The Ultimate Herring Thread - Page 2 - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Fish_Eye · 03-15-2002, 07:50 AM

Kav -

Have you tried circle hooks?

I've had good luck with them and very few gut hooked fish.

The Gamakatsu circles have a slight offset that makes them easier to work into the jaw and out the snout.

I sometimes will hook the herring next to the anal fin if I want it to swim into deeper water. Then there are the times I like to hook them near the doral fin and then hold my rod over my head so that the herring stays on the top sending out distress ripples...that ruckus on the surface sure does ring the dinner bell.

Mike

Fish_Eye · 03-15-2002, 09:00 AM

Mr. Kav,

Sounds like a simple and effective rig...let us know how you make out with it.

A lot of anglers don't think about using herring in deep water -- a big missed opportunity. Sure, early season brings lots of bass into skinny water, but you can always find some big cows in deep holes.

On a couple of my videos I show a rig that consists of Fire Line (40 pound test), a 3 ounce egg sinker, a tiny Spro swivel, three feet of fluorocarbon leader and in those days I would use a Mustad size 11 circle hook (difficult to hook the herring correctly -- and too thick a wire -- I now use the Gamakatsu Octopus circles). Even with fresh dead herring this rig can be worked in water 100 feet deep. I use an Abu 6500 and a Lamiglas Titanium rod. The sensitivity is terrific and the lack of stretch and thin diameter of the Fire Line allows me to free spool my offering right to the bottom. Every few seconds I go back into free spool and make sure I feel that egg bounce. When I get a pick up I can let the fish run and just wait for the rod to double over...no need to set the hook...and it's off to the races.

Fishsmith.

I hear what you're saying -- make mine live if at all possible. One thing about using fresh dead or previously frozen "whole" fish -- make sure you straighten out the spine by pressing down on the fish to minimize any spin while trolling.

In another thread I asked if anyone ever used the mooching technique that the folks on the west coast use for salmon. It actually encourages the spinning of the cut herring plug. I guess Bassmaster has used this trick off the rip lines near Woods Hole with great luck.

What type of flies do you flyfishers like?

Fish_Eye · 03-15-2002, 07:38 PM

153 Views and no comments!?!?

I know there have got to be a lot of anglers on this board that target stripers when herring are bountiful.

Some of you use the critters themselves and a lot of folks use lures and flies that imitate them.

For the sake of inquiring minds.

What has worked well for you in the past?

What is your favorite "I killed them on live herring story!"

Do you have any questions about how, when and where to use them?

Anyone have any good receipts for these tasty but bony treats?

I've had them pickled, smoked and have also tried the roe...but it's hard to give up a bait that could easily mean a 40 or 50 pound striper.

Let's hear your thoughts.

Fish_Eye · 03-15-2002, 08:43 PM

Thanks Slip,

I hear what you're saying. Herring aren't quite the finesse offering a jig, plug, plastic, tin or fly offering is....but the sight of a herring being tossed three feet into the air by a hungry linesider is sure exciting to watch.

One morning, just after daybreak at the herring creek at Menemsha, we outperformed live herring with Habs poppers -- much to his delight -- in fact, you can hear him saying, "I died and went to heaven" on my video "Stripers in Paradise".

Can anyone guess what color popper worked best during that early morning massacre...and maybe your thoughts on why?

Mike

Fish_Eye · 03-16-2002, 06:23 AM

Slipknot,

If you look at the herring pictures I took at the top of this thread, you can't help but notice the flecks of gold on their side. I took this picture just after the sun climbed over the pond so that you would get an idea of how they take on a golden hue...underwater it's much the same situation. In most ponds or creeks they often appear even more golden thanks to the tannin stained water. I love yellow lures in the early morning and late afternoon for these reasons. This is very subjective stuff, as long as the fish aren't talking, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it

.

You mentioned earlier that there is a lot of pressure on herring these days -- Russian processing ships aside. This might be true, but many herring runs have been refurbished and are now contributing significant numbers of herring to the sea. I feel that the absolute best return on investment comes from improving stream access (adding ladders, taking down dams) and from eel grass restoration. Save the Bay, is very active in both of these projects and I strongly suggest support this conservation organization. The Federal government has also earmarked millions of dollars for this kind of work...finally some money well spent.

