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Let's say I catch lots of shad when I can and save for later use. Fresh frozen or fresh salted, which is better?
Frozen: fresh bait frozen, then vacuum packed and frozen (going over the process to keep the juice); when use, cut open vacuum package and thaw slowly;
salted: fresh bait non-iodized salt cured; freeze in package to prevent freezer burn
I am leaning toward the first method, but some people say fish like the salty taste, so ...
I am not experienced in either way
Fresh and Lively shad is the way to go around here.....using cut bait the catfish will be all over it.....Not saying you wont catch some just not a method a lot of people use around here. But for catfish bait I just freeze them up, no salt or anything. Works pretty good.
i wouldn't waste your time in making cut bait for striper fishing around here. if you are heading to the Chesapeake or Delaware bay then they do real good on chumming for cows in the spring. maybe the Roanoke has a decent cut bait bite, but im not sure. Lake Murray has a decent cut bait bite, but it better be fresh bluebacks.
Hidden secret. I kill them drifting cut bait on or just off the bottom on norman in the spring. I openly help anyone out on this forum, but when it comes to spring striper on Norman, and after 12+ years of time ive put on the water, i keep quiet with all the lurkers that want to know exactly where and how. ...... Hybrids were doing good as well with it. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise that you cant.
The key is freshness and moisture. Keep them fresh and dry. When i net them, i will throw them in a dry bucket. If i want to get serious, ill dry them with a papertowel/rag, then put them in a ziplock then on ice. Freeze them the same way.
Do not fool with salting them down. Striper dont get big by being dumb. That salt bleaches the natural color off the shad, and some fish know better.
I know the guys that fish lake wateree in the spring kill them on cutbait as well during the river run. Hope this helps.
That's a fishery of the past. Blue cats have exploded in the last 5-8 years in wateree. They migrate up cedar creek too, and will keep you busy and clean your bait off before the striper have a chance. Some days it seems like every cat man is up there as there will be a lot of boat traffic.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Cedar creek, wateree , congaree , santee river, all have a good cut bait bite, seems they bite better in the current. I prefer fresh cut over frozen , and the stripers will also. JMO.
The last 6 or so years there was no striper fishery steady enough worth the effort. Now that they are back, the cycle will begin again. Yes you will catch cats inbetween as i do on norman.Quote:
Originally Posted by bioguy
Catching a striper along with a few big Blues sounds like a BONUS bag to me..
thanks guys for the input.
I don't have a good bait tank, and don't mind catching cats. it seems that frozen then cut bait is a feasible bait solution.
Pete, why dry?Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Springtime is cut bait time in the river.last spring was a very good spring at wateree,lots of current means better fishing. Fresh cut shad is best at wateree by far..They will make be days at cedar creek where most bites will be cats and or perch but other days striper will be the main bite. Fresh cut shad and current is very important..I have not had any luck with frozen shad,to me when it thaws it's almost rotten and soft.I know there's different ways of preparing it for freezing ,,,brine and so forth but I haven't tried it....As for me personally,if all I have to fish with was frozen shad,,I wouldn't even go!! The Roanoke river was mentioned earlier,I have fished there a good bit,,,live bait there will out produce cut bait there by a wide margin. Another method that use to be popular was fishing with the gizzard from a big gizzard shad,,nasty fishing.. I haven't tried that in a while
I looked it up online, seems frozen shad is no good. Salted is ok, more curing better
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearclaw
may I salt cure shad first, then cut when fishing? I read that the salted shad has red blood, seems fine to use as cut bait.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bearclaw
you put them in a bucket of water, they will get soggy and mushy. also lose that natural color.Quote:
Originally Posted by r2002
if you freeze them in water, once again, they will thaw out in that water and become a mushy mess.
like someone said, i do freeze some, but I only use them when the bite is hot and it doesnt seem to matter how fresh the bait is, or i just cant find bait and have a plan B just to wet a hook. Fresh is always best.