TOPIC:

When do you guys start throwing meat rigs on your spread? Last year I only had 2 and I used them at the hottest part of the year.

Have u used them in spring? Fall?

Also any good suggestions on where your buying herring?

Calumet marine sells whole herring we have quite a bit of green label left

we actually sell way more in the winter for ice fishing its a great bait for pike and muskie thru the ice
7.00 bucks a tray volume discounts available

only green left

That's a pretty good price! Thanks

I would say any time of year really. Probably a bit more common as you get into summer but I have seen success at all times of the year from various people.

I prepare and brine my meat for rigs usually mid-may and start using them shortly after. I'll stop using them when the kings start to come home to spawn late August. When the water warms in spring and the coho start spreading out I'll grab the few left in the Mason jar from the year before and use them up. Not sure what the shelf life is supposed to be on them but they're fishy enough to get used up.

There was a short period several years ago when it was illegal to sell herring strips in many areas (including around here) . I think it had to do with VHS disease. Anyway, there were meat-rig lovers experimenting with methods to use other, locally sourced fish in their meat heads. (Fresh or frozen smelt, ocean perch, alewives either caught on sabiki rigs or harvested from freshly caught fish, even belly meat from salmon or trout.
I'll be the first to say I'm not a meat rig afficianado. I do use them but they are more of a last resort tactic rather than a go to tactic.
I had a fellow on the boat who brought some frozen smelt (ready for the skillet) along. I rigged one on a City Chicken rig and it caught two trout, one of them the largest of the day. Blind luck? I used them the next couple trips with zero results.
Few questions:
1) Anyone have consistent success with herring substitutes? If so, what species.
2) Anyone have a fish barf up an alewife and put it on a meatrig and have it work? Is it a "hot" tactic" or just something that was a one off?
3) Anyone have brining, flavoring or staining techniques they use to treat "store-bought" (or freshly caught) strips which either makes them work better or store better? I've heard of guys soaking them spawn curing stuff, in anise, in garlic juice, in sea salt, in laundry bluing and fish oil.
4) Strips better than whole herring?
5) Many people use those heavily "bent" plastic flashers, evidently made specifically for pulling meat rigs because I've never heard them used with just trolling flies, rubber squids, spin-n-glows. I have heard of guy pulling meat rig teaser/head rigs behind Spin Doctors and large Paddles, often used with flies, etc. Thoughts?
6) I don't have a special cooler or refrigerator on my boat. So when I bring herring strips along, I just toss them in the fish cooler with the ice. By the end of the trip, they are thawed, sometimes a bit waterlogged, then I refreeze them and bring them the next day. I've tried several ways to give them a bit more protection but it's all been either a royal pain or unworkable. I'm sure after a couple three cycles the strips are "less" than pristine. Which brings up a couple more questions. A) Does it matter? How can you tell when it's so bad they need to be tossed? c) Anyone have a good way to handle their strips on board?

As long as the scales are still attached, I continue to use them. Personally, my best luck has been with the precut strips vs trimming my own. I seem to get a more consistent roll with the precut. I use the borax and kosher salt brine that is noted online which is basically a handful of each on a wide mouth pickle jar topped off with water. For storage I just bought a small cooler and add an ice pack. When I get home I just put the jar back in the fridge. Have done this for the whole season and noted no difference in the quality of the bait. I personally think the advantages of bait has faded over the last couple of years. It used to account for over 70% of my fish and most of the big kings always hit the meat. Now, with the lack of kings, I usually just run one meat rig where I used to run three minimum. Historically, John King flashers/rigs have been the best for me. Hopefully, it starts producing for me again as I have spent a ton on meat rigs and flashers.

Thanks for your comment! Can I ask what months do u start using your meat rigs?

Lot of good info