Bud369 Loc: Cape Canaveral, FL

I’ve been surf fishing for some time and have always bought fresh or frozen bait. Recently, I have started curing/salting my bait, squid, clam and shrimp. I appear to have the same level of success. To cure my bait, I press as much of the moisture from the bait and use medium coarse sea salt (non-iodized) curing for 48 hours. The cured bait will last for over a month unrefrigerated in a cool area. What’s everyone else’s opinion?

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

Genius

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Welcome to the Forum, Bud, About 50 years ago we tried to "cure" some minnows to take to Canada where we were fishing away back in the "sticks". We salted them and baked them, and then froze them and as soon as they thawed out they fell off our hook. Maybe if we had done it as you did, they may have worked. So, you do this with live shrimp. How do you cure them?

Bud369 Loc: Cape Canaveral, FL

Thanks, FG and BB. I believe the key to success would be the size of the bait you’re using, how you prepare it and how much moisture you remove from the bait before curing. Any bait that requires cleaning I remove all internal organs that might hv bacteria that would decay the bait. With bunkers, I gut and clean the fish. With shrimp, I buy frozen or fresh at fish market (live is too expensive to salt) remove head and shell but leave tail on. Clams I throw away stomach and keep tongue and muscles. I keep the heads of squid but throw away guts and cuttle bone. The bait is cut into strips or pieces approximately into sizes I might use, say, for the #1 snell hook. For larger hooks, bigger pieces. I use paper towels to dry the bait. I blot it until no more moisture appears. I place the pieces on a layer of non-iodized (very important) medium sea salt in a plastic tub with holes in it. Don’t let the pieces touch or overlap. Layer, salt, layer, salt until tub is filled ending with salt on top. The salt is absorbed and replaces moisture in the meat cells. I keep it in the salt curer until the bait takes on a rubbery texture. ~48 hrs for squid and clam, shrimp ~72 to 96 hrs for shrimp and 5 to 7 days for the bunker. Once the curing is done, I put them in a separate bait tub for each type salt on the bottom. You can stack the bait on top of each other with salt covering them. Keep in a cool dry location or frig. I hvnt had any bait spoil since curing the bait. I won’t consider baking them because that would break down the meat fibers causing them to go “soft.” Cured bait stays on the hook much better than fresh or frozen. You can reuse your salt multiple times after you’ve allowed the salt to dry.

BonitaBarry Loc: Bonita Springs, FL

Thanks for the detailed process Bud. I’ll try that the next time I have any fresh bait left over from a slow day.

Bud369 Loc: Cape Canaveral, FL

If you hv any questions, shoot me a text and I’ll answer any questions.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Welcome to the Fishing Stage, Bud369! Thanks so much, for that information!!!