tubber
Well-Known Member
Having no time or inclination to stop and target bait, I did some experimenting with a herring jig on a recent trip to Nootka. I put a 3oz wt on the bottom of the jig and trolled it out the back 15 pulls while salmon fishing. Once one hits leave it in and wait till more pile on. Caught 20 in a few minutes of trolling through sparse small bait balls. I cut them in half and used them for crab bait in an onion sack. 12 keepers in my cheap square trap on an overnight soak. Very oily, give off a big oil slick.
Would make good hali bait, and cut plugging might be worth trying, but I had to leave the next morning. Have the cooler open and drop the whole string in there. Their scales fall off pretty easy, so don't handle them if you don't have to. Average 10-14 inches in length. Read somehwere about a bucket of salty, icey slush being the best way to preserve the scales on jigged herring for those looking to freeze a winter supply.
Would make good hali bait, and cut plugging might be worth trying, but I had to leave the next morning. Have the cooler open and drop the whole string in there. Their scales fall off pretty easy, so don't handle them if you don't have to. Average 10-14 inches in length. Read somehwere about a bucket of salty, icey slush being the best way to preserve the scales on jigged herring for those looking to freeze a winter supply.
