How to brine your own bait

[Mullymaster1 15]

Hi guys looking for some advice on brining your own bait, the process and ingredients needed. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Kelvin 2,196]

For pilchards I just put frozen pilchards in a container, cover in salt, let them thaw and soak for 12 to 24hrs, then drain on newspaper and place in freezer. Brine gets reused or mixed with pellets for burley.

[Underpants 1,543]

Done similar with cockles & seems to work well. Stay on hooks much better (than frozen ones) and far less messy. Fish didnt seem to mind.

Pretty simple:

• open cockles & removed all the meat (as you would as for shoving on a hook).
• Placed in a plastic container, in single layers, with a light cover of pool salt and leave in the fridge for a day or so.
• Helps to lift the cockles off the bottom of the container so the brine can drain, i used a handfull of 20mm gravel and a bit of 'gutter guard'.
• drain on some newspaper & freeze in lil zippy bags.
• similarly save the briney goodness for burley.
• leaving uncovered in one of those 'frost free' freezers can help dry them out further too, if desired.

[brenton 637]

I brine mine in a  salt slurry in the fridge,keeps them from shrinking and looking brined and also keeps in the juices

                                                               cheers brenton

[Mullymaster1 15]

Hi Brenton do you just mix with water? And keep in a jar in the slurry? Cheers Ian.

[brenton 637]

yes mate,in tuppaware container actually.Mix in as much salt as you can then add pillies and a bit more salt

                                                      cheers brenton