Salting Anchovies

[Red Monster]

I guess you need to go a little faster to make that straight bait roll?
A often troll at 2 mph, but it's hard to get much roll sometimes at slower speeds depending on current.

 

[GLG]

I’m using bait I got from a fellow member (Stripper Sipper) from last year and it seems to be working. Don’t know how he prepares it but it works like a hot dang. It doesn’t spin like a tight bullet but more like a helicopter. I mostly just stick it on a couple of hooks and send it down. It has caught lots of 30 plus pound fish this year at Kitty Coleman. Funny thing about this stuff it seems to survive many hookups and I can reuse it each trip out. Here is a picture of the bait.

GLG

 

[dance a jig]

Greenhornet,
I have tried the dry brine process and found when the bait is super thin from shriveling up from the salt, that there isnt much material to get a hook in without going all the way through to the other side. Could you advise what you do for hooks - size, placement, etc? thank. DAJ

 

[greenhornet]

Hi Dance a Jig

I guess everyone has there way of doing things,I understand what your sayng about putting the hook right though the anchovie I insert the hook in the middle of the chovie you have to just kind of feel it or insert it at a shallow angle so you dont go through the chov,I use this method when I put the anchovie in the head upside down.I only use rye davis holders thats what I perfer anyway.I need to video tape the set ups and then put them on here still learning about the site I only get a few min each night to look around.Kelly seems to be the go to guy for video info Ill seek help.The other way I hook it up is to put the anchovie in the head holder the way the directions show BUT I insert the hook behind the dorsal fin,when salting for a while there is a flat triangle behind the dorsal and thats where I insert it,then keep the anchovie straight BUt curve it so the tail is higher than the head and tighten the leader break the inside of the tail to 90 degrees hopefully this makes sense thats the best I can explain it like I said I need to use photos so people can see the method.when checking your roll grab your flasher at the leading end and hold it under the water look at the roll if it isnt doing what you want it might just need a little adjustment make sure the toohpick is solid in the head,the toothpick that holds your line tight not the anchovie in the head holder should have little red pins for that,just tighten your leader make sure the ancovie is straight with a bend upward,hope this helps I also always use a single trailer hook just past the end of the chovie hooked alot of fish just in the lip with this one hook especially locally in van because there a little more timid than on the wcvi.Ill be fishing on tuesday the 12 probably at thrasher,grande or bell buoy have to wait to see about the weather ill be on 88a sorry about writing a novel...

Tight lines
Billydoo

 

[greenhornet]

Oh also you can put your anchovies back into some water and they should plump up a bit if the to thin..

 

[greenhornet]

Damn slipped my mind I also only use 50lb leader,30 main 50 leader stiffer leader makes your bait roll alot nicer good luck!!!

 

[Tide Up]

greenhornet,that is very good info,especially for someone just starting out and learning the art of brining and using chovies etc and overall this is a great post.I totally agree with the tight roll and when you put one out that looks good you know if there are fish around,BAM!
I'm going to try Charlies recipe,never done it that way,good info Charlie,gonna try it this weekend

 

[ken orr]

your tip was the best I have tried the roll is quite consistanted and results were gr

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[/QUOTE] Great tip

 

[jimbob]

One thing that I do to ensure that the anchovy head stays firmly in place is to use a round toothpick and insert it in to top hole on one side of the teaser head and then on an angle out of the bottom hole on the other side. It never slips this way and it bites into the anchovy perfectly.

 

[greenhornet]

Thanks Ken happy to help fellow anglers kick butt,I also use the same method for the large herring,results this summer at the end of august 43.5,43,41,37,35 and a **** load of 20 to 30s big bait big fish especially off shore when there on the pilchards,I found some pilchards in the stomachs of the big fish that were 12 inches long,just huge couldnt believe it so the bigger the herring the better good luck everybody and hope everyone had a great summer what a year can only hope that it will repeat in 2012...

Tight lines
Billydoo

 

[greenhornet]

OH ya I also caught alot of big fish on the large spoons and plugs with no flasher thats also a blast thanks to homes for the pics 602 atomic spoon kicked on them cheers holmes ill make sure next year youll get out in the chuck if I have to bring emerald up to cook for you for a couple of days lol....

Tight lines
Billydoo

 

[-steelhead-]

Brining your bait is very important, but I don't get too carried away. the night before I take my bait and spread course salt evenly on my bait in their package. the next day I use them. not complicated! I focus on leader length and the spin of the bait at the right trolling speed. seems to work for me. my 2 cents.

