Herring Dipping Advice

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

I have heard this can be done in Newport at certain times of the year...

Questions:

1. When does this usually take place?
2. What technique is used?
3. Where? (Newport or any other place)
4. Advice on preservation of the herring if any (I heard vacuum packing but is there some other trick to keep them bright like salt cures or powdered milk or something else).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated because I had used some herring a guy had got on his own last year but at times if was not holding up well but it did seem better than the store bought stuff...

Thanks Much...

[wak'm&stak'm]

I have lived here for 47 years and can only think of twice when they were thick enough to catch very many by dipping.
They spawn in the tidal zone, around the jetties, pilings, and on the mud flats where there is grass and things.

You are better off just jigging them in Newport.
The ones in May are much firmer and good plug size.

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

Wak-m,

This jigging technique, does it use sever hooks ???

[Birdnest]

It is a collection of small fly looking lures. It has small spreader attachments to the main leader to keep from tangling. Spot a bait school on your FF, drop down and starting jigging. Most of the time you will come up with multiple herring...great fun for the little ones.

Joe

[fish assassin]

Harry's Bait and Tackle on the waterfront has the jigs ... and they are fairly
cheap. Use a couple of ounces of lead below the hooks.

Fun for the KIDS?? Well then, I guess I must be one of the kids!

-assAssin-

[goodkarma]

and just wait until those Sardines come in, what a blast that is to have a couple of <torqued> off sardines on your line!

[ 01-25-2004, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: skein ]

[Pitch Pocket]

When do the angry sardines come in?

[wak'm&stak'm]

The Sardines started showing up again after the last El-nino, and every summer they come back in limited numbers, other rivers seem to have a more anuual run.

We have found big schools off shore the last few years, this past fall they were thick about 6 miles up the yaquina, and left about mid October.

[CATCH AND EAT]

KHH Sabiki Jigs, the ones with the little green bead and white wings work awesome. I take the kids over usually in February when the fish come in and get all the bait I need for using under hoochie skirts. Plus, they make excellent herring wraps for kwik fish during the springer run. The females are especially oily this time of year and the springers really love that on the kwiks.

I you are interested we can take our boats over when the run comes in and I'll show ya were to hit them babies at or I can just e-mail instructions. Sure is alot of fun the the kids and the bait in the freezer is a good deal.

Beware that these bait are not really a trollable bait in the river though. Current pulls to hard on them and tears up easy. They do work well in the ocean on a slow troll and I hear they make an excellent bottom fishing bait. I usually put away about 75 to 100 lbs each year. I'm just about out of them now.

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

Lets go Bernie...

[Mr. Fisherman]

C&E, I disagree about the trolling thing. Brined up they work great in an RSK. I have the pics to back this statement up :grin:


I would love to have information regarding catching Sardines on a regular basis.

Newport Herring:
Use the Sabiki rigs mentioned above near the green can in front ot the Coast Guard shak. 2 oz sinker and jig off the bottom. When you get 1 on just hold fast and wait. Soon your rig will load up and you can get multiples. Go for the 6 pak attack. This is the best way I have found to make grown men giggle like school girls.

We put them in a bucket and just shake them off. They have paper mouths that tear easily so you don't have to handle them much. The less you handle them the better their scales hold on. You want them to have all their scales if possible for trolling.

After you catch them put them on ice with a couple handfuls of rock salt. Make sure they can drain as you do not want then soaking in water. This will produce a firm bright delecious hard to resist bait for anything that eats herring (everything). I take the left over fish and place them flat on foam meat boards (saved from the store) and freeze them in the bait freezer. After they are frozen flat I vac pack them. Make sure to poke a hole in the bag before you thaw them to prevent them from getting mushy.

Give it a try, I hope this helps.

By the way, it helps to take turns when bringing in the rigs when you get into them. Dealing with 6 hooks at a time is tough enough... I wouldn't recommend 18 or 24. Besides, if you are waiting you have a better chance of dragging up the highly prized 6 pak. (there are 6 hooks on a Sabiki rig )

Good luck and thigh lines....

[happybrew]

They'll bite on bare hoods, too. I limited early one morning jigging small red gami's with nothing on them.

happybrew

[CATCH AND EAT]

Mr. Fisherman you are right if you use a nose clip however not as a cut plug from my experience. You can cut plug for the ocean or use them in the river during slack periods but never realy when the tide is ripping. They are great under hoochies for sure. Ever try one under a bobber in the ocean for coho? Me either but I will this summer.


Khh, Herring dipping? Just a pinch between your cheek and gum gives ya a real relaxing herring flavor.

[ 01-25-2004, 10:20 PM: Message edited by: CATCH AND EAT ]

[Birdnest]

Nice post Mr. Fisherman!!

[Pilar]

Time of year makes a huge difference. When the first herring show up in Feb they are on the spawn. What you get is big soft herring full of eggs. About May or so they are in much better shape and equivalent to black or purple label. If properly handled and brined they are superior to starved bait you get at the tackle shop. All sizes and several species of bait fish(Shad, small pile perch, surf smelt, sardine and Herring) are caught mostly shad and herring. They freeze ok but fresh bait is the bomb.

Anyone who wants to experience a wide open bite on Halibut, Salmon and lings should invest some time in getting this awesome bait before heading to the rockpile or chicken ranch for FB or to the pile for nooks. I think it is the smell that does it. I have even stepped on a rigged bait and in the melee just thrown a totally destroyed bait over just to have it hammered when it got to the bottom.

[Mikeymoto]

Will the bigger better ones be in the bay in May or outside on the big blue?
Thanks,
MM

[Mr. Fisherman]

Originally posted by Mikeymoto:
Will the bigger better ones be in the bay in May or outside on the big blue?
Thanks,
MM

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">This is for the most part a Bay show.

I also neglected to say that typically the oportunity to load up is on the incoming and high slack tide. The bite pretty much shuts down on the outgoing, at least in my experience...

[CATCH AND EAT]

Pilar, you are correct regarding the spawners during the early season of course. This is what I was referring to that they do not troll as well because they are so thin. However they do make a heck of a great kwikfish wrap for springers because they are much more oily than the later fish in may. Especially the hens.

Mr. Fisherman is right if he is referring to the later fish and not the early spawners just to clarify everyones positions. :smile:

Thanks for setting this straight.

[Mikeymoto]

Mr.Fisherman thanks for the info.
MM

[Magoo]

Now I was wondering....Why not use a cast net for herring? I'd think a person could find a quiet enough current in the bay and as long as the herring aren't too deep it should work. It would be real quick too. Hmm, better check the regs first..

[Orca]

You can use a cast net, but I have never seen anybody using one. Maybe it takes all the fun out of it, or it tears them up too bad.

[River Ranger]

Any reports yet??Want to get my nephew out for his first fishing trip.
R.R.