Question about whitefish

[Bushwhack Jack]

I talked to a friend yesterday about whitefish and he mentioned preserving whitefish with salt.  This intrigued me, because I know of a place I can probably catch some whitefish in the summer, but I have no way of immediately freezing them for preservation.  Anybody ever just used salt to preserve them?  And if so, will they work just as well for bait if they are salted and not frozen?  Thanks for any advice.

[Drifter_016]

I talked to a friend yesterday about whitefish and he mentioned preserving whitefish with salt.  This intrigued me, because I know of a place I can probably catch some whitefish in the summer, but I have no way of immediately freezing them for preservation.  Anybody ever just used salt to preserve them?  And if so, will they work just as well for bait if they are salted and not frozen?  Thanks for any advice.

How long until you can get them in the freezer?
Will you have refrigeration until you can get them to the freezer?
You can salt them but you don't want to over do it as they will dry out and be useless.
I will cover my bait with coarse salt over night and clean off the salt in the morning before putting in the fridge or freezer.
Refrigerated they will last quite a long time so if you can keep them cool or iced after salting would be best.

[Bushwhack Jack]

How long until you can get them in the freezer?
Will you have refrigeration until you can get them to the freezer?
You can salt them but you don't want to over do it as they will dry out and be useless.
I will cover my bait with coarse salt over night and clean off the salt in the morning before putting in the fridge or freezer.
Refrigerated they will last quite a long time so if you can keep them cool or iced after salting would be best.

Hey Drifter.  No, I will not have a freezer or refrigerator, but I will have a pelican cooler and ice.  So I can keep them cool but not frozen.  Thanks for the suggestions.  About how much salt should I use?  Will the salt change the effectiveness of the bait?

[Drifter_016]

Icing them is good.
Put them on a plate or tinfoil with paper towels to absorb the water that will leech out when the salt does it's job.
Put salt (I use coarse Kosher) on another plate and roll the fish in it like you would bread crumbs.
Place on paper towel and sprinkle more salt on top.
Leave over night and rinse in the morning to halt the salt from removing moisture from the fish.
Wrap in plastic wrap and put in a freezer ziplock and into the cooler.
When you get home just toss them in the freezer.
They will be good for a long time.

[jiggenfrogs]

I take a cooler and put them in zip locks and put them on ice.  Plenty of whitefish in the valley rivers should be able to fill your cooler. 

[Bushwhack Jack]

I take a cooler and put them in zip locks and put them on ice.  Plenty of whitefish in the valley rivers should be able to fill your cooler.

Thanks.  If you don't mind me asking, how do you catch them?  I've caught them on occasion, but wasn't targeting them.  I just catch them by mistake every once in a blue moon.  Like maybe once or twice a year.

[jiggenfrogs]

I have caught them by accident also, fishing eggs for kings and silvers and when then kings are not thick whitefish will usually be picking at your eggs. You can get them on a bead and a small hook if you are fishing for them.  I have caught them on small spinners in a few lakes also.  Best bet is fishing the rivers finding them and sight fishing with a bead.