Brining mullet question?

[birdhunter]

What a way to start out the new year, this is a great thread. I would love for someone to put up a demo on everything they do from the cutting to the bagging of a mullet. I know how to rig one but have never prepared one.

[Tenacious]

Where is Captain Joe Shute when we need him

[FESS]

Net 'em....and go right into a light slurry of saltwater, kosher salt, baking soda, so they breath the mix in...to get 'em good and cold before guting, de-gilling and split-backing or split-tailing and NOT brinining 'em to freeze...that's for ballyhoo or balao (froze whole, no prep work per-se).
after processing then dress with salt and let drain or stand before freezing. I'd even add a little formaldehyde on the first plunge so they breath a little of that too.

Blood on face was probably from their gills....and netting will tear them up some for sure...did they go right into a livewell or a dry area or bucket after netting? Seems whatever they go into or hit right away makes the bigest impact on 'em.

I have even started 'em off this way too...dump net into a controlable live well...drain water down after they settle down and then add formaldehyde and ice and and salt until they die and keep water chilled but not freezing and process 'em right away and then into second brining solution and drain and salt and drain again and bag 'em up according to size or mix em up so u get small, med. & large in each bag...smalls for riggers...med up close and large on the wire line or planer.

Thanx for the blueing tip! I'll have to try that one day.

I think if go right into a livewell at first you'll find that'll help you the most. A natural death is better than them beating themselves up and flipping out...they need their own space to die unscathed. The condition you start them off in will not improve after they die...it only gets worse and you have to control all aspects of this in order to get a superior bait.
allen

[rarhomes]

Allen,

Have you ever tried a product called "formalin". It's used to kill parasites and fungus on tropical fish. It is also available at pet shops.

Two things I didn't do the other day that is generally part of my standard mullet prep:

1. I didn't remove the gills
2. I didn't add any formalin

I think both would have helped:

1. I think even though removing the gills (just by pushing them out with your finger) tears and leaves a funny looking spot, but it also prevents them from spoiling so fast in which case their face and noses turn red.

2. The formalin kills any parasites and also help toughen and help preserves color.

[FESS]

thanks for that...i have heard or an anti-fungal being used too, but could not remember the name...i think u hit on it!

fyi...the formaldehyde is an embalming fluid and is a carcinogen (sp?) so be very careful with it and wear gloves when handeling baits....the vapors can be worse than the fluid...or so I'm told too, so don't smell it or breath much of it in. Years ago we'd dose macks with it fairly heavy, but for this use, if I used it at all, it would be very little, say an ounce to 30 gallons or so of brine....and make sure u run the livewell for quite a while before trying to keep bait afterwards...i never had a problem, but it can't help the "live" bait live any better that's for sure huh.

allen

[tunatamer4]

thanks for that...i have heard or an anti-fungal being used too, but could not remember the name...i think u hit on it!

fyi...the formaldehyde is an embalming fluid and is a carcinogen (sp?) so be very careful with it and wear gloves when handeling baits....the vapors can be worse than the fluid...or so I'm told too, so don't smell it or breath much of it in. Years ago we'd dose macks with it fairly heavy, but for this use, if I used it at all, it would be very little, say an ounce to 30 gallons or so of brine....and make sure u run the livewell for quite a while before trying to keep bait afterwards...i never had a problem, but it can't help the "live" bait live any better that's for sure huh.

allen

Allen-

I was told a while ago that because formaldehyde is known to cause cancer, that the public no longer has access to it. Is that true or was my chain getting yanked?

[z71offshore]

tunatamer,

you can still get it. if you know a friend in the funeral home business he can get it for you. Maybe other places to go but that is where I can get it.

[FESS]

It's been some years since I last tried to get it, but I think you're right, if it's not a controlled sub. it should be.
I stopped using it heavily, since I did not want the released marlin(s) to have injested it at all. But in a very light solution it may have a use for some folks looking for a sturdier bait.
But given all it's issues.....forget about it and go with salt.

Some years ago when I was in the tackle business and fishing more tourneys a tackle rep. gave me a few samples of a liquid made in Japan that would make old bait like new...I know it sounds wierd, but I was very interested in it's use on strip-baits and it worked as a toughening agent too...bottle had writing in Japaneese, so I'm not sure what it was, but always wanted to have nailed down the source better, but never did.