How To Salt Minnows

[jordanl]

hey guys, so i have no idea what im doing, and almost every article on the internet is different, so i figured id ask you guys:P, im looking for one that doesnt require to much time, i have about a dozen sitting outside in my pale and i dont want try to keep them alive for 3+ days, so what are the methods you guys use to salt your minnows?

[marth11]

I put a layer of sea salt on the bottom of a bag and then the minnows and another layer on top, store in fridge.

[jordanl]

Man that's so much more simple then the other methods around the web, thanks:)

[Dozer]

I like to add some paper towel on the bottom of a tupperware container, salt, minnows, more salt, and then into the fridge.

[jordanl]

Well the baitshop here in the soo has minnows year round, 3 different kinda actually. I just don't wanna spend 6$ per dozen every coupld days when I only use half, I hate throwing my money away so I figured I would finally salt them:p

[Botchegalupe]

I've never used salted minnows, how effective are they?

[jordanl]

They are the next best thing to live minnows

[marth11]

I just use them in the spring time when fishing for crappie or perch, because I don't wanna wait till 10 am to get minnows if I can't catch em.

[steellee]

I've never used salted minnows, how effective are they?

They used to be a go to bait with winter and spring trout for me . Dont use them as often as nowadays as theres such an assortment of effective plastic minnow immitations

[ChefMick]

try this if you have time, this is the method I use for curing salmon into gravlox.

get 2 rubbermade tubs and1 lid about 10"X5". drill small holes in one of them, line the bottom of it with nylon window screening(i use nylon instead of steel so I can run it through the dish washer) put a 1/2" layer of paper towel into the the second bin and then put the drilled one inside, put a layer of pickling salt over the screen, then minnows then another layer of salt. put it in the refer' 2 days later. voila!!! if your at the dollar store for the bins, buy some yellow, pink, blue and green dye, soak your minnows in the dye for a couple hrs before salting, if you want to colour them

[jordanl]

try this if you have time, this is the method I use for curing salmon into gravlox.

get 2 rubbermade tubs and1 lid about 10"X5". drill small holes in one of them, line the bottom of it with nylon window screening(i use nylon instead of steel so I can run it through the dish washer) put a 1/2" layer of paper towel into the the second bin and then put the drilled one inside, put a layer of pickling salt over the screen, then minnows then another layer of salt. put it in the refer' 2 days later. voila!!! if your at the dollar store for the bins, buy some yellow, pink, blue and green dye, soak your minnows in the dye for a couple hrs before salting, if you want to colour them

that sounds like a pretty good method, i haven't herd of the dye though:P does it do anything to enhance the bite?

[ChefMick]

You tell me! do they make all lures plain old grey and white????

you said yourself at the pool you like bright blue marabou jigs and streamers, depending on clarity why would minnows be any different!

EDIT:

[jordanl]

man thats crazy how much they take on the color, would just normal food coloring work?

[ChefMick]

im sure it would just dont dilute it, ive never tried it tho

[jordanl]

i still cant get over how it keeps the chrome strip down the middle.. awesome, i was thinking to expariment with a few different salts, i was thinking to get table salt, garlic salt, and sea salt, but i think tha'ts gonna be for another time:P

[ChefMick]

that strip can be made with a paintbrush and some melted wax, then dip your baits let them air dry then peel of the wax, just be careful not to bend the minnows or the wax will crack. oh and when your done soaking the baits freeze the left over dye so you can reuse it.

[GoWithTheFloat]

that strip can be made with a paintbrush and some melted wax, then dip your baits let them air dry then peel of the wax, just be careful not to bend the minnows or the wax will crack. oh and when your done soaking the baits freeze the left over dye so you can reuse it.

good tips mick. very creative.

i personally have simply salted some dead minnows and froze them for occasional use and have caught some pretty great fish with them. great way not to waste the extras. i'll have to try dying them sometime soon.

[Megafish]

The best way to salt your minnows is to salt them up when they are ALIVE , pour the salt directly on them while they are alive in your net, preferrably sea salt, any salt would do though as long as it is fine grind.

This will allow for the salt to get into the minnows' blood stream for an instant full cure and will help them retain most of their coulor, they will quiver and ooze fluid, ..let this fluid drip out for afew minutes until the minnows are dead,the longer you wait, the firmer your minnows get.... then take your minnows and put them into containers, add abit more salt so that they are all coated white and youre done!

You could also add a bit of cornmeal to them is optional, I usually dont bother with this step but it can also help retain a firm moist texture to your bait and help retain its natural coulor, texture all depends on how dry you want your bait, personally I like my bait moist,firm but soft, dripping them in a strainer, your net or setting them onto paper towels would help dry them out, experiment what texture you prefer.

