salting or curing your bait

[jamesnashtonbrady]

So IV heard many different things about salting your bait. I want y'all's take on it and what kinda bait you can do this with as well as what kinda salt to use and how long it takes to cure. Also what are the benefits to doing this. Thanks for your time.

[Keta]

It firms the bait up and keeps it from spoiling as fast, I like to use pickling salt.

[BMITCH]

Kosher salt, and clams.
Bob

[Keta]

Kosher salt....
Bob

My other salt for curing bait.

[bluefish69]

The Clam boat on Long Island uses 1 cup of Kosher Salt for 20# of Clam.

[otownjoe]

I always salt brine my frozen sardines.I use salt, saltwater and ice.It makes a big difference in keeping your bait on the hook.I've found it helps in getting a second bite if you miss them on the first bite.I'm not sure what kind of salt I use.I buy it in big bags from the commercial fish supply house.most any salt will work but I've hea rd some people recommend to stay away from salt with iodine.dont know if it makes a difference or not.I also will salt brine any fresh bait fish if I want to keep them longer than a day

[jamesnashtonbrady]

Well IV heard you can get brain salt from any bait and tackle shop. I'm just trying to find out more about this process. It seems simple and like a common sense move with things like shrimp peelers and spot. All things that come of the hook easily. But what about everything else. And how long do you let it cure with.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Well IV heard you can get brain salt ......

Is that to prevent a flaw?

I've tried to salt sardines to make them stay a little better on the hook but the difference was relatively small. Maybe it works better when you have a bait that is a little stronger

[saltydog]

I use sea salt on all my bait.

[AvetfanUK]

I use "normal" table salt on Marine worms in the UK such as Lugworm and Ragworm, It toughens them up and acts as a preservative as you cant freeze them, they just turn to goo
Never caught a fish on a salted bait though!

[jamesnashtonbrady]

Can you salt peelers and how would you go about salting them?

[CapeFish]

fresh is usually best. if sardines are good quality and fresh it is pretty firm. it helps to use a thin latex thread or cotton to make up baits. salted worms can work very well. we wash our worms with salt water to get all the slime off then place them on a newspaper with lots of coarse salt for a few hours to airdry then place in a very strong brine solution in deepfreeze or wrapped in newspaper with lots of salt. push the guts out of big lugworms before freezing and salting them otherwise they rot. squid must be as fresh as possible and a clean white colour, dont salt it.

[kapnd]

For me fresh bait is far superior than any frozen, or salted, or pickled bait.
The odor of fresh skipjack bellies will turn on almost any fish in the ocean
That said, I don't always have access to fresh bait, so I do freeze some, and brining it does help keep it from deteriorating as well as toughen it up so it stays on the hook.
If the brine is too strong, it seems to "bleach" the color and taste out of the baits (yes I do taste them!), so although I dont use a recipe, my brine is just moderately salty.

[AvetfanUK]

Can you salt peelers and how would you go about salting them?

Ive never salted peeler, Just freeze them straight down. I dont bother picking legs off or removing the shell, i just freeze them straight down in small individual bags - no problems

[hippie]

AvetfanUK, I saw films of flounder with squid cured in table salt. The flounder would pick up the squid  and spit it out!  With the squid cured in Kosher salt the flounder would pick it up and then swallow it. The people were checking differences in the salt and everything with iodine in it the flounder would spit out. Also, as said before, it toughens the bait but also gives the bait a better taste.