I need some green and red label herring for a trip to the mighty Columbia this weekend. I haven't called around yet, but thought I'd ask you all first.

Know of any place in Seattle that has herring for sale? I need about 6 dozen.

Teds? Ballard Bait? Anyone?

Also, do you feel it's necessary to brine your frozen herring for weekend adventures? If so, got a good brine recipe for me?

[ 08-06-2001: Message edited by: parker ]

Ballard Bait is not too bad. About $3.50 per dozen and they've got all you want, vacuum sealed and everything.

I'd brine it before you go if you have time. I usually cut plug first, then use some alum, rock salt, ice, and WD-40. Put it in a butter tub and let it sit overnight.

Then plant your feet and hold on.

My brine solution is just some water and a lot of either rock salt or canning salt. I also plug cut the bait and let it brine overnight. I only brine when I will be trolling for silvers, which is usually what I target. You can get fancier, but I just stick with the simple method.

GI Joes has really decent Ballard reds. They look and brine exceptionally well. Its the store in Fed Way just off the hi-way 18/ Puyalup exit. I was impressed, it looked better than Ballards looked in a long time. Kind of like it looked when it was the hottest bait around.

Bob D

parker, ballard bait is not selling the big stuff right now, they are filling commerical orders and won't know til thrusday or friday, doug

Parker------
per 1 qt water
1C rock salt
1C powdered milk (lactic acid I think)
few squirts of scent

plug cut FRESH herring (pulling guts out)

Place in gallon jar and soak --they will last for weeks (unrefrigerated)

Parker,

Why buy frozen? Bud's bait at the Edmonds marina has fresh. Just buy it the evening before you go, keep it on ice, and they'll be fine the next day. I just got back from a 3 day trip to Neah bay and I took six dozen with me that I bought the morning we left. Two days later, they were still in great shape.

Coffee Mate works also instaed of the powdered milk. There used to brighten the herring even more...I think...

Bob D

4Salt - did you brine up your freshies, or did you just keep them on ice and use them as-is? Do they have nice big herring up at the Marina? Not a bad idea if they are good sized.

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Parker

I didn't brine them, just kept them out of what little sun we had, and kept them cold.
They stayed nice and firm 'till the last one was gone Monday morning. There was a pretty fair variety of sizes also, from about 4" to 7". Bud's is right at the sling launch, just go down the ramp to the floating shack. They open early 7 days a week. Hope this helps.

Hey Parker, I`m headed down to Chinook on Friday for five days. They always have fresh herring there. Where are you staying? Good Fishin` Bob H.

I just purchased 3 dozen red bait at the shop in Ballard on 15th(Salmon Bay ?) They had a fridge full of red and the guy working said they would have Green comming soon.

Parker,

If you brine them in advance (I usually just cover them with rocksalt, spray a little WD40 on them, and add one other thing and keep them cool), they will hold up better when you are trolling them. Fresh, non-brined bait do well but in the past, they didn't seem to maintain their plugcut edge as well, nor as long. You will see them start to round off in the front and slowly blow apart. This is compounded when trolling for Silvers with the additional boat speed you use.

Steve

Ballard Bait has fresh and frozen. For those of you who don't know, the bait company is now a separate entity from the "baithouse" cafe. The cafe still sells both fresh and frozen. You can buy fresh and frozen directly from Ballard Bait's processing plant, which is located in Ballard - 5450 Shilshole NW - across from the Yankee Diner. It doesn't open til 9:00 AM, so you have to buy the day before. I use a method for fresh recommended by Dan, the former owner: leave the bait in the plastic bag, place some ice in the bag, cut a few slits in the bottom of the bag, place it on a rack or in a strainer to allow the water to drain out of the bag and into a bowl or other container, and place in the 'fridge. The bait will keep 2-3 days so long as you replenish the ice. Salt is optional. Think I'll get a few doz for Friday's Elliot Bay re-opener.