herring as bait

[onlymercury]

I'm pretty new to saltwater fishing, and lately have been targeting bottom fish. I did what a lot of people on other post have said and use herring. Only problem is that when I cut them into small chunks they tend to fall of the hook when I cast. Is there any technique I can use to keep the darn things hooked??

[wintersteelhead]

Soak 'em in rock salt and water for a few hours, cut 'em up into fishable sizes then put 'em back into the brine. I do this for salmon. You can put the un-used bait back into the freezer and use again and again. It makes the bait tough like jerkey. You can add sent and/or color to them as well. I have a "lunch box" cooler that is too small for lunch that makes a perfect bait cooler. Bag of ice, bag of bait and good to go!!

[G-Man]

Two things you can do. First thaw them slowly, in your refrigerator, and then brine them for a day. There are many brining recipes but plain salt and non-chlorinated water will work just fine. For non-chlorinated water, let your water sit out on the counter for a day before using or get some distilled water from the supermarket. Second, tie an egg loop/bumper knot on your hooks and use the loop to help hold your bait. The main reason why you loose the bait is a lack of barb on the hook so the egg loop will probably help the most. For egg loop/bumper knot instructions check the web or do a search in the forum section, it was discussed recently.

[onlymercury]

never thought to re-use the herring. If its like jerky then it should be able to hold to the hook better. Also, an egg loop sounds like the perfect solution. Anything to keep the bait from falling off. Just one more question. What would you guys consider a fishable size chunk of herring. Maybe about a quarter inch??? Thanks for the replies

[wintersteelhead]

If your fishing bottom fish, 1/4-1/2" . Kinda the same as i do for salmon teasers. Brine whole herring for a few hours, fillet herring ( don't even try to remove bones, just split 'em in half ), and cut them into strips or use the whole fillet. I have seen guys shape fillets to get spin and profile also.