Newport Warmies

[Bugatti]

The mackerel has been in the freezer for so long it was kinda soft and mushy so I added the salt to toughen it up. Works great, otherwise it woulda just fallen off when we cast. I've done this before with chicken fillets and old pilchard too and it works wonders.

Too right Kenle

We do the same with Tuna. And once salted, any unused salted bait can be put back in the freezer.

We sometimes buy a Tuna Steak (the smallest we can get) and use it as, small cube baits (to get more out of it) on circle hooks when fishing for KGs off a Jetty. Trick to make it stay on and not disintegrate is to lightly salt it.

Cheers, Bugatti.

But I never thought about doing it with Mackerel, thanks for the heads up. It's a great bait (especially for Snaps) so you have broadened my Bait options, Thanks

Cheers, Bugs

[ben475]

so this salting trick, is it as simple as just throwing a bit of table salt into a bag of bait cubes? does it take some time to cure?

[Bugatti]

so this salting trick, is it as simple as just throwing a bit of table salt into a bag of bait cubes? does it take some time to cure?

Yep, as simple as that. Kind of.

Salt is salt but it comes in different coarseness , from very fine "table salt" right through to coarse rock salt. You don't "salt" it like you are seasoning it to eat it. You put heaps and heaps of salt on them (if you look at Kenle's photo), so much so, that you have to shake it off once it has done its toughening thing.

The salt draws out the moisture and makes the meat tougher. Just like curing fish to eat.

I don't use coarse rock salt, mainly because it doesn't coat the flesh very comprehensively. It causes small divots in the flesh from drawing out the moisture at the point of contact. A less coarse salt, coats the flesh evenly and draws out the moisture evenly. Table salt is good (and fine). A slightly coarser than table salt is Cooking Salt, and that's what I use and the choice (when you buy it in a bulk bag) to salt a block of Pillies.


You are going to have to set it up (if you have heaps to do) that the moisture that is drawn out of the chunks, can be drained off. In a rag "bag" on a plastic grate works well, or use plenty and plenty of salt, which would absorb/hold the moisture just due to sheer volume of salt.

Chunks can be salted as they are. I salt a Tuna steak whole, it still toughens up BUT keeping it as a steak, you can cut off strips/cubes as you desire. Cutting fresh Tuna steaks into cubes/strips can be difficult as the "flacky" flesh falls apart but not when it has been toughened up with salting.

What ever salted bait you don't use, and you want to keep for another time, you can put it in the freezer BUT with the salt shaken off but not totally cleaned off (otherwise it'll turn to jerky tuff if you keep it in a lot of salt for a longer time).

It doesn't take long to toughen up, depending on the size AND also on how tough you want the bait (it does darken the tougher/longer you salt).
From half a day to a day (to eliminate mushiness) to a couple of days (2-3 for bigger whole pieces) is normally enough.


Thanks to Kenle letting us know about Mackerel, I'm going to Salt Slimy Mackerel whole, to then use as whole, or cutlets, or fillet and/or cube. That (for the consistency that I'm after) I think would take about 3-5 days


Cheers, Bugs

[potatoeater]

so this salting trick, is it as simple as just throwing a bit of table salt into a bag of bait cubes? does it take some time to cure?

I salt cure leftover IQF pillies and sardines when they're on sale at my local market. Salt curing essentially drains the water out the fish and firms up the fish. Generally, the easiest way is to simply have a plastic container- think ice cream box with a thick layer of salt on the bottom. You use either full pillies or cubes in layers. As you fill a layer of fish, sprinkle generous layer of salt on top to coat everything. Repeat until you have layers of fish and salt.

Make sure the container has a hole in the bottom. As the salt draws water out from the fish, it create a thick brine. I find half pillies are the easiest to manage. 2 days of curing in the box is enough to make them firm but not too rubbery. Take them out, give them a tap and put into ziplock bags enough for each session.

And FYI, if you have the storage space and you buy/catch bait in bulk like I do, use swimming pool salt. It's the same salt compound but at a much much cheaper rate.

[ben475]

thanks guys.

[Breanstorne4]

'Well done, good feed. Raw ???
Hot bite, but, cold at the warmies'

lol that's right.