Cutting your own herring strip

[jimbob]

Since we can't buy strip any more, does anyone have any insights as to how to cut strip from whole herring? Is is better to use fresh or frozen? What type of knife is best? How do you make the cuts? Any advice would be helpful. I like fishing strip from time to time because it looks so good in the water and provides a way to change things up when anchovies aren't doing the trick.

 

[scott craven]

Here's a "how to" on cutting strip

http://www.michigansportsman.com/Tips_n_Trix/Cut_Bait_Page_2.htm

 

[the fog ducker]

NICE

GREAT Rewards RS...lol

cheers
good weekend boy's

fd...

kosi99@hotmail.com

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Learned to cut strip many, many years ago. Fresh worked best, with a very sharp knife.Kept the strip on ice in a special wide mouth cooler just used for fishing. Nobody was into Brining. We used to call it strip casting in those days. 6# test leaders and single 1/0 hook IIRC. No strip holders were on the market at that time. Fished out of Horseshoe bay, Bowen island and Salmon Rock, mostly putting the hook down.,...........BB

 

[newfie boy]

great read r.s lots and lots to learn boat is fixed looking forward to getting out soon good luck newfie

 

[Peahead]

I find this works quite well for me but would love to also hear if there are better methods:
Using razor sharp filet knife make cross cut behind head- lightly down to backbone ( knife on 45 angle behind gill plate like cut plug only don't cut backbone) then make a 'triangle' cut in the side of bait by cutting from both ends of that first cut down to meet at tail( down near dorsal surface, below dorsal fin for one cut and straight down belly for other) You now have your 'triangle' .
Now filet that 'triangle' out off the bait by starting from head and moving down to tail, keeping knife blade
almost flat against backbone but knife perpendicular to bait.
frozen bait thawed somewhat or brined works.

 

[smp]

quote:Originally posted by Peahead

I find this works quite well for me but would love to also hear if there are better methods:
Using razor sharp filet knife make cross cut behind head- lightly down to backbone ( knife on 45 angle behind gill plate like cut plug only don't cut backbone) then make a 'triangle' cut in the side of bait by cutting from both ends of that first cut down to meet at tail( down near dorsal surface, below dorsal fin for one cut and straight down belly for other) You now have your 'triangle' .
Now filet that 'triangle' out off the bait by starting from head and moving down to tail, keeping knife blade
almost flat against backbone but knife perpendicular to bait.
frozen bait thawed somewhat or brined works.

After you've made your cuts for the first filet, but before taking it off the backbone, turn the herring over and make the cuts for the 2nd filet. If you take the first filet off before you cut the 2nd one, the 2nd cuts aren't nearly as easy to make.
The best time to cut frozen herring is when they are not quite thawed.
If you have fresh bait, you pretty much have to gut them first, then filet, then trim the filet. We make our own filet knives out of old 4" mill cut files. They don't last very long, but they get sharp like nothing else.
We use a #1 or 1/0 fine wire hook, as light as possible, in a double hook rig, without a teaser head. We always tie in a short tag of 40# leader that points up the leader to help keep the top hook from tearing out.

 

[profisher]

Always have cut strip almost frozen otherwise it is impossible not to loose way to many scales. I've watched the crew at Rhys Davis cut strip and it was always frozen as well.