Gizzard shad and blueback herring for catfishing

Khondker · Oct 5, 2014

Is gizzard shad and blueback herring same thing?

I would like to use gizzard shad or blue back herring as cut bait on my next catfishing trip at Don Carter state park. We fish from the pier and been using cut bluegill without any success. Liver and nightcrawlers bringing in small channels.

Oakwood bait and tackle sells gizzard shad, Donna's live bait and tackle (few miles from Don Carter Park) sells blueback herring and jumbo minnow.

Looked at some YouTube video, it seems to me that gizzard shad produce lots more blood and gut. Also have read online that gizzard shads are very oiley thus attract more catfish.

Thanks in advance for your help.

-------------------------------

brett30030 · Oct 5, 2014

no they are not

brianj · Oct 5, 2014

I'd go with the gizzards over blue back, and as brett30030 said, they are not the same thing.

Klag · Oct 5, 2014

I have better luck catfishing with non frozen dead shad/herring then I do with frozen. For some reason, once I freeze them they don't do much good anymore.

Anyone else have this type of results?

krazywayne · Oct 16, 2014

frozen bait can be just as good as fresh sometimes. You have to prepare them before you freeze them.. Lay them out on newspaper and clean the slime off them...sprinkle a small amount of table salt on them and freeze in bags without water. I use vacuum bags and they last forever. Gizzard shad and skipjack herring. I do not like threadfin or blueback herring frozen at all

fishingguy61 · Oct 16, 2014

krazywayne said:
frozen bait can be just as good as fresh sometimes. You have to prepare them before you freeze them.. Lay them out on newspaper and clean the slime off them...sprinkle a small amount of table salt on them and freeze in bags without water. I use vacuum bags and they last forever. Gizzard shad and skipjack herring. I do not like threadfin or blueback herring frozen at all

How does table salt enhance frozen bait? I always assumed stinkier is better for catching catfish, but I'm for anything that works.

The Longhunter · Oct 17, 2014

fishingguy61 said:
How does table salt enhance frozen bait? I always assumed stinkier is better for catching catfish, but I'm for anything that works.

Salting it before you freeze it will toughen it up and keep it from turning mushy.

Also fish, like a lot of animals, seem to have a taste for salt - reason it's added to a lot of plastics.

You can even toughen chicken livers by salting them, letting them sit in the sun, covered, for an hour or so.

fishingguy61 · Oct 17, 2014

The Longhunter said:
Salting it before you freeze it will toughen it up and keep it from turning mushy.

Also fish, like a lot of animals, seem to have a taste for salt - reason it's added to a lot of plastics.

You can even toughen chicken livers by salting them, letting them sit in the sun, covered, for an hour or so.

Thanks for the update!

jigman29 · Oct 19, 2014

I use herring all the time with good results.i kayer mine in a cooler with the stock salt from tractor supply.i tilt the cooler with the drain open for 2-3 days till the bait is really firm then rinse it off and freeze.it will last for months with no troubles and won't fall off the hook as easy.

fishingguy61 · Oct 20, 2014

jigman29 said:
I use herring all the time with good results.i kayer mine in a cooler with the stock salt from tractor supply.i tilt the cooler with the drain open for 2-3 days till the bait is really firm then rinse it off and freeze.it will last for months with no troubles and won't fall off the hook as easy.

Great advice. Going to try it.

LittleDrummerBoy · Oct 20, 2014

Fished there last fall with cut bluebacks and struck out. Let us know how it goes.

krazywayne · Oct 25, 2014

The Longhunter said:
Salting it before you freeze it will toughen it up and keep it from turning mushy.

Also fish, like a lot of animals, seem to have a taste for salt - reason it's added to a lot of plastics.

You can even toughen chicken livers by salting them, letting them sit in the sun, covered, for an hour or so.

sorry for the slow response.. work has kept me busy.... Table salt will definitely keep the shad tougher... I do not re freeze after the 1st use though!

BendItBig · Oct 29, 2014

You can also experiment with injecting your baits with different fish oils

dragonfly · Oct 30, 2014

Klag said:
I have better luck catfishing with non frozen dead shad/herring then I do with frozen. For some reason, once I freeze them they don't do much good anymore.

Anyone else have this type of results?

Freeze them in non-iodine salt water. The salt brine toughens up the flesh so they don't fall apart when you thaw them out.

DF

Gizzard shad and blueback herring for catfishing

Khondker

Senior Member

brett30030

Senior Member

brianj

Senior Member

Klag

Senior Member

krazywayne

Senior Member

fishingguy61

Senior Member

The Longhunter

Banned

fishingguy61

Senior Member

jigman29

Senior Member

fishingguy61

Senior Member

LittleDrummerBoy

Senior Member

krazywayne

Senior Member

BendItBig

Member

dragonfly

Member

Similar threads

Latest posts

Share this page