You can store them in the freezer or refrigerator they will last months and work just as good maybe even better than live with the salty scents that fish love.

[jordanl]

The best way to salt your minnows is to salt them up when they are ALIVE , pour the salt directly on them while they are alive in your net, preferrably sea salt, any salt would do though as long as it is fine grind.

This will allow for the salt to get into the minnows' blood stream for an instant full cure and will help them retain most of their coulor, they will quiver and ooze fluid, ..let this fluid drip out for afew minutes until the minnows are dead,the longer you wait, the firmer your minnows get.... then take your minnows and put them into containers, add abit more salt so that they are all coated white and youre done!

You could also add a bit of cornmeal to them is optional, I usually dont bother with this step but it can also help retain a firm moist texture to your bait and help retain its natural coulor, texture all depends on how dry you want your bait, personally I like my bait moist,firm but soft, dripping them in a strainer, your net or setting them onto paper towels would help dry them out, experiment what texture you prefer.

You can store them in the freezer or refrigerator they will last months and work just as good maybe even better than live with the salty scents that fish love.

lol yesturday i putting them in 8 out of 10 were alive and i kind of felt guilty as they jumped around in the salt:P, but i pretty much did those steps, il be heading out friday and using them and plastics, il let you guys know how i do

[Botchegalupe]

I'm going to try jigging the weed beds on Rice Lake with them come spring/summer.

[DaveC]

Thats cool Chef....never thought of somethinng like that. I used to drop dye on herring rigs trolling lake O

[smerchly]

I do a little extra work to keep salted minnows . First step is give them a quick rinse in a colander & let drain for ten minutes to allow all water to drain off . I dump enough sea salt (buck store) to cover the bottom of a small bucket ,etc. about 1/2" deep , then dump a quantity (about 5 doz) of mixed sizes into the bucket and shake the bucket to cover all minnows .Then they go back into the colander to shake off the excess salt . I dump them on the top of my chest freezer & sort them into 2 or 3 sizes depending on each batch I netted . They go directly into the buck store 4" x 5" bags in various quanties to suit the fishing trip . After they are all bagged , they are rolled up in a large plastic leaf bag to help prevent freezer burn , and some can go inside my unheated garage in the cold weather . Here are a few samples of rigs I use with both salted and live minnows for ice fishing .......

These are med.size perch minnows & large size pike-walleye minnows .....toonie at the bottom.

From top to bottom ......

1. Mr.Champ with a stainless snap to attach the treble hook

2. A Can.Tire lure about 20 yrs.old (works good) with the same detachable snap & large salty . The treble is taken off the snap , a small hole is cut in the throat of the fish & the eye of the treble is pushed through the hole & out the mouth , then reconnected to the snap on the lure . We use this method with live pond chubs for walleye at Quinte ,ice fishing . They stay alive for hours with steady jigging and rarely miss a hit , unless the perch peck at it . Use a smaller treble and minnow & you can catch the perch . This set up is great and the fish rarely get the bait off the hook .

3. These little Rap jigs work really well for me . Sometimes I use a maggot , fish eye or tail end of a minnow to sweeten my offer . And, if pike are there , I use a 12" floro , 30# leader .

4. A tear drop works great for pannies , tipped with a live (stinky) maggot or other small plastic like a ratso tail .

Chef .....cool idea to colour those minnows ! When we use the small Rap jigs we have found when perch are feeding on tiny gills, we use one with blue bars on the sides or we will use brighter colours with orange & red in murky water .

oops....picture too large .....changed size on picasa for this one ........

This is a better look at my walleye or pike rig . Just attach to the snap ...That is a washed saltie from the above package.

[jordanl]

thanks smerch, i love how you show the rigs in pictures, thats awesome i will try it next batch of minnows that i dont use, hopefully come spring time i can get a bunch of shiners of various sizes with my dip net and just do a bunch of salties.

[DaveC]

Those are great Smerch...when i go ice fishing i usually dump the dead ones down the hole at the end of the night. Maybe i should keep them next time..what i do is hook through the mouth and leave the stinger hook bare or put one barb in the tail. I use those ones with the 2" steel leader that fit over the jig or lure....you know with the little orange plastic thingy so they dont fall off. Most walleye end up hooked on the stinger. But what you have there looks good to me....probably why i burn so many minnows...lol

[captainonion]

Awesome info! I caught a half dozen down at Queenston today that were floating half dead near the shore. Water must have been too cold for them as they just kept floating by me dying off. I brought em home and they went straigt into the salt for later!