Salting and freezing minnows...

[The Urban Fisherman]

I'm assuming you just dust them with salt and toss them into a ziploc then freeze 'em up but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask before I ruin a bunch of bait...

 

Thanks guys!

 

Ryan

[Fisherman]

Best is to use the coarse pickling(kosher) salt, let them sit in a strainer, salt them and them let them drip dry for an hour or so, add a bit more salt and bag them in small ziplocs with the air removed. They will last a long time.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Fisherman

[johnnyb]

Yep...the coarse salt is way better, and you have to drain the water that it extracts. I throw mine in a margerine tub with salt, put it in the freezer, and drain it once a day. After a couple days, there's no water left.

[Dabluz]

I liberally apply salt all over the minnows....lots of pickling salt. I place them on a large flat plastic tray in such a way that they don't touch each other and freeze them in the freezer. 30 minutes later, I put them into plastic bags, add a bit more salt and put them in the freezer downstairs. They never stick together.

 

I have tried salted smelt against non salted smelt and it seems to me that the non-salted smelt produce more fish.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Dabluz

[grt1]

I know a lot of plastic baits are scented with garlic, I wonder what would happen if you put garlic powder on them with the salt. Do you think the garlic would sink in?