Fresh herring and brine??

[5 Salt]

I grew up fishing fresh bait for salmon in Puget Sound and Neah Bay. After a long hiatus from the sport I return to find only frozen herring and sardines readily available.

My question is this, are fresh herring and sardines readily available in the Portland area? And, does it make any sense to brine and freeze fresh bait?

The commercially available frozen varieties often are pretty bad at times of the year.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Fishing Maniac]

I know you can get fresh herring and anchovies down in Hammond, OR and Chinook, WA during the fall but not sure if they are available during the spring. Most guys use the frozen green or blue lable and they seem to work just fine. I wouldn't be to concern as long as they aren't freezer burned.