 

[boobear52]

Well I thought I would try something weird. I bought a bag of smelts from superstore and brought them home. I took a 6 1/2 liter plastic shoebox and put 5 liters of water 1 1/2 cups brine salt and 2 tablespoons of garlic powder and 1/2 cup of pacific milk powder. Mix it all together and put 1/2 of the bag of smelts into the brine mix. I let them soak for 24 hours and then put then onto several cookie sheets, in a head and tail arrangement, and freeze.

I put them into ziplock bags and put them back to the freezer.

Went out to salmon point and went out to the 150 foot mark. I loaded up my usual green flasher and gray ghost hoochie and down to 75 feet. The wife runs a purple haze flasher and a smelt on a krippled head with 6 oz of weight. Well she gets about 60 pulls out and bang......5 minutes later she hauls a nice 8 lb coho into the boat. We have used this bait for the last 4 trips and it seems to be working well, 3 other fish caught with it. (NO DOGS) but I am sure that is just a fluke. Will keep you all posted.

ps. Got a 11 pound spring on the bait today.

Don (fish stalker)

 

[demco99]

That is weird boobear. I've always prayed someone would produce trays of jumbo needlefish as bait so I could roll some through the sand off Kyuquot. Thats all I ever find in their stomachs at the cleaning table, no matter what point in the summer. Anchovies and Herring are overhyped IMO.

 

[-steelhead-]

That is weird boobear. I've always prayed someone would produce trays of jumbo needlefish as bait so I could roll some through the sand off Kyuquot. Thats all I ever find in their stomachs at the cleaning table, no matter what point in the summer. Anchovies and Herring are overhyped IMO.

Depends if you want to catch BIG fish or not. In the charlottes where I was guiding 95% of the fish over 50lbs that was caught was taken on some kind of bait, mainly herring. although I got a 60 and a 54 on an anchovy flasher set-up. and all I have ever seen in the bellies of the salmon in the charlottes is needlefish and cutties that the fish stripped.

 

[demco99]

I dont understand your reply steelhead.. I said I would love to fish a flasher and needlefish combo setup somehow and then you confirm it by telling me what you found in their bellies. They gorge on sandlance everywhere buddy not just the Haida Gwaii..

 

[chris73]

Well I thought I would try something weird. I bought a bag of smelts from superstore and brought them home. I took a 6 1/2 liter plastic shoebox and put 5 liters of water 1 1/2 cups brine salt and 2 tablespoons of garlic powder and 1/2 cup of pacific milk powder. Mix it all together and put 1/2 of the bag of smelts into the brine mix. I let them soak for 24 hours and then put then onto several cookie sheets, in a head and tail arrangement, and freeze.

I put them into ziplock bags and put them back to the freezer.

Went out to salmon point and went out to the 150 foot mark. I loaded up my usual green flasher and gray ghost hoochie and down to 75 feet. The wife runs a purple haze flasher and a smelt on a krippled head with 6 oz of weight. Well she gets about 60 pulls out and bang......5 minutes later she hauls a nice 8 lb coho into the boat. We have used this bait for the last 4 trips and it seems to be working well, 3 other fish caught with it. (NO DOGS) but I am sure that is just a fluke. Will keep you all posted.

ps. Got a 11 pound spring on the bait today.

Don (fish stalker)

At that concentration rate you are describing (1.5 cups of salt for 5L of water) I have a hard time believing that this would achieve any kind of brining. That concentration has got to be less than the natural salinity of saltwater in the ocean and therefore you might as well just leave your bait sit in your bilge sump..lol From what I know and read here, most brine to stiffen the bait and basically cure it to prevent from rotting quickly.

 

[Last Chance]

I have used a dry brine with pruned up chovies with great sucess. Scales seem to stay on better too.

 

[-steelhead-]

I dont understand your reply steelhead.. I said I would love to fish a flasher and needlefish combo setup somehow and then you confirm it by telling me what you found in their bellies. They gorge on sandlance everywhere buddy not just the Haida Gwaii..

noted... just replying to your statement 'anchovies and herring' are over hyped.

 

[Sharphooks]

My .02 cents about bait...

I'm a dyed in the wool bait guy. I sell it for a living so I usually have lots of it, and flashers on the end of my line just never did it for me so bait and me, we kind of put up with each other.

Over-hyped? Maybe. But if I've learned anything about bait it's this: whether it's a smelt, a herring, an anchovy or a pilchard, it's what it's doing in the water that counts. If you don't know how to cut it or brine it or put it on a hook, 50% of it's effectiveness goes out with the bilge water.

In my experience, salmon are opportunistic feeders ---if your bait is in front of their face and looks sexy enough the way it's moving through the water they'll freight-train a black label herring just as fast as they will a 2 inch long anchovy.

All my bigger springs in Hardy this year were caught on blue label herring (fished whole) and 5 inch Coyote spoons. The ones I ended up keeping were gorged with sandlance