meat rig questions

[Ohreelyfishing]

I'm looking at the Michigan angler site for meat rigs they have the combos there any help on good colors to use could use help new to meat rigs I go out of fair haven ever year and heard alot of guys use meat rigs. Thanks for any help

[fisherdude]

check out minion's meat rigs here on l o u

[bondouley]

check out minion's meat rigs here on l o u

x2. Can't beat the quality of Minion's meat rigs!

[Ohreelyfishing]

Thanks guys

[Ohreelyfishing]

You guys use flashers with them

[RD9]

Just bought 4 from minion. What cut bait do you use in them?

[bondouley]

Familiar bite hearing strips. You can get them at just about any bait shop

[bondouley]

Yes run them behind your favorite paddle or spin doc

[SEENYOR OKUMA]

I just bought 4 rigs from Minion. The quality is good and he was awesome guy to deal with. Looking forward to getting them wet.

[chinook35]

I have been making my own cut bait rigs for years. Gives me something to do over the winter and they work better than anything I have bought commercially

[Ohreelyfishing]

I'm sure your captain will love them and show you how to use them. Minion makes great rigs

[SEENYOR OKUMA]

lol@ohreely.. My capt. knows everything so it's no surprise he will show me how to use them..  

[martin1950]

I started "dragging meat" about 5 years ago and bought all of my start-up materials from a company in Grand Rapids, MI.  He has a great selection of both whole and cut bait rigs.  I use only whole bait rigs with Ales because 1st off I'm cheap 2nd I catch and brine my own, but that's a totally different subject.  I've always believed in match the hatch and our land locked salmonoids have never seen a herring, but that's just me.  Check out Gary's web site;

Big Weenie Brand.com.

 

Martin

[SEENYOR OKUMA]

That makes sense Martin. I will look into that. Thanks.

[chinook35]

They have never seen a squid either. But hoochies catch a lot of kings. A fisheries biologist once told me that they have an inherited memory of what their ancestors found good to eat. So herring and squid work on Lake O

Edited May 5, 2016 by chinook35

[SEENYOR OKUMA]

@chinook35

[martin1950]

chinook35, "They have never seen a squid either. But hoochies catch a lot of kings."

You are absolutely correct on that one. Two years ago my largest King came on a 5" hoochie behind a Mountain Dew Spin Doctor. And in my neck of the woods Steelies, or what some people call "Bow's", are hardwired and can't resist the color orange. And look at the strange color array of spoons we wash in the hunt for the "BIG ONE". Sorry if I made my statement sound absolute.

Martin

[stan]

[John Kelley]

I know I always run mine deep, so I try to incorporate some kind of glow to them.  I like the glow green,and glow blue meat heads, with glow twinkie flies of the same color, usually behind a big old white glow paddle with green dots.

[TyeeTanic]

Get the 11" flashers with meet. Green is always a good color with glow in it.

Chartreuse is good too.

[wishinfishin]

Chinook 35 , and martin 1950, would you mind explaining how a what you used to brine your own meat? Been wanting to try it myself

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[martin1950]

When I got into meat dragging several years ago it didn’t take too long to realize that trolling w/ herring was going to be a bit on the expensive side since I fish off my meager retirement and my Social Security Insurance. I started with some old frozen Ales that I had salt/soaked in the freezer for cut-bait. I “re-brined†them using the method I’d seen in a the below video.

Living in S/W Michigan I’m lucky to live within 20 miles of 2 river systems so during the June/July Skam/Bow run I’d go to the pier to soak a few shrimp with some old friends. I’d take a couple of 2-gallon zip bags with 3 cups of borax and 3 cups of canning salt in each bag and a sabiki rig or cast net and while I had bobber rigs in the water I would jig-up or net Ales until I had about 2 dozen in a 5 gallon bucket. Then I’d drain the water and put the Ales (still flopping) in the bag and mix them around and then put the bag in the cooler and then repeat the same process. When I’d get home I’d sort them for size for whole bait or smaller one for cut bait rigs and finish the process. I dry brine them at the pier to set the scales and slime.

During this step I’ll add color by using a healthy amount of food coloring.

But if I’m going to filet some for sushi-flies or cut-bait heads I’ll basically use this idea;

http://www.michigansportsman.com/Tips_n_Trix/Cut_Bait.htm

I use the LARGE Miracle Whip jars for the brining for whole bait and those plastic tubs you get deli sliced meat in for the A/B sides for cut bait so they lay flat.

Caution!! Some wives don’t take too kindly to a bunch of brining jars in the frig for the summer.

I did that maybe 2 or 3 times over the summer Skam/Bow season and had more than enough bait, over 300 pieces, for the trolling season plus a lot of extras to get started this year in the freezer.

When I get too many jars in the frig I’ll take and drain them and place the “Ales†on sheet pans and flash freeze them. I’ll place 4 fish in those small snack bags and when I’m all done I’ll put those snack bags in labeled by color in freezer bags. Do not mix colors because they will bleed and recolor the bait.

Quick, simple and CHEAP. Now there is nothing wrong w/ commercial brines and they work faster but I have a lot of time on my hands.

If ya go to a pier to do this, DO NOT use a wire basket to hold your fish as it tends to rub the scales off the fish, you want that sparkle from the scales. And it is better to salt bag them at the pier because by the time you get home with a bucket full of dead ales they will start to “slime†and you’ll lose that natural scent. But that’s just my take on it and it works for me.

Martin

[wishinfishin]

Thanks martin 1950 looks like you have a nice method figured out.

Not sure with bait restrictions in new york im able to do that i would have to check, but could try it here in PA.

Chuck

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[letsfish2day]

Anyone ever use smelt? Thought about jigging some up at Candice lake in the winter and freezing them for summer...seems like they would work

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[fishmaster13184]

They probably won't fit it the meat head