Ill be in Bamfiel from the 22nd until the 29 if anyone wants a lesson on hooking them up for a killer roll.I use three different methods,try putting the anchovie upside down in the head holder and put the hook in the middle of the fish along the lateral line make sure the tooth pick is tight in the head pull the line tight but keep the anchovie dead straight,, BAM fish on 5 to 6 t leader and troll fast 2.9 to 3.1 mph is my favorite spped that thing will rock in a tight roll.As for Bamfield Ill be on channel 68 and my boats name is the horned frog,other wise call me on my cell 604 313 9368 ill be staying in Bamfield Harbour.Good luck hope you kill em..
Tight lines
Billydoo
This method ive used forever,they will look like **** all shriveled up but im telling you,you can roll the same one for an hour and still will be perfect providing a fish doesnt wack it.Ill be in Bamfiel from the 22nd until the 29 if anyone wants a lesson on hooking them up for a killer roll.I use three different methods,try putting the anchovie upside down in the head holder and put the hook in the middle of the fish along the lateral line make sure the tooth pick is tight in the head pull the line tight but keep the anchovie dead straight,, BAM fish on 5 to 6 t leader and troll fast 2.9 to 3.1 mph is my favorite spped that thing will rock in a tight roll.As for Bamfield Ill be on channel 68 and my boats name is the horned frog,other wise call me on my cell 604 313 9368 ill be staying in Bamfield Harbour.Good luck hope you kill em..
Tight lines
Billydoo
