SARDINES!!!

[JBMasterAngler]

Made a return trip to the oriental market in hopes I could find some good frozen bait for pike. I found frozen sardines! About 15 to a pack, and about 8 or 9 inches long...for only $4.50!!! I'm really excited to try these! If anyone is looking to try these as well, the market is in St. Paul on the corner of dale st. and minnehaha ave. They also have frozen mackerel that are about 12 inches, so if your looking for giganto pike, you can get those as well.

[snoozebutton]

Be sure to let us know how they work.

[Acemac]

ha tein?

[pulleye16]

good deal...I just paid $15 for 18 of them at another "famous" sea food place in st.paul. They are very very soft and you may need to use either a quick strike or single treble with one larger hook. I've lost a few now that never even set off my flag cause they just desinagrate right off the hook when taken.

[EBass]

I've used them for chum and even used catfood for chum for Big pike.

[Finlander]

A friend of mine opened up a can of sardines and I wondered who opened up a can of Alpo cat food. Just about up-chucked smelling that can of sardines. I think they make Gulp out of sardines!

[hydro]

MMMMM! Sardines, gotta love those little guys.

[newmember]

dale and minnehaha.... Dragon Star?

[zamboni]

MMMMM! Sardines, gotta love those little guys.

MMMMM sardines in mustard sauce and pickeled herring. Good stuff right there

[reinhard1]

got to pick some up tommorow. they just dont last long around the house. good luck.

[JBMasterAngler]

Well, I tried them on friday...and yes they are kinda' mushy...and boy are they oily and smelly! I don't have a report however, as I believe the sardine fell off the hook not much later than I set up the rig I'm gonna have to dink around a bit to find a hook(s) that they'll stay on.

The store might be dragon star, but it says in big letters on the front of the building "THE ORIENTAL MARKET".

[panfishpounder00]

just think.. no more wasted bait!!! if its still on the hook!! just add a saltine! yummy!! lol

[Baitchaser]

I don't know if this helps at all but there is a great bait shop off highway 65. Vados Bait has a WIDE variety of options for bait and it seems like their frozen baits last longer than most. Plus there is a great selection of live bait to keep the metro angler busy!

[Adam Wolf]

I mentioned this once before on a similar thread and don't want to appear negative but please consider the possibility of introducing aquatic viruses from foreign species of fish used as bait. Even dead and frozen fish that do not show signs of illness may be a carrier of a virus you may be introducing into our waters that could threaten our wonderful fishery and millions of dollars of taxpayer's money, much like VHS in the great lakes. These viruses can often affect both freshwater and saltwater species but can be safe for human consumption.

Thank you,

[JBMasterAngler]

When a report comes out saying sardines will, can, or may spread a harmful disease then I will stop using them. But right now, they are legal and they are cheap, so I'm going to use them...unless I prove to myself they aren't good bait

And yes, it turns out the name of the store is dragon star

[nofishfisherman]

When a report comes out saying sardines will, can, or may spread a harmful disease then I will stop using them. But right now, they are legal and they are cheap, so I'm going to use them...unless I prove to myself they aren't good bait

And people wonder why we need government regulation. Maybe if we were all willing to consider the potential negative impacts our actions have on our lakes we'd be able to avoid some of the over the top regulations that we end up with.

JBMasterAngler, I don't mean to single you out on this your post just happened to be a prime example of an attitude that I see in countless outdoorsmen. They curse the fact that we have so many regulations but regulations are usually a direct result of our past actions, perhaps if we stopped to think about our actions in the beginning we could avoid the regulations.

I'm not saying sardines are unsafe, they probably are. But I think it would be prudent to consider the fact that introducing a foreign species into a lake may have ramifications that are potentially harmful. Maybe if we stop and think about it now we could prevent the next big deadly virus before it threatens our lakes and before the government see's fit to create countless new regulations that we have to endure.

[JBMasterAngler]

Well if that's your mind set I sure hope you aren't using ANY bait whatsoever! Live minnows are alot more of a threat than a dead frozen sardine!