| Sugar Cured Mackerel Bait
In my younger days I grew up working for Red's Bait & Tackle in Redondo Beach.
Red would always have this 5 gallon bucket sitting somewhere in the shop with sugar cured Mackerel in it. Then once in a while he would bag it and throw it in a freezer for sale for bait.
I asked him about it and he explained that almost any fish will bite it and it is a GREAT alternative when live bait is unavailable, from live fine bait to sandcrabs, mussels, clams or worms.
And all the Catfish fishermen used to come buy it as well.
This is my version of the recipe.
I hope some of you can make use of it sometime.
It is nice to have when fishing the beaches of Mexico.
Al's Sugar Cured Mackerel Recipe
Mackerel fillets - with skin left on
Dark brown sugar - Karo syrup can be substituted
Cod liver oil - or other type of fish oil
Coarse rock salt
Garlic powder - optional
Food coloring - optional
Lay the fillets meat side up on a flat surface. Sprinkle brown sugar on the meat and rub it in. Let it absorb the sugar or syrup. Put a layer of coarse rock salt covering the bottom of a bucket or an ice chest. Carefully lay out the Mackerel fillets in a uniform fashion meat side up. Spoon some fish oil on each fillet and rub it in with the back of the spoon. Cover the fillets thoroughly with rock salt and start another layer. Layer them until all the bait is used and cover the top layer thoroughly.
Salt the bait anywhere from a few days to a week. Place the cured fillets in 1 gallon ziploc bags and put in the freezer until you need them. Being cured, they will not freeze all the way. You will end up with perfectly manicured baits for when ever you need them. Cut them in any size pieces you like. I use the sugar cured for surf fishing, stripped bait for halibut trolling or drifting with a trap rig in them, fly lining when I have no live bait, cut bait for salt water or freshwater Cat fishing.
Al "FIT TO BE BIT" Schneider
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