Does anyone know where i can get some, locally, around tacoma. Narrows Marina and Pt. Defiance have none. I had to use frozen herring, and i got nothing. I fish seem to favor the fresh stuff. Thanks

Would like to know myself. I was told by a local distributor in Gig Harbor that there is no fresh herring in the area and wont be til May. If anybody knows any different, I sure would like to know where to get some.

Tight Lines!

Get a hering jig and jig them. It is easy just find some bait on the fish finder and drop it down I can ussually get my bait in 20 or 30 minutes.

The problem I have found with jiggin my own herring is that they are not nearly as firm as the ones you get from a bait shop. Once caught they place the herring into pens and let them "season", which means starve. Once they get leaner they stay hooked up better. Winter is a bad time for commercial herring fishing. The schools are few and far between. About the only way to catch them is to find a school on the surface and dip net them. I used to work for the herring outfit in Gig Harbor (late 80's) and if they don't have fresh bait, no one does. Oh yea we caught two (8&11 lbs) on Monday using spoons and herring smelly jelly.

Shane the herring we've been jigging up (Central Sound) are very lean already. They're small but have been making good baits.

I've never heard of a herring jig before. What size and color should i get? Sounds like a ton of fun. Thanks

the hearing jigs i've seen are quite simple most have 6 to 8 sets of single hooks one type just have a glow bead at the hook the other look like a white winged fly they work great and are easy to use

It is fun to jig them. You rush for the jig rod when the school is on sonar, and since the jug has about 8 or 10 hooks, it's common to hook half a dozen. Usually by the time they come up, only a couple are left. Unfortunately, I totaled my tow vehicle, and just now got a replacement and a hitch installed for my rig, so now I'm ready to try point defiance and surrounds. Anyone else doing any good?

Spurdog, glad to hear your back in buisness. Me and a friend did ok off Gibson on Monday. We fished for a few hours off Devils head and didn't pick up anything. Made the run to Gibson and got a 8 and 11 pounder. Trolling flasher and spoons. Good luck. Let us know how you do.