Does anyone have a favorite place to purchase herring? What brands do you consider to be the most reliable. Where can Blue Label be had now? The salmon season is upon us and herring will be used heavily the ext few months. Finding good bait is very important.

Grandpa,

I'm pretty sure you don't have to look much farther than a few feet from where you hold your PSA meetings! Bud's bait in the Edmonds marina is where I almost always get my herring.

Hmmm, it has been since last year, hopefully they are they still open?

p.s. There is one thing that I forgot to mention. When you plug-cut Bud's fresh herring they have an innate tendency to spin to the left. This may cause you problems!

Left spin is ok ...I am used to it around here. Old Bud the crotchty of fart is still there and that is definitely a spot to check out. The herring has been pretty small though. I saw some Blue label size herring at GI Joes today and it said it was from Puget Sound...not familiar with the brand. Pacific Bait is in stock there and it is good stuff. The bigger hering is hard to find.

Besides Bud's bait (Which is a great source, but out of my way), who has FRESH bait in the Seattle or Everett area? Ballard bait did not have any today.

Last year at Grays Harbor we got stuck with some Ray's Bait which GI Joe's still sells....this stuff was vacuum packed right off the boats and thus was so mushy when thawed it had to be thrown out. I got involved with Ray's and GI Joe's and they pulled the product. Now I see it available again in the larger purple and black sizes....Pacific Bait and Jerry's seem to be good quality but the blue label isn't out yet. Blue works better than green on Chinook I think. I am going to check out Bud's

i usually use ballard bait or jerry's bait. I get ballard from three rivers and jerry's from fred meyer.

RaY'S has muched improved the bait quality and they sell blues if you call gi joes they can have the people at rays bring it in for you, that goes for any bait not just herring.

Ballard Bait has always been the best bait bet for me and my circle of fishing friends. Bait is thier business and they do a good job catching/packaging their own product, usually fresh from the places you and I are fishing at. I think that's good because they are the cousins of the remaining bait in the sound that salmon are eating, right now, out there on the water, when you buy it.

Remember Ballard Bait was a sponsor of our BM derby last February, so do them good in return this summer.

In the end though, fresh herring is herring. Fresh versus frozen is a different story. IMO ALWAYS go out of your way to pick up fresh bait, if available. If you cant buy it find a bait ball while fishing and drop a herring jig in.
I look at some of the frozen products out there and they have one of two problems as I see it. Either the bait is past it's expiration date/shelf life and it hasnt been removed from sale, or it is bad to begin with. There is a wide range of product quality for frozenso look at it good before you buy it. I wouldnt think of using crappy bait on one of my precious few days out.

...and remember, if using frozen buy good product (plug=Ballard Bait), & defrost/brine your bait in rock salt the night before fishing to keep it firm.

Cheers-

Be Smurfy!

In the South Sound there is usually good choices of fresh herring at Pt. Defiance. If you are heading to the coast or on the peninsula, and you really need fresh bait, drive down and around. Takes about the same amount of time as taking the ferry - few more miles though.

Grandpa2,
Sportco usually has a pretty good selection.But the Blue was a little hard to get last year. I gave them a call to find out when they were getting bait delivered and went down and bought 20 dozen last year. Also Auburn Sports and Marine has some blue label from time to time.
But Grandpa shouldnt the blue label be a zipper item

Just cruising the board and came across this thread..... 4Salt, you are a friggin comic genious!!! I am still laughing as I type........

MC