Herring Brine

I'm looking for some ideas to brine up frozen herring, do you use the same recipe as for the prawns, from RT?

Thanks Fish,

Fish, you could use that same prawn brine and have a red herring that works better than it's namesake. Actually, most herring brines are intended to toughen them and add a little flash to the scales. For that reason most herring brines are based on rock salt. Use about a cup of rock salt to a small half pale of cold water and stir to disolve it well. Leave the herring in for a few hours - some leave it there all night before fishing. This also adds some sodium scent that fish like. You can also add coloring, such as blue food dye or the red Pro-Glo coloring mentioned, to try on some of the herring - not all of them in case they don't work as well on a given day. Some also put in bait oils such as sardine oil. For a trick, try a adding a few tablespoons of vanilla extract to the brine - and let us know how you do on those.

Try using seawater vs. tap water in any of your herring brines. This has made a big difference in the quality of the bait after a brining. I think the chlorine in tap water is not a good idea to have in your brine.

I usually just do a mix of 1/2 - 3/4 cup rock salt to 1/2 gallon seawater brine for my herring.

I hope this helps.

"Keep your hooks sharp!"

Bobber Down

I don't ever use tap water, always sea or river water... I'm lucky I live near the river... non-iodized salt, the more the tougher the herring, and a 1/2 tbs. or Mrs. Stewarts liquid bluing... makes them shine.

Remeber, it's like curing eggs, if you cure bad eggs you get bad cured eggs, if you brine bad bait that's what you get. Be picky, select your bait carefully, ever package is not the same. I buy mine by the caes, some years I kull 1/2 of each tray.. Ballard seems to be good, Umpqua bait is the best when the have enough to package, Puget Sound is OK most of the time, Tom Brown is fair, they are from Canada and have good fresh bait earlier than most....... I could go on, but I am getting to excited...

TH
www.thcustomrods.com

Thanks for the info guy's very much appreciated, looks like I might have to try it somewhere else unless I get out this weekend with the closure coming?

Thank you Fish,

O.K. Here's the best herring cure ther is. Period. I've been using this brine on herring ever since I was a kid and it has never failed us yet. This year on the Columbia (Puget Island) out of nine trips, we failed to limit our boat one time and all of our fish were caught on herring that were cured with the following brine: 1/2 Lb. rock salt, One Lg bottle blue food coloring, one gallon water, and one bottle anise oil.... Not anise scented, or imitation anise oil.... It has to be the real thing. Mix everything up together, put a bunch of herring into the mix, and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 24 hrs. before you use it. It turns the herring a bright blue color, and everything on the boat will reak like licorice, but I promise that if you give it a try, you'll catch springers. Good Luck!!!!!!!!

Bobber Down & TH, excuse my ommission of suggesting distilled water in this herring bring thread. In all the other brine threads I did mention to use distilled water to eliminate any chlorine concern. This is only a small factor though, but lots of small factors add up to more success - no doubt! Thanks for the reminder.

RT

This one has worked quite well for me. 1 cup pickling salt for every quart of sea water, add your choice of herring oil, annise, chovie oil, sardine, then add your colored dye of choice or no dye at all. 1 cup of milk, this adds a sheen to the bait. Always let your bait thaw at room temp. or in the refridge so your not pulling off the scales. This lasts for several weeks when kept refridgerated or on ice when your out in the field.

This brine has worked well for springers and falls 1qt water,1 cup brineing salt,2tblsp anise oil,2tblsp fennel seed. Take 2 cups of the water as hot as to melt the salt then add the other 2 cups as cold as you can get mix in the fennel seed and anise. Make sure the brine is cold before you add the herring,it will work best if you cut the plugs while the bait is still frozen.I got this from a oldtimer that fished Cedar creek and he would
out fish all the guides!!!!!!

I use bottled water and rock salt for fresh &
pro-cure brine and bite for frozen.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE