sardines for striped bass

[moobass]

yeah i was just wondering if anyone knew what kind of store bought sardines u can use for striped bass will sardines in springwater no salt work or would the ones in mustard be better inc. and how do u freeze them overnight just drain em and put them in plastic bag sorry i never fished with sardines so im not really sure[:/]
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[gdn443]

I believe TubeTude gave you some excellent advice on the beginners board. You'll need to buy fresh, not canned. Even frozen might be to soft to use.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Don't use canned or otherwise processed sardines. There are bait shops in the Sacramento area that sell them. They have been commercially netted in Peru, frozen and then shipped to the bait industry in California. There they are kept frozen until needed for the day's bait sales. You can actually buy them frozen if you want to keep a supply for yourself.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Best to keep them frozen for as long as possible. But they remain firmer and better to use for bait than anchovies...which get very soft after being frozen. And sardines are much larger than anchovies...except for the tiny ones in cans. Those are usually Norwegian packs. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not many sardines in the US anymore but due to protective measures they are increasing. There used to be huge populations of them along the Pacific coast but...like other species...they were overharvested and the population crashed. Steinbeck's novel "Cannery Row" was about the sardine canneries in Monterrey California in the early 20'th century. They have long since been closed for lack of product.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are still good stocks of sardines in the southern part of the Pacific and that is where the frozen bait sardines come from.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is possible you could find them in a well stocked Asian fish market. If not, try some mackerel or anchovies...or smelt...or any one of a dozen other small saltwater fish. They will almost all work. So will squid.[/#0000ff]
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[moobass]

yeah but where she lives im not sure if they have a bait shop all she said is theres a big 5 sporting goods store and neither of us drive and im not sure if they sell live bait i heard you can use canned sardines i wanted to just take some with me just to be sure i have something to fish with thats why iam asking what kind
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[theangler]

If you really don't have any other choices and are going to use the canned stuff there is an elastic type string that I have seen used for sturgeon bait that will keep mushy baits on the hook. I'm not sure what it's called but you wrap it around the bait a few times.

Pat, great stuff on the subject!!
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[moobass]

ok i dont think i can find any of that thread stuff does anyone know any other ways to keep the sardine on the hook?
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