MACKEREL / TROLLING BAIT

[rarhomes]

If you are using spanish mackerel for trolling baits do you prefer them with or without the gills ?



Thanks in advance.

Capt Rick

[clt_capt]

I prefer without the gills. I think the gill plates look better and I can tie them up better without the gills

[offshore]

I have a question? I have tried Spanish a few times this year and have had them wash out pretty quickly. I caught them myself gutted them sewed them up and put them on Ice right away. Brined them in the fridge overnight them vacuum sealed them. I thought they would last longer than they do. Any suggestions for prepping them. Seems like 30 minutes was the max time before deterioration started.... Thanks Mark

[Nauti Natured]

I have a question? I have tried Spanish a few times this year and have had them wash out pretty quickly. I caught them myself gutted them sewed them up and put them on Ice right away. Brined them in the fridge overnight them vacuum sealed them. I thought they would last longer than they do. Any suggestions for prepping them. Seems like 30 minutes was the max time before deterioration started.... Thanks Mark

Mark,

Were you using your own brine? I have found that Bionic Brine will triple the time I get with my baits.

[clt_capt]

I have a question? I have tried Spanish a few times this year and have had them wash out pretty quickly. I caught them myself gutted them sewed them up and put them on Ice right away. Brined them in the fridge overnight them vacuum sealed them. I thought they would last longer than they do. Any suggestions for prepping them. Seems like 30 minutes was the max time before deterioration started.... Thanks Mark

When I go after spanish for bait, I will bring a 54 qt cooler to put them in - 1 20 lb bag of ice, 2 gallons of seawater, 2 cups salt, 2 cups baking soda.

They go into the cooler as soon as they are in the boat. I'll leave them in the cooler for 4 hours or so, then gut them and remove the gills. I'll add more salt and baking soda and let them sit overnight. Then vacuum seal and freeze.

Mine will last a long time - if they don't get bit first.

[Captain Fred Archer]

R,

Down in The Baja we used sierra mackerel, which are the Spaniard's kissin' cousin for big baits. They are very abundant and we used to catch our own for rigging. We didn't use the smaller ones. We preferred big, ten pound or bigger models for rigging and running au natural. Big blacks, gynormous wahoos and blues seemed to really love them.

Being the odd ball that I am , I preferred a horse ballyhoo rigged to seem much bigger than normal instead of the sierras. This was more due to the bigger number of smaller species that regularly mugged them and that it was easier to hook them on the "skinnier meat" than the sierras. Plus, of course, rigging the bally was a lot less time consuming than sewing up a cooler full of mackerel.

Here's how we did it. Works like a champ! (That's Captain Meme with one before the hollow squid went over it. We used the more slender ProSquid if the fish were after needlefish, which they often were down there. We used the fatter hollow squids if we were trying to immitate macks.)

[offshore]

When I go after spanish for bait, I will bring a 54 qt cooler to put them in - 1 20 lb bag of ice, 2 gallons of seawater, 2 cups salt, 2 cups baking soda.

They go into the cooler as soon as they are in the boat. I'll leave them in the cooler for 4 hours or so, then gut them and remove the gills. I'll add more salt and baking soda and let them sit overnight. Then vacuum seal and freeze.

Mine will last a long time - if they don't get bit first.

Thanks for the information I will give that a try....Mark

[bigg09]

might want to try a little slower trolling speed. when we pull them at normal speeds they do tend to washout quicker. switch some of the other fast speed lures to slower speed lures and maybe try a skirt on the front trimmed to just in front of the hook like a squid or a moldcraft softhead. if they are rigged to swim you really need to slow down or they will wash out no matter how well they are brined. a good spread with a swimmer will definately include some guacs or spit bills and concave faced lures that add pop to the spread.

[striper swiper]

If your catching to brine baits remove the gills with tin snips scissors before you brine. I also gut at the end of the trip for the overnight part of the process.
I have been using a 128qt cooler 5 gallons of clean seawater 20# of ice 5# of kosher salt and half bottle of Bionic. If I don't have the bionic I use a box of arm n hammer
This is my bluefish recipe which is almost as soft as a spainish. It seems to me that if your allready cut before you brine it is much better. Also cover the bait with bionic or kosher salt before you vacume seal and freeze

[BTH284]

48 or 54 qt cooler half full of a slurry of kosher ice baking soda and a few drops of embalming fluid. Read the directions on the fluid and do not over use. The slurry should be to cold to put your hand in. Dehook the bait and let die in the slurry. Only cut big enough slit to gut no bigger when you get back to the dock