Anyone catch herring?

[Angry Perch]

I assume some catch them for bait, but I'm interested in grilling them. Any tips would be appreciated. MA6 out of Sequim.

[jackelope]

We used to catch them by the dozen back east. They make great striped bass bait for live bait fishing. Also great catfish bait cut up in chunks.

They stunk bad and were slimy. I'm not sure I could ever get past that to where I wanted to eat them. My grandfather used to love to eat them pickled. Not doing that either.

We caught them with dip nets on their spawning grounds.

[Angry Perch]

We used to catch them by the dozen back east. They make great striped bass bait for live bait fishing. Also great catfish bait cut up in chunks.

They stunk bad and were slimy. I'm not sure I could ever get past that to where I wanted to eat them. My grandfather used to love to eat them pickled. Not doing that either.

We caught them with dip nets on their spawning grounds.

Pickled herring is the bomb!

[NRA4LIFE]

Oh yeah!  Our deer camp back in WI always had a big jug of them around.  One of the guys made them but I don't recall where he got them.  I buy a jar every now and then.  My wife thinks they're revolting.  Yum.  Have never caught them but have never tried. 

[WapitiTalk1]

Ya, used to use a piscater jig/rig to catch them down in MA13.  When I had my boat, used to just run cut-plug herring behind a flasher or dodger for salmon.  Much cheaper to catch herring for bait than to buy them. 

[WSU]

I've caught tons of anchovies on sabiki rigs.  Drop it down when you get over a bait ball and it's fish on instantly.

[Angry Perch]

I've got a bunch of Sabiki rigs, but have yet to put one to work. Anchovies are yummy too!

[wadu1]

I've used Zak herring jigs with good success, the red ones caught more than the green. Find a bait ball and start jigging. We used them for bait, we also hard smoked them great with a cold beer.

[WSU]

I've got a bunch of Sabiki rigs, but have yet to put one to work. Anchovies are yummy too!

I'd be interested in how you prepare them.  I've always fed them to the fishes.

[wadu1]

Simple brine, 1/2 C white sugar, 1/2 C brown Sugar 1/2 C salt 3 + cups water soak 24 hours pat dry. Use only alder and smoke until dry 8 -10 hours in a little chief.

[Stein]

I've caught tons of anchovies on sabiki rigs.  Drop it down when you get over a bait ball and it's fish on instantly.

 

I didn't have any luck getting herring to bite a Sabiki, I've drug it through millions of them and not a single bite.  Maybe I don't have the right size or color, but the chovies sure crush them.

I have a Sabiki rod that makes it simple to deploy and something to keep my son interested.

[Angry Perch]

I've caught tons of anchovies on sabiki rigs.  Drop it down when you get over a bait ball and it's fish on instantly.

 

I didn't have any luck getting herring to bite a Sabiki, I've drug it through millions of them and not a single bite.  Maybe I don't have the right size or color, but the chovies sure crush them.

I have a Sabiki rod that makes it simple to deploy and something to keep my son interested.

Is that the tubular rod?

[Stein]

Yeah, super slick and pays for itself by not throwing Sabiki rigs away due to tangles every time I use one.

I have this one, but should have bought an 8' as I usually have to cut the rigs down a bit so they fit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M03PR4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[metlhead]

In the early 80's, a lantern and a snagging line off the docks in Olympia. We'd get enough for all summer salmon fishing. Not sure anyone still does it.

[CP]

Yeah, super slick and pays for itself by not throwing Sabiki rigs away due to tangles every time I use one.

I have this one, but should have bought an 8' as I usually have to cut the rigs down a bit so they fit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M03PR4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have that same rod, it stains the Sabiki rigs a dark brown; basically ruins them.  White rigs catch herring but brown ones don't catch anything.

[Bareback]

Cornet Bay is a pretty consistent/good place to go. Typically the surf smelt show first, which should start in a few weeks. Fire cracker herring will follow and the horse (black label) towards the end of March. The end of the flood can be better. It seems when the bay is toilet bowling they get a little more consistent.

I’ve found a 10’6 noodle rod works best. It tends to be much easier to manage the rig when there’s six fish on it. I’ve got a retired friend who tends to be a regular down there. I’ll post when it starts picking up.

