Herring for shrimp bait?

[Skillet]

Putting my bait kit together for the upcoming shrimp season, and just suffered a huge sticker shock on the commercial shrimp pellets up here. A little over $2/# this year, up from $1.10/# just two years ago...

I usually go through about 450# of pellets a season. That's in addition to my traditional chewbag (black cod ribs) and hanging bait (of pink salmon).  Bait up is 1/4# of pellets, 2# ribs and 2# of pink salmon per pot per day, limited to 140 pots by my permit.

I have a limitless supply of nearly free herring up here right now, however. What do you guys think of me grinding up semi-frozen herring along with the commercial shrimp oil additive and refreezing it into cubes that I can quickly drop into my bait jars?  Whatever goes into the bait jars needs to be easy to deal with.

How about it? Herring with the shrimp oil additive a good substitute for commercial pellets?

[Mfowl]

I'm no commercial fisherman but I would say yes to herring. I have chopped up old brined herring and mixed it in my slurry before. I also use canned mackerel quite a bit too. You might also consider soaking cheap dog/cat kibble in the bait oil and make your own pellets. I have not done that but heard it can work.

[Skillet]

Thanks for the comeback. Shrimp don't know which pots they're getting into, your info is just as good as mine for those buggers!

Dog food not much cheaper than pellets up here  . I actually ran an experiment a few years ago, the commercial pellets out fished the cheap dog food with bait oil by a fair amount.  And the dog food expanded so much it blew the lids off the jars if we filled up more than half.  I'll use it in a pinch, but the commercial pellets beat them in a lot of ways.

Glad to hear of your success with herring... I've never actually used it. 

[Jake Dogfish]

I think it would work, but I’m no expert on shrimp.  Herring works for both Crab and crawdads.

[BLH69]

 My dad and I switched over to ground herring years ago. Didn't see any drop off at all. Has always been about location down here in the sound and canal.

[Stalker]

I've used ground up herring alot as do a number of others I know here on Whidbey Island and it works very well.  Also using cat food soaked in fish fertalizer works well. 

[knighttime25]

Herring work great for shrimp bait 

[Skillet]

Good to hear, thanks everybody.

Going to grind them up with a little oil, pack into cubes, and freeze.

This is the bait oil we have in town. I'll spread the 5 gallons over all 1100# of herring I have to grind (just over 1/2 oz per 1/2# bait ball).  Gonna be an experiment for sure, I'll report back!

 

[Stein]

I think of shrimp like crab, but less picky about bait.  I have been moving away from commercial bait just due to the cost.  If it smells like fish and milks out very quickly I haven't noticed any difference in what I put in. 

[3boys]

If you are going to be in Pelican before shrimp season, I have a can going there. I'm sure I could pirate a pallet spot for you if it was cheaper down here? I assume your can is on its way?

[Skillet]

Appreciate the offer 3boys!  I'm heading south to shrimp though, so I won't new darkening Pelican's docks until after shrimping's over.

[Viking360]

Recreational shrimp dates are out, FYI.

[C-Money]

Looking forward to hearing how the herring bait works!