Bait brine

T

Tips Up

Well-Known Member
I have been playing around with different brine techniques over the last year. I use a 1 cup non iodized salt to 3 cups water and put the bait in frozen the night before. I then keep it in the fridge.
It seems to work well for the weekend. I usually will not use it a week later as I lose confidence in it not being fresh.

I find quality of bait to be a key in successfull fishing.

Last year for my stag my buddy threw a fishing derby with local guides. (what a great time. nice to be a passenger for a change)
The bait my guide used was well brined (in a dry brine) and I had no confidence in it but we did well.

Anyone want to share their techniques?
 
2 cups salt + 1 litre water + Anchovies.
Mix and put in fridge-don't forget when leaving in the AM.
I don't like the dry brine either.
 
Non-iodized salt added until no more will dissolve and then a little bit more. I sometimes add a few drops of scent as well. I place frozen anchovies into the brine, and I also like to fish cut plug and will thawl a few herring, cut plug them and toss them in the brine too. With the saturated salt solution the water will not freeze and I place it back in the freezer to keep it cold and I will use it up to 10 days or so.
 
Same as Salmon9....But I'll throw in some powdered milk as well. Shines em up real nice!!.

Some like it rough...
Others just puke!.
Mr. Dean
 
Thanks for the come backs.

" Non-iodized salt added until no more will dissolve and then a little bit more."

That must me a fair amount of salt? Any idea of the ratio?

Is there a certain brand of salt that is inexpensive?
 
1 gram of salt dissolves in 2.8 mLs of water at 25 degrees C so approx 1 cup of salt will dissolve in 3 cups of warm water. I add about another 1/4 cup to have some undissolved salt. I agree with the powered milk idea (I use approx 2 tablespoons in 3 cups).
 
Can you use too much salt?

I have been successfull with the 3 to 1 ratio. Gonna try this milk thing.
 
quote:
I have been playing around with different brine techniques over the last year. I use a 1 cup non iodized salt to 3 cups water and put the bait in frozen the night before. I then keep it in the fridge.
It seems to work well for the weekend. I usually will not use it a week later as I lose confidence in it not being fresh.

I find quality of bait to be a key in successfull fishing.

Last year for my stag my buddy threw a fishing derby with local guides. (what a great time. nice to be a passenger for a change)
The bait my guide used was well brined (in a dry brine) and I had no confidence in it but we did well.

Anyone want to share their techniques?
Click to expand...

kenb
 
I don't understand everyones issue with a dry brine. It's easy and I've used the same batch of chovies 3 or 4 times and they are all shiny and tough.

Quality bait and how you rig and roll it are far more critical.
 
Limited with bookend 20's this AM and lost another comparable near the boat by 8:30.

So yes Tips, fish are being caught. I usually take out 24-30 pieces each trip and often come home with only 5-10 used.
 
Nice work!!
Where were you?

I find the bait/ brine debate very interesting.
Some guys dry, some wet brine. I fish with 5 1/2" herring or sardines right now and do very well. I know others that fish with firecracker anchovies and do well.

I guess it is whatever gives you confidence in your gear and as you say your rig and roll.

I find it tough to convince myself to try other fishermen's techniques when what I am doing is working for me. Every trip I say I'll try something new but find myself fishing the same way.

What is your dry brine recipe and how do you brine and store your bait?

I'll be at Otter on Sunday. Hope to see a few guys from this site out there. I'll be on 68.

Tips Up!!
 
Fished out Sooke way.

The dry brine is simply rock salt but I completely smother the bait in a six pack cooler and store it in the freezer. Salt of course being such a good preserver, this keeps them in good condition for days and toughens them far better than a wet brine (in the past I used a wet brine). However, both do the job in my opinion.

I'm going to try again tomorrow and maybe Sunday.

Good luck Sunday!
 
I've used the Blueing with garlic oil.
saw it on the salmon uni site.
only thing different is the salt ratio, I add salt till it won't desolve any more.
been catching lots of fish on bait brined for up to 3 weeks.
a few days that were slow, we were the only boat we saw pull in good springs ( over 15 lb ).
 
Tips. Too early to tell. This is the first year I've been fooling around with brine. Good medium sized ancho is hard to get and I want to make it last. I put brined one side and out of package the other side and so far they both produce 50/50. When I go to Tofino in 1 week though I'll brine because I don't have freezer.
 
The blueing is probably in the soap section: it's used to wash clothes. I found mine at Safeway a few years ago. You don't use much so one purchase should last a long time. It does seem to help make your bait very bright.

Have yet to add garlic oil? Any thoughts? What kind? Or is this only something for the Italian fisherman. :D
 
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