[Angry Perch]

Cornet Bay is a pretty consistent/good place to go. Typically the surf smelt show first, which should start in a few weeks. Fire cracker herring will follow and the horse (black label) towards the end of March. The end of the flood can be better. It seems when the bay is toilet bowling they get a little more consistent.

I’ve found a 10’6 noodle rod works best. It tends to be much easier to manage the rig when there’s six fish on it. I’ve got a retired friend who tends to be a regular down there. I’ll post when it starts picking up.

Any idea if/ how the timing changes based on various areas?

[Brushcrawler]

I’ve been thinking about trying that smelt run for years but have never made it happen. Have heard there are fewer than there used to be, still enough to target them?

[Stein]

Some years when it opens there are plenty and some years you net for an hour and get one.  Plus, you have to store a huge net the rest of the year.  I did it for several years when I lived in Vancouver, but it's much easier to just buy them frozen from a bait shop unless you are planning on eating them.  After looking in the bucket at the end of the night of dipping, I was never too tempted to eat them.

[Angry Perch]

Anyone dip surf smelt?

[Bareback]

Anyone dip surf smelt?

You can dip net surf smelt but it’s limited, I think four days a week. Best check regs. I’ve never seen anyone dip netting in the Cornet Bay area but I don’t see why you can’t try. North of the ramp there’s a lot of public beach, although at high tide the water is right up to the vegetation line.

I’m not sure on herring timing in other marine areas but to my understanding there are resident and migrating herring. I think spawn timing is summer/fall so you are most likely to find larger densities then. The Cornet/Deception Pass area seems to be most consistent since it’s a bottle neck. All the herring/smelt entering 8-2 north have to pass through that area. When the kids were young we would take them down there and they’d have a hoot of a time.

[Stein]

Yeah, super slick and pays for itself by not throwing Sabiki rigs away due to tangles every time I use one.

I have this one, but should have bought an 8' as I usually have to cut the rigs down a bit so they fit.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M03PR4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have that same rod, it stains the Sabiki rigs a dark brown; basically ruins them.  White rigs catch herring but brown ones don't catch anything.

Just checked mine and the feathers had fallen off, only beads left.  Maybe I should start there.   

It's pretty much something to keep my son happy when he gets bored trolling although with the price of herring I might get more serious about it as one outing could get me set up for a season of bait strips.

[WSU]

It can be a decent way to make bait sometimes.  I've fished B10 when the anchovies are thick and added some fresh bait (which really matched the hatch) without even stopping my troll.  Just watch the screen as you troll along and tell the kiddos when to drop.  Put a hook in the very fresh anchovy and feed it to the fishes.

I'd be interested to see how people prepare them to eat? 

[Angry Perch]

Very popular tapas in Spain. I'm excited to find some and give it a whirl.

https://visitsouthernspain.com/fried-anchovies-boquerones-fritos-recipe/

[NRA4LIFE]

OMG those are good.  I found a little tapas place in Copenhagen that had those.  I ate them (sometimes 2 orders) every time I was there.  That is one of those foods that is in the "best things I ate in my life" category.

[Stein]

Huh, never had those but they look good.  I was only in Spain once and pretty much just crushed the jamon the whole time.

[Angry Perch]

OMG those are good.  I found a little tapas place in Copenhagen that had those.  I ate them (sometimes 2 orders) every time I was there.  That is one of those foods that is in the "best things I ate in my life" category.

Well that's encouraging!

[Angry Perch]

Also known as "Fries with eyes".

[WSU]

Weird to remove the head and spine but not guts.  Maybe I'll save some bait from tuna fishing this summer.  It seems I often end up with dozens of left over baits that I freeze for chum.

[Stein]

The article was a bit vague.  It said to "clean" them then pull off the head and spine.  I assumed cleaning meant guts.  I guess the rest of the bones just soften when cooked.

[WSU]

That would make sense.  The pics are hard to see but they do appear gutted/cleaned.

[Angry Perch]

This looks fun... for the first 5 or 10.

[Stein]

That would make sense.  The pics are hard to see but they do appear gutted/cleaned.

Seems like you could just do the perch filet method but leave the skin on and get there much quicker.  That's what I do for herring strips, you could go through a pile of them super quick although chovies are much softer, especially when fresh so you might need a super sharp knife to not make mush.