Freezing Salted Shad

[jaxcrabs]

I am going shad fishing this weekend and am planning to keep some for crab bait.

I was wondering if I can freeze salted shad to use later in the year or will it get all mushy?

Also, how long do you keep bait in the salt before it is considered salted?

[Crabpop]

Jaxcrabs, I don't know where you'll be crabbin' (Florida, perhaps?), but why go to the bother of salting and freezing shad, when all you have to do is walk into a grocery store, plunk down $5.00, and walk out with enough chicken -- the best recreational bait here in the Chesapeake Bay country -- to catch a bunch of crabs.  No muss, no fuss, and no stink.  I'm not at all sure how the crabs will take to salted shad or how well it will hold up in water after being salted and frozen. What is the preferred crab bait where you'll be crabbin'?

Crabpop  

[jack1747]

ps dont take more of anything then your gona eat.  Here in the Chesapeake shad is a major source of food for other critters.

[jaxcrabs]

I have done well in Florida with chicken.

However, I read lots of posts where menhaden is a great bait and thought I would try shad.

These are breeding shad by the way so they are rather large.

Maybe I will just stick to the chicken.

Still going fishing anyway.

[Crabpop]

Right, jaxcrabs.  Menhaden is a very oily fish and when used for bait up here in traps it's fresh.  Shad has nowhere near the oil content of menhaden, so doubt that you'll get the same results.  Stick with chicken -- it won't let you down.

Crabpop

[cw4340]

cw used shad it will catch crabs but there be no need to salt it just freeze it its pretty tuff bait held up good!

[jaxcrabs]

It looks like I will be using chicken anyway, I did not catch any shad.

Guess I missed the yearly run.