Freezing Golden Shiners

[vaughan]

If I catch some golden shiners this summer out in the pond can I just keep them and salt them down when I get home then freeze them for ice fishing the next winter?  Will they be OK after that long?

[cwavs1982]

I am not sure on the process to do this, but I know that a lot of the resorts that we fish out of use frozen shiners all the time.  They use them in the summer and winter fishing season. 

[Gills-only]

Freeze them flat on a cookie sheet with wax paper on it so they don’t  stick

[Sandcountrylivin]

I don't have any experience to offer, only to mention that they must get really mushy. Any minnows of mine that freeze in the minnow bucket upon thawing do no not stay on the hook jigging for squat. Now if your carefully double hooking them on a quick strike rig they might work just fine.

[fish_finder]

You can freeze em as is but theyll ve a bit mushy but still work. What i do is lay them out on a cookie sheet or plate with double layer of paper towel under em. Lay thr salt to them and let them set in the fridge for a bit. Once paper towel is soaked replace it flip thrm over lay salt to them again n let thrm set. Keep doing this  until the amount of liquid coming out of thrm is minimal. Freeze ..preferably in a vaccuum sealed bags layed out flat. They wont be as mushy n a little more durable .

[bigstorm]

If they are salted and mostly dry before freezing they should work

[Seamonkey84]

This is how I froze some smelt and they came out great.
http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/tips/general/how_to_make_salted_minnows.htm

[Kevin23]

When you catch them, have a cooler full of ice with you. Fill your cooler full of ice and add enough water to fill the cooler about 3/4 way when you get to your spot, then add in a couple cups of salt and mix it around real well while trying to not freeze your arms off. Put your shiners directly into the cooler, pushing them down under the water. They will super cool and stiffen up a bit from the salt brine in about an hour or so. When you are ready to leave the location, drain the water and make sure the shiners are completely under the ice. When you get home, put them directly into freezer bags and and into your freezer. Do not add any water or salt to the bag. This is how we do shad and herring for catfishing, and they last 6-8 months in the freezer no problem. Don't let them thaw out completely when you go to use them, put them on your hook while they are still partially frozen and they will thaw within a couple minutes in the water. Doesn't work well with fatheads or emerald shiners, but works real well with golden shiners, creek cubs, common shiners, shad, mooneye, suckers, and of course panfish.

[tater140]

Dry them off and then put them in half borax, half salt.  Let set for a day or two then freeze.

[missoulafish]

Yep...Cure them with salt and borax.

[Spider1]

seamonkey, great web site and great explanation. Next bunch of leftover shiners I got are getting that treatment! Thanks!

[perch chacer]

We buy freeze dried herring from a local bait shop in a vacuum sealed package and use them for 1/2 our pike set.  The other 1/2 of the set is live golden shinners.  The herring are laid on the bottom and we catch as many pike on them as we do the live shinners that are  suspended.  So I would say your frozen shinners will also work.  I would vacuum seal them.