San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Does anyone use salted baits in the surf ? I’ve tried salting my own to preserve and save money but it doesn’t seem to get bit. I used non ionized salt with shrimp, squid, muscles, ect. but no luck. Does anyone sell salted baits here in SD ?

I have used frozen salted anchovies that I got at Dana and other bait shops.
They stay on the hooks a little better than frozen anchovies...but the fish don't really seem to like either of those very much. Fresh always works better.
You might look into "curing" bait (like the people who use egg skeins in the Pacific Northwest)....or blanching then freezing sand crabs or ghosties (I think that makes 'em a bit tougher, not sure how much longer they last in storage. As I understand it, blanching involved boiling very briefly....

Butch, aka @Midnightpass is an expert at curing bloodworms.

Mike M wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:22 am Butch, aka @Midnightpass is an expert at curing bloodworms.

Mike I’m not much of an expert on anything… But I do save and cure my blood worms.. I believe they usually work about as well as fresh.. I lay them on a piece of newspaper, salt them with non-iodized salt and let them dry overnight in the garage… Next day I put them I’m a baggy with a little salt and toss them in the freezer… Sometimes they pop some of the blood, when salting… I’ve heard guys put them in the freezer prior to salting, maybe that’s to prevent them from popping, but I’ve never done that.. They look and feel like a leather shoe string, and are a pain to hook until they soak in the water for a bit… I just put a hook in them, and fish until they soften, then rehook them better… Even when rehydrated, they last on the hook better than fresh blood worms, and sometimes last through more than a 1/2 dozen catches… They are by far the least messy bait you can use…. No smell like Gulp, no blood and guts.. I’ve forgotten to replace my bait in the freezer, after taking a bag of them fishing and they lasted just fine for a week in the summer in the garage.. Only down side is hooking them before rehydration… Lately if been taking a prescription pill bottle and putting a little ocean water in it when I get to the beach, and dropping a worm in it to hydrate, while I fish with the previous worm..
Butch

Cabelas sent me a jar of borax based powder for curing salmon eggs for bait by mistake, they said to just keep it. I would be happy to give it to you to try if we ever cross paths on the water. Not sure if it would work for other baits or not.

Squidco has Bait. Splurge on the Ghost Shrimp, you only live once, you might as well spend it out your rod bent.

I only fish fresh/frozen bait or Gulp!. Never had any "luck" with soaking salted baits, we all used to make fun of anyone that bought a bag of salted chovies at the pier. The bloodworms seem to be the exception, but I'd imagine that live or fresh dead would still be more appealing to the fish.

The one advantage of salted, dried and frozen blood worms is that they are tough.. I’ve had one worm last a session, with catching multiple fish.. Also, they are no trouble to use.. No stink, no mess, no special packaging.. They will sit in your pocket for a week and be as good as the day you pulled them out of the freezer.. Tough to hook, yea… But about as good as alive…. Will I use fresh.. Yes, if I can get them.. Right now, i can’t.. My supplier (Big Fish, In Seal Beach) isn’t buying any… And my stash of frozen/dried worms is getting old…
Butch