Sardine wraps

[Pete]

I really enjoy pulling wrapped Kfish from my drifty. Seems like almost everyone has a different technique for doing the wrap. I have a fly tying bobbber and use kevlar thread to wrap a chunk of sardine on the belly of the plug. But here's my question: what makes for a good quality sardine? I've settled for the frozen, bait quality sardines sold in bait stores. Would a fresh one work better? What stays on the hook longer? What has better oils? Are the old, frozen ones rancid? (They always smell awful.) I seem to catch plenty of fish on them, but could it be better?

[Backlash2]

I have never fished a fresh sardine, but I guarantee this;

"FRESH BAIT IS ALWAYS BETTER"

The problem is finding them. I don't get over to your side of the hill that much, but I have seen them for sale in Ilwaco. I am pretty much stuck fishing the frozen ones, too, though not my preference.

And as far as the smell goes, I don't think that they are rancid at all. Crack open the lid on a bottle of ProCure Sardine Oil, and inhale deeply. Now, the fish doesn't smell bad at all, does it?

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[smoky]

First time pulling KwikFish/Sardines from my drift boat was last Friday.

Used frozen sardines. Hooked two landed one.
26# chrome hen. I did have other scents on the k15.

I have some digital pics from past two weeks on the coast, but its been so long since I posted pics, the hosting service I used is extinct. If anybody wants to post them I'll email to them.

[Ramstrong]

Jeff, send me your pics and I'll post them for ya. As for Sardines, all I've used are frozen as well. The best quality frozens I've found have been at the gas station at Cathlamet. A very very quality product. Vaccume sealed by the owner. A much finer quality product than the garbage at fishermans and Joes.

[NAUTI-NOTIONS]

I use dental rubber bands the kind you would use if you had braces. they hold the fillet nice and tight aginst the plug body and fairly easy to change baits.

[Pilar]

Another thing to try is a small patch of black velcro on the plugs belly. Just grind some sardine into it and fish. I started doing this because the stretchy thread would always come unraveled and foul the hooks.

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[Snapset]

Has anybody had success with fish other than sardines? I was even thinking of lashing prawns or squid to the Kfish. Anybody had success on alternatives?&gt;

[Jeffhead]

I run herring and it seems to work just as well as the sardines. For the springers this year I soaked the herring strips in Mikes sardine oil and that worked well also.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff :grin: :grin:

[TH]

Every Fall I take a couple dozen Sardine fillets and throw them in my egg cure (the real chem flavored one) and soak the fillets for a day or two, then I vaccum pack them on a styrofoam try and they are ready for my kwikies...
They trun out the color of the egg cure and seem to really work... :grin: better than non-cured fillets, I don't know as I don't pull kwikies that much but they work! and they will really work this weekend with the water on the high side fish on the move..
Dare to be different!

[Pilar]

Yes, tuna works too. Or to be more specific, oil. I sometimes keep the oil I pour off the home canned tuna for a sturgeon trip or for plugs like Kwikfish.

Tuna feed on sardines and that's what the oil smells like.