Check out these sites and you can learn more about these efforts: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/res...ayecholake.htm

Then there's there's are boys with shovels

Don't believe what they say about shoveling against the tide! Nice work Bloo, Tattoo and Goose

Scotch,

The river herring are hell bent for fresh water to spawn and don't settle for much salinity. When the young of the year, and that's most of the new fry, head back to the ocean, they are often in large schools, moving at night. I think the most interesting breachway push of bait comes in September with the push of mullet...but that's another story.

Mike

Fish_Eye · 03-16-2002, 06:32 AM

Hello and Goodbye,

I'll be off the board for a little over a week...I have to take care of a little business in Costa Rica: fun, sun and a whole lot of fishing and filming. I hope to have lots of interesting things to share with you folks when I return.

In my absence, please try and keep this thread alive with a heap of herring helpful hints and some photos of what's happening at the local runs. I hope to return and read about some nice keepers taken on herring over the next few days.

I think this kind of thread can be helpful to the many new registered visitors on Striped-Bass.com -- who's going to be # 500. Good job everyone! Keep up the good work JohnR.

Mike

Fish_Eye · 04-11-2002, 07:27 AM

Here's a look at a herring run a few of the boys have been trying to keep open.

No doubt some stripers are smelling that sweet water and are hanging around the beach.

Mike

bloocrab · 03-16-2002, 11:29 AM

How do you get the Herring to go up a "man-made" Herring Run???.......

.......HOW ELSE???.........YOU DO THE HERRING DANCE AT THE TOP OF THE RUN!!!......

bloocrab · 03-29-2002, 01:55 PM

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ???

....I was reading the "Regulations" on the taking of Herring/Alewives....it states when you take any Herring from fresh water, you have a bag limit, restricted days, restricted ways of catching the Herring and restricted times....but if you catch them in Saltwater, how do these regulations apply???.....

....This is quoted right out of the booklet published by the DEM...

"No person shall take more than twenty-four (24) alewive (Alosa pseudoharengus) or blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) either singularly or in the aggregate from the fresh waters of the state in any 24-hour period. No person shall take any alewives or blueback herring from the freshwaters of the state without a valid freshwater fishing license. No person shall take any alewives or blueback herring from the freshwaters of the state on any Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday of any week.... The areas below each fish ladder where fishing will be permitted shall be designated with an official boundary marker or informational sign."

...Now looking at my diagram, how can they enforce these laws...if for one, your not fishing in "fresh" water, and your past their boundary marker???....

.....I proposed this question to a DEM officer today and he didn't have an answer for me....he said, "I don't make the rules, I just enforce them..."

...maybe one of you can shed some light on this for me....and make it understandable...

bloocrab · 03-10-2003, 02:48 PM

...lenny, fishing live bait is like opening a bag of "Ruffles"....

.....you never want it to end!!!!!!

...there are almost NO guarantees in life...but this is one of them!!!

I guarantee you'll LOVE LIVE BAIT FISHING!!!

Quote:

..seems like a lot of work, catching and then keeping them alive. Is it worth the effort?...

...is walking a mile to your favorite sand-bar worth it??... Is it still worth it if you didn't catch anything?

...is walking on bowling-ball sized rocks which are constantly moving under your feet in wet waders after casting for 5 hours ..worth it??

...is trespassing thru someone's property, running from barking dogs...hopping fences....just to wet a line....worth it??

...If you answered NO, to ANY of these questions.......don't bother lugging a herring tank/basket/net around, it just won't be worth it..

fishweewee · 03-08-2003, 11:42 AM

Me like herring a la Buddy Vanderhoop.

Fish heads, yum!

fishweewee · 03-10-2003, 11:54 AM

Horny herring have a little more fight in 'em?

GBOUTDOORS · 03-18-2002, 04:27 PM

SLIP the boat has a 35gal. built in bait tank and I picked up this over the weekend to get them to the boat from the river.

GBOUTDOORS · 03-18-2002, 04:54 PM

Has anyone used the KEEPALIVE OXYEN INFUSOR rig? It looks great for transport but with the pump on the inside I think it would heat the water up as an overnight holding tank? And talk to me about the ammonia tabs, what are they and where do I get them? M+D have them?

GBOUTDOORS · 03-18-2002, 06:29 PM

Thanks for the info John. I picked up a 30 gal. Keepalive tank this weekend and had them order me a infusor for it as they did not have any. Will pick up some ammonia chips this week.

