What are salted shiners good for?
Salted Emerald Shiners are killed in a salt brine solution and cured in fine salt. They are excellent fishing bait for trout and yellow perch. Great when you don’t want to carry a bucket around or you can’t use live bait.
Do salted minnows work?
Salted minnows work fantastic for Walleyes and Northern Pike. The reason they go crazy is the salt!

What kind of salt do you use for salt minnows?
use sea salt when salting your minnows. Works better the other types. Table salt has iodine which isn’t good for the flesh of the baits. And the packaged preserved baits us chemicals which may preserve the bait, gives it an and odor.
Do fish like salted minnows?
That’s one reason to fish with salted minnows. The second reason is they work fantastic. Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskie, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Lake Trout and many other freshwater fish go crazy for salted minnows. The reason they go crazy is the salt!
Do trout like salted minnows?
Salted minnows are one of the most effective dead baits for trout. Most anglers typically rig them under a float with a baitholder hook and let the current do the rest.

How do you make a minnow brine?
Add 1/2 cup of salt per 1/2 gallon of water and stir to dissolve as much as possible. Add the minnows to the brine solution so that they are completely submerged. Place the container in a refrigerator and allow to sit for an hour.
Should I salt my bait?
Salting bait has a number of advantages. The bait will keep fresh a lot longer, even without refrigeration. The bait will be firmer and stay on the hook better. It is harder for small pecky fish to get the bait off the hook.
How do you make salty bait?
Salting small baits like pilchards is easy: just put a good base of salt (say 3cm) on the bottom of the bin, lay down your pillies, cover lightly with salt, then put another layer of pillies down. Keep alternating pillies and salt, then close the lid and leave it.
How long will salted bait last?
Once they are salted they will stay fresh and usable for a long time. At room temperature a good 4 to 6 weeks, maybe longer. In the fridge they will last at least 6 months even longer if vacuum packed. If you freeze them they will be good for several years.
Does salt attract fish?
Salt flavoring adds attractive scent to draw fish in and the flavor to make them want to hold on longer. Curing natural baits with salt like chicken liver or dead fish tougher and more resilient to “hook thieves” and helps preserve the bait for use weeks and even months later.
Do trout eat shiners?
When weather turns cold what big trout like to eat gets scarce. Worms, crayfish, and insects become dormant. Shiner minnows, about 3 inches long, become a favorite meal because unlike most natural baits, they don’t go dormant. And for a larger trout, it’s easy to run down and snap up shiner minnows.
Does brined bait work?
You may catch a fish here and there without putting in the extra effort, but over the course of a few seasons you’ll soon notice that brining baits works wonders!
Is salted bait better than fresh?
Salting your bait is a great solution to some of the drawbacks of fresh bait, such as mushiness, blood, slime and restricted shelf life. Salted baits are tougher, so more resilient during casts or when pickers are about.
Do you need to refrigerate salted bait?
As salted bait doesn’t need to store in refrigerated condition all the time, it makes them handy to carry during road trip, just put inside your tackle bag and you are good to go. However, if you keep them in warm/hot temperature for too long, you might end up having fermented mushy bait.
Do stocked trout eat shiners?
Using a little fish to catch a big fish is one of the oldest fishing tricks in the book. In a lake, hungry trout are looking to catch easy prey, and a wounded minnow is perfect for them. Since bugs and worms make up a large part of their diet, even a smaller shiner is a big calorie boost all in one gulp.