Store bought Sardines

[solararrow94]

Hi all,

I've seen Sardines at Woolworths, either in freshwater or oil and wondered if anyone has used these as bait? I'm not sure if the can ones come with whole fish and weather the oil would attract fish?

[Wolly Bugger]

Hi all,

I've seen Sardines at Woolworths, either in freshwater or oil and wondered if anyone has used these as bait? I'm not sure if the can ones come with whole fish and weather the oil would attract fish?

the tinned sardines are minus the head, and gutted. However they are extremely soft and would not stay on your hook. As for burley that should work, as canned cat food in the fish variety is used.

[Nude up]

As wolly said they are very soft I use the tinned ones in oil mixed with pollard to make burley.

[laneends]

Ask at the fishmongers if they have frozen ones. Some stock the kilo bags of Vancouver brand of pilchards, typically $7.50/kg. These stay quite firm if you defrost as you go. Rather than buying the fresh ones out of the display. Mushy pilles/sardines are a pain

[solararrow94]

These stay quite firm if you defrost as you go. Rather than buying the fresh ones out of the display. Mushy pilles/sardines are a pain

I've bought frozen ones before and defrosted them and they become soft, do you know how to defrost them so they don't go soft?

[laneends]

I take enough of them for the trip frozen in a cooler in a zip lock with a cooler block. Then take them out a couple at a time just before using them. Unused ones barely defrost. Only need to be defrosted enough to get a hook in them or cut into cubes if that is what you are using. Immersion in water when you cast in is quick way of finishing off any defrost if necessary. Especially on warm days when there is no need to let them rise up to ambient air temp, only to chuck them in cold water again.

Its when you get a big bag from the bait shop and let them sit there defrosted all day as you use them they get wasted

[Wolly Bugger]

These stay quite firm if you defrost as you go. Rather than buying the fresh ones out of the display. Mushy pilles/sardines are a pain

I've bought frozen ones before and defrosted them and they become soft, do you know how to defrost them so they don't go soft?

You can salt them down, this dries them out a little bit, and depending on how you go, they can turn out like blue bait.

Basically you put a layer of salt down and a layer of frozen pilchards, followed by more salt.

[laneends]

I used to buy salted pillies from Marios, lasted forever but never really had the same success catch wise with them. Maybe because they lasted so long they weren't as fresh