frozen herring as bait

[Danderson]

i know people suggest using dead baits like herring. i'm wondering, do these baits produce for you in waters withouth any herring at all, like Mass?

[big-brother]

Here in Manitoba it's common for us pike guys to use herring,sardines large smelt etc. while deadbaiting for pike.Live suckers,large shiners are not available at the local bait shop so we make do with the largest dead baits we can find.

[Master Angler]

I'll second what BB said.  Whatever big bait you can get your hands on will work.  One winter all I could find was 10-14 inch mackeral at superstore, they worked great.  I have used sardines, herring, mackeral, smelt, yellow perch, tullibee, chubs, and suckers, and have caught on all of them.  And the lake I fish big pike only has chubs, suckers, and perch, but all the rest work great.

[pyle]

I've used the frozen herring from Gander Mountain before and had good luck with them.

[Barleydog]

Danderson do you have many pike over 5 lbs.?  -or- are do you mostly target pickerel?  If that's the case, I'd stick with like shiners etc...  Frozen herring are quite often, (but not always) too large for those smaller pickerel sized fish.  We use them in Alaska exclusively, because we can't use live bait.  The smell from herring is really powerful!  I think it helps draw in those fish looking for an easy meal, especially when the oxygen level is low or they have the late season blues...

[wiicefishing]

In my area, I prefer to use frozen smelt. Shiners are a pint to keep alive, expensive, and don't produce as well as their dead counterpart as far as im concened. I will often place a few tip-up's with full 7-10 in smelt, and a few with 1/2 a smelt to see what size they prefer that day.

[Danderson]

Danderson do you have many pike over 5 lbs.?  -or- are do you mostly target pickerel?   If that's the case, I'd stick with like shiners etc...  Frozen herring are quite often, (but not always) too large for those smaller pickerel sized fish.  We use them in Alaska exclusively, because we can't use live bait.  The smell from herring is really powerful!  I think it helps draw in those fish looking for an easy meal, especially when the oxygen level is low or they have the late season blues...

haha, of course we have pike! i caught so far my personal best this past spring at 6 and a half pounds, swimming right next to a female. our state records 35 pounds.

i fish places that can produce multiple teen sized fish in a day, but they're hush hush locations and you gotta know what you're doing there on the ice

[Barleydog]

I knew you had pike, what I was asking was whether you target pickerel more than pike. 8)  Sorry for the confusion...  Pickerel remind me of the Danny Divito of the pike family, stunted little devils!  Anyways, I'd have at it with the dead baits.  Especially late season when those pike are gearing up for the spawn and cruise the depths looking for an easy meal.

[Imissedem]

i know people suggest using dead baits like herring. i'm wondering, do these baits produce for you in waters withouth any herring at all, like Mass?

Thats all we use here in RI Danderson./herring/stickleback/jumbo sardines and mackeral.Have not bought live bait in a couple years unless going for trout but very seldom.Pike are between 5 and 15lbs last year and there are much bigger.My biggest last year was 13lbs.All fish caught on dead bait between 7 and 12 inches in length.

[MeadowPikeman]

i would rather use ciscoes for deadbait but saltwater herring are much easier to find to buy. kinda funny since we have ciscoes in all our lakes. herring work well though we caught a dozen pike 40" or better last winter all on herring, including a 36 #er.

[buddah]

This fish in my avatar went 44" and 22 lbs and was caught on a 12" dead saltwater smelt layed right on bottom here in maine.There are no smelts in the lake I caught it either,so I imagine herring would also work.

[Muskie Matt]

i know people suggest using dead baits like herring. i'm wondering, do these baits produce for you in waters withouth any herring at all, like Mass?

Can't use herring in Massachusetts anyway    If you can jig up smelt I would suggest using them, only until Feb. 29 though.  As far as the hush, hush places go...unfortunately they're not so low key anymore.  The Internet has helped with many things over the years..........keeping secret fishing hot spots a secret.......not so much.  I always use LARGE dead suckers and goldens for pike.  If you want to stay within the regs there isn't much else to use.

[deadbait dave]

 pike will generally eat most dead fish they come across. some types of deadbait leave better scent trails in the water depending on currents and other factors. large pike are generally opportunistic feeders, and usually from the middle of the ice season on begin to key on this type of food source. in these conditions other fishes usually the weaker fish begin to die from what they call winter kill. pike have eatten this way for thousands of years and it is part of there genetic code for survival in long harsh winter season's! deadbait is definitly an advantage for the larger lazy pike if that is what you want to catch. if you want lot's of action fishing deadbait, you better be in the right place and the last three weeks of feb. can't be beat! good luck and a safe season to all. happy new year!                dbd             
                           

[sledder]

 I've had frozen store bought smelt produce,where other tip ups a few feet away with live perch of the same size as the smelt,produced nothing.

[Smeltecca]

Muskie Matt is right Herring are illegal to use as bait in Mass - check the baitfish list on the mass wildlife web site so you don't get yourself in trouble

[Danderson]

Muskie Matt is right Herring are illegal to use as bait in Mass - check the baitfish list on the mass wildlife web site so you don't get yourself in trouble

yeah, i forgot about that, i was thinking smelt would work better anyways, more oils in em and some bodies of water have them 

[FishinAddiction]

I smelt do work well.

[fisherman58]

Can't use herring in Massachusetts anyway    If you can jig up smelt I would suggest using them, only until Feb. 29 though.  As far as the hush, hush places go...unfortunately they're not so low key anymore.  The Internet has helped with many things over the years..........keeping secret fishing hot spots a secret.......not so much.  I always use LARGE dead suckers and goldens for pike.  If you want to stay within the regs there isn't much else to use.

BLUE BACK HERRING ARE ILLEGAL  IN MASS YOU CAN USE ATLANTIC HERRING WITCH IS WHAT MOST BAIT SHOPS SELL FROZEN

[Muskie Matt]

BLUE BACK HERRING ARE ILLEGAL  IN MASS YOU CAN USE ATLANTIC HERRING WITCH IS WHAT MOST BAIT SHOPS SELL FROZEN

I know all about the ocean/river herring debate however in freash water they are not listed as baitfish dead or alive.  The herring ban was put in place to protect the river herring.  These are the facts, interpret them as you see fit.  Freshly jigged smelt are great for pike (until Feb. 29 '08) it's tough to get larger ones so goldens and suckers are a good choice too.

Fish species not listed below may not be used as bait, live or dead.

American eel Banded killifish Bluntnose minnow Creek chubsucker Emerald shiner Fallfish Fathead minnow Golden shiner Mummichog Pumpkinseed Rainbow smelt‡ Yellow perch Spottail shiner White sucker

Herring — For current regulations on the use, possession and taking of herring contact the Div. of Marine Fisheries, (617) 626-1520 or www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf.

It is unlawful for any person to harvest, possess or sell river herring in the Commonwealth or in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth. These measures will expire on January 1, 2009.