herring for bait

[sgs]

I was wondering if anyone out there has tried using their old herring for crab bait? Putting it in a little cage.

[Richter]

Any stinky thing you have left over after a fishing trip will work. If your not going to use the left over herring for awhile, just freeze them and use them later. Any leftovers, smelt, anchovies, sandshrimp, etc., after a sturgeon trip are saved to be used later.
Save your salmon heads, this is best crab bait in my opinion, others may say differently.

Rich

[garyk]

SGS -

Yeah, all the time. At about $4 a pack we wring all the usage we can out of those herring. Giving 'em a squirt of scent oil before feeding them to the crabs can improve your results.

Best crab bait, IMHO, is shad. With millions going up the Columbia, I'm amazed someone hasn't started marketing them for crabbing.

[Richter]

garyk,

I hadn't heard that about shad. I like to go up and fish them with trout gear off the rocks by Bonneville. Its a lot of fun on light tackle. I usually just let them go or give them to whoever is fishing next to me if they want them. Next year its crab bait time. Thanks

Rich

[Ed]

I have used shad for crab bait with great results. The heads work especially well because they last.

[Gizmo Man]

Shad make great crab bait. Make sure you wrap your bait with a piece of window screen or place it in a bait cage. The crab will eat your bait in know time if it is not somehow protected. When done crabbing, do not throw the screen in the water. Save it for next time.

Giz...