# Menhaden Oil



## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

I bought a gallon of menhaden oil to soak my crab bait (chicken legs) before I put the trap out.

But I was wondering if anyone had ever tried soaking fresh or cut bait or for that matter shrimp in menhaden oil and if so what was the result?


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Last summer I was told by a tackle shop to pour menhaden milk in the gills of a fresh bunker head.

I did and a hour later I was hooked up with a 50-60# cobe. Lost him in the wash tho.

Was it the menaden milk or luck?


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

I would go with the milk over the oil. The menhaden milk is water soluble so it works a little better to get the scent dispersed in the water column. The oil is great for getting a surface slick going from a boat though. I've