baitfish

[ratherbefishin]

I tried something diferent-there were huge schools of baitfish[immature herring?] off the breakwater so I snagged a few dozen with the treble hook on a stingsilda [one of those circular throw nets would really work well if you mastered it]and took them home, washed and dried them on a newspaper[didn't attempt to head or clean them-too small] then I rolled them in seasoned flour and fried them in hot oil-they came out crispy and nicley browned[turn them frequently]I served them hot and with tarter sauce-very nice.''White bait'' is considered a delicacy in New Zealand,as are smelts here so I decided to try our own baitfish-not sure what the diference is anyway

[Steelpulse]

A cast net is what your thinking of, I have a couple down in Florida we use them all the time for catching bait, can bring in hundreds of whitebait every throw is you get a good school.

One day we were on the beach catching bait and three ladies walked by and asked if they could have a bag of the whitebait we were catching, all 2-3" long they were going to fry them up same as smelts i'd imagine

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

White bait in NewZealand are eel elvers ... different than smelt or herring. They are quite in demand.

[ratherbefishin]

where could you get a cast net?[and are they legal to use here in BC?]

[Sitkaspruce]

Casting nets are legal, snagging isn't.....:wink:

When you see small herring or any herring for that matter, try casting the small herring jigs.

Cheers

SS

[Salty]

What SS said. If you go to a shop with salt water gear you should be able to find herring jigs. Its just about a 6 foot leader with a half a dozen 12" or so lines off of it with tiny hooks with a tiny shrimp looking jig on each. Very light fragile stuff and a PITA if you get it all tangled. You just put a small split shot on the end and toss it out near a herring school and it works well they swarm it and take the bait, I've had lots of triple and quadruple headers. The cast nets are available too I've never got to that one but I'd like to give it a whirl some day. Also a dip net works you can get them at commercial type places just a 12 foot aluminum pole or so with about a 2 foot ring and net like a landing net. If you find them tightly balled when being nailed by predators you can clean house this way. Check the regs there's limits but they're quite liberal.

[ratherbefishin]

the question of ''snagging ''bait being illegal[which is is for game fish] got me thinking-is a herring rake legal?

[stevo911_]

Herring Rakes are explicitly stated as being legal (Only for Herring), you're limited to a daily catch of 20kg though :)
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/species-especes/fintable-tableaupoisson-eng.html

[Steelpulse]

I can't say I've seen them sold in Canada before but a great company. Based in Florida is black pearl, I have 3 nets. All different sizes and all are great, they take some practice to throw but when you get it you can be bringing 100s. Of bait fish. Every throw,

[MB_Boy]

Funny this thread popped up again. My barber makes nets for smelt that he sells to Pacific Net/Twine and I think Nikka. We are always talking about fishing as he loves it too but he is BIG into fishing for 'smelt'. He did make a big round casting net that he sent back to a friend in the Phillipines and I asked him if he could use it here? He said he asked a fisheries officer who said he couldn't. Not sure if that was just specifically in the areas directly around Vancouver and south towards White Rock for this type of fishing but would be interesting to confirm.


No mention of it here..... http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/points/finfish-peche-eng.html


Actually sent an email today to inquire. :wink:

[Dannybuoy]

are these ooligans ? or something different ? I can remember going with my dad when I was a kid dipping with a net catching loads of them in off the log booms in the fraser .

[saskbooknut]

Never tried immature herring as whitebait. We used to catch Anchovies all the time in the 60s to fry up, a rich oily fish.
Mention of herring rakes brings back memories. We used 1x3 about 9 ft. long planed to a sharp edge and rounded back with pins set in about 1/4 inch apart, for about 3+ feet of rake. Used to buy an envelope of "stainless", perhaps some kind of bronze pins.
Anyone else remember where - perhaps Peetz or one of the fishing wholesalers.

[Weatherby Fan]

Immature herring or "firecrackers" as we called them when Commercial Fishing were awesome to eat,just as the OP said roll them in Flour,Salt and Pepper and pan fry whole till slightly crispy.......awesome eats.

[835]

ummmm..... no

Teaser head,,,,,, Glow green...... bout 6' of line to a Purple double glow hot spot....... Send it to around 150' and move along at 1.5-2.5knots...

to hell with eating bait!

[MB_Boy]

ummmm..... no

Teaser head,,,,,, Glow green...... bout 6' of line to a Purple double glow hot spot....... Send it to around 150' and move along at 1.5-2.5knots...

to hell with eating bait!

Needlefish Fries are great!!

I do have to agree with Dru; although my preference is kripple K -602 head with a treble and stinger, about 5.5-6' of line....to a glow Boogie Man flasher. :wink: :mrgreen:

[Geo.338]

When I was a kid we would snag herring off the docks around this time of year . One day two gentlemen came down with a throw net . They threw it once . They could not even haul it out it was so full . Us kids had to help the get it out of the water . They filled their buckets and our too .

Those nets work very well . They are like a seine net .