I think you guys are confusing frozen bait with fresh bait... trailrat is talking about FRESH bait... the difference being that fresh bait is almost never starved before being killed, like frozen bait is... and even when you salt fresh bait, many times the bellies will blow out, even though the salted rest of the fish is nice and firm...

The most important thing to remember with fresh bait is to KEEP IT COOL... bring a cooler with ICE IN IT to the place you buy your bait. Get them immediately on ice, and keep them iced down.

I'd probably salt them like these guys say, use them for maybe two days, and if the bellies blow out on, cut them into herring teaser strips and use them in a plastic rig, like a Scotty Rotary Salmon Killer (also known as a Scotty Bait Biter).

Good luck,

-N.