GBOUTDOORS · 03-10-2003, 02:34 PM

lennyr its kind of a must do thing for me I always loved live bait fishing back in the 70s and now its kind of a tradition. That and you get some kick a-- fish on live bait

The site of a 20-40# fish swirling after your bait is hard to beat. Mike said the herring are running in Warehame must be to hard to swim in the cold water so they are running over the ice

striperjerk1 · 03-10-2003, 11:35 AM

Why is the preference of getting them before they spawn, rather then after ?

Scotch Bonnet · 03-15-2002, 09:32 PM

When is the spawning finished and where do these fish head after they leave the rivers?It must be magical when these fish exit out the mouth of the river and back into the ocean.What about the breachways? In Charlestown, the freshwater pond I live on(Cross Mills) eventually trikles into Ninigret pond.Do herring enter the salt ponds?

Scotch Bonnet · 03-17-2002, 05:10 PM

What about the livewell? Is it necessary to have a circulating pump or can you get away with just a livewell.

Scotch Bonnet · 03-22-2002, 04:56 PM

Saltheart, thanks for straightening that out.I purchased a leaning post w/ a 30 gal. livewell and I was hoping to avoid all the hardwear needed to pump water in and out.I will be going with the Keep Alive system.Thanks again!

Scotch Bonnet · 03-23-2002, 07:11 PM

Anybody know where to locate herring in the Pawcatuck River? I followed the river off route 3 all the way to the dam. I didn't see any fish but there were 2 wise old seagulls waiting at the bottom of the falls.

Scotch Bonnet · 03-31-2002, 07:03 PM

Whats the time frame for spawning and return to the ocean. How long will the adult herring hang around the rivers and where do they go post spawn. Can we get live herring in June, July, Aug.?

Goose · 03-22-2002, 09:14 AM

John, I would get the heck outa dogde if I where you!

Spare Spool · 03-21-2002, 10:46 AM

Just wanted to bump this up, since this is such a great thread! Thanks Mike for starting this. The pictures of the herring are super! I've had good luck with gold colored lures at first light (i.e. gold bombers, orange/gold darters), and now I have a basis for understanding why they are effective (at least I think). Education is the greatest thing that we can pass on to others. Not only does it make us better anglers, but it also, IMHO, gives us a better understanding and respect for our quarry. Thanks again.

Eugene.

fishsmith · 03-15-2002, 08:24 AM

Fisheye,
Great Pictures, thank you!!
You asked:
How do you like to rig your herring?

I always hook bait fish in mouth and out nose, the only down side I find is the bluefish return only 1/2 the bait.
This year I'm going to try and rig some dead ones to bounce off the bottom.

What's the most imortant factor in keeping them alive?

For the live well I try to use the same water the fish come out of, and a block of ice in a plastic bag if it's hot out.

How do you keep your herring stash fresh & frisky?

The herring I get don't get the option of living fresh and frisky they go by Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi can be heard in the backround)
the dead ones get bagged and frozen, and then become chunks or chum, the live ones standby waiting for there turn on the hook.

STRIPER77 · 03-08-2003, 07:24 PM

Nothing but red X's coming from those Fish Eye herring pics----but the scenic ones come fine??????

Duke41 · 03-08-2003, 10:50 AM

I thought this wouyld be a good time to breath some life back into this thread. John R could not get the pics to come in, If they have been removed can you repost them?

Young Salt · 03-08-2003, 05:15 PM

I was hoping someone could supply plans for a good in-water do it yourself bait well. I want to make something using soft mesh and some kind of plastic (CPVC, PVC, maybe even a hula-hoop

)

If some of you guys could describe the pens you have, that would be great.

lennyr · 03-10-2003, 02:23 PM

seems like a lot of work, catching and then keeping them alive. Is it worth the effort? You guys and gals who fish both live and plugs what is the difference in catch percentage? Surf casters is it a pain to drag them along, or is this a boat thing? Bigger fish with live bait?

lennyr · 03-10-2003, 03:48 PM

Bloocrab your right. I do alot of stuff now thats a pain for little or no payoff. If I caught a #40 or close using live bait it would change the way I think about it. That being said, a pole a couple plugs, 10 minite walk and I 'm fishing.