You may also want to consider a "cast net". Once you gain proficiency using it, one cast should provide you with more than enough bait. I have no experience using a cast net for herring (own one for alewife in Lake Michigan), but I sure think it would work.

On my second trip to Neah Bay the local kids were fishing for herring right off the docks. That was in September. They were having a ball catching many and now that I think back I wish I had taken the time to try it myself.