[fishortho]

I got a couple of fish in my freezer that my son brought home in the fall....Can they be prepared to use as sturgeon bait and how should this be done to expect results....?
I won't likely be using the salmon bait until there are some salmon in the river, but I would like to know if it should be a little "stinky" befor I use it?.Ortho 8)

 

[marko]

Fishortho,IMO and from what I've experienced ,frozen fish tend to dry out. These critters tend to be
more fussy than I once thought. Fresh squaw fish, Lampree and crawdads seem to work best but if you
add some smelt oil or lunker lotion to the tidbits you have from the freezer you might just nail the big one!!!!.... :beerchug:.....Marko

 

[fishin30]

You need to go catch some squawfish kill them without causing too much damage so they don't bleed out. Throw them on ice right away and when you get home vacuum pak and freeze whole. You want to keep the fluids and organs so that they leave that so important smell trail. When ready to use pull them out the morning before you go and throw them in the fridge to thaw. :thumbup:

 

[GOFISH]

but I would like to know if it should be a little "stinky" befor I use it?.

Never ......... the fresher the better. Sturgeon may be bottom feeders but they would rather eat fresh than rotten anyday. Hence fresh untreated roe works best when compared to cured or the "old smelly/stinky even if you plug your nose it still wants to make you puke your guts stuff."

If you think about it, many things work ........ (good) frozen fish; (better) frozen vacuum packed fish; (best) fresh fish. If you think in this way it's not hard to come up with your own good, better, best list.


GOFISH 8)

 

[Mike D.]

but I would like to know if it should be a little "stinky" befor I use it?.

Never ......... the fresher the better. Sturgeon may be bottom feeders but they would rather eat fresh than rotten anyday. Hence fresh untreated roe works best when compared to cured or the "old smelly/stinky even if you plug your nose it still wants to make you puke your guts stuff."

If you think about it, many things work ........ (good) frozen fish; (better) frozen vacuum packed fish; (best) fresh fish. If you think in this way it's not hard to come up with your own good, better, best list.


GOFISH 8)

What he said! :thumbup:

The only thing rotten that works awsome is GUTS! inerds from those nice smelly chum floating down the harrison river make a great bait ;D

May I ask what kind of fish it is? and how it is frozen? i.e. vacum sealed, ziplocked etc.

Mike <"))))><

 

[Guest]

but I would like to know if it should be a little "stinky" befor I use it?.

Never ......... the fresher the better. Sturgeon may be bottom feeders but they would rather eat fresh than rotten anyday. Hence fresh untreated roe works best when compared to cured or the "old smelly/stinky even if you plug your nose it still wants to make you puke your guts stuff."

If you think about it, many things work ........ (good) frozen fish; (better) frozen vacuum packed fish; (best) fresh fish. If you think in this way it's not hard to come up with your own good, better, best list.


GOFISH 8)

not neccessarily true, they looooove stinky rotten fish. i know lots of people who find floaters and use them as bait

 

[Valley Guide]

Anyone who makes a living off it know NOT to use floaters!!!! FResh red spring roe/gutz is AWAWA right now. Today was really bad with debris though.......

 

[Mike D.]

:

 

[Crazy Drifter]

Here is some food for thought about proper baits for sturgy's. These fish will selectively feed on baits found naturally in the river at that particular time of the year. The key being naturally. If you leave bait or fish in the freezer to use another day think about this, as the bait is freezing and thawing it is absorbing the scent of the plastic. Smaller fish will still hit the bait but larger ones will tend to leave it alone. I agree with you to a degree on the rotten fish for bait VG, I do use stink bait as a alternate in aug and sept when the river is full of live fish and a few floaters then switch to other baits in the fall, when the good mouldy ones are cruising by and the sturgy's have already gotten their fill on em and are looking for a new flavor.
Cheers,
Crazy D :cheers:
p.s. ortho pm me if you are looking for a recipe for a cocktail to make with the previously frozen ones.

 

[GOFISH]

My response was to reply to what would be good now (this time of year)for bait. Haven't seen many floaters in the river lately, it may work during some periods of the year but not a natural thing right now. Besides, I really want to enjoy my day, and the thought of handling and then smelling like a rotten floater and perhaps my vomit as well doesn't interest me at all. :

I catch plenty of Sturgey's without having to go there. :thumbup:


GOFISH 8)