how to salt minnows

[Al.Wichman]

I know this has been discussed before but I cant find the topic using the search, so I will just ask for myself. How do you do it?

[cam white]

I put mine in a large ziploc bag, and use kosher salt. I find it's better than pickling salt.

[WALLEYEDUDE2001]

Tried it with pickling salt last year, worked great. I simple drained the water from the minnows, put in plastic bag, added the salt, mixed up a bit and froze in smaller bags i could take out of the cooler as needed. I have not tried Kosher salt. what make it better? I may try it next time. The minnows kept color and did not mush up like other salted minnows seemed to do.

[rugbymn]

Just sprinkle some salt on them and give them a taste. If they're too salty, brush a little salt off. If they're still a little bland, add more salt.

[wahoo]

The key is salt without iodine. Pickling or Kosher, I believe, do not have iodine. I have simply salted them lightly and then frozen them. The salt toughens them and prevents them being so mushy as when frozen alone.

I have never added Borax to regular minnows (Shiners, etc.), but that may help also. It sure makes a difference on salmon spawn for example, for steelhead and salmon, when used for curing. I do not know the law on use of Borax, however, in freshwater, for a cure. But, this method works for Great Lakes fishing and on the alewives used for bait.

With the recent concern about using bait from one water in another if there may be a problem legally?

[Finlander]

Is sea salt good to use?

[Northlander]

I use a 1/2 borax 1/2 salt mix and I found I like that better than straight salt. The minnows dont seem to be as mushy when using them later.

[iceman2010]

to prevent the mushiness i add in a bunch of saw dust in each bag, it also separates the minnows so they arent stuck together. this has worked great for me

[cps420us]

Are you guys talking fatheads too? Just curious if it makes a difference?

[iffwalleyes]

Just sprinkle some salt on them and give them a taste. If they're too salty, brush a little salt off. If they're still a little bland, add more salt.

I love it was thinking the same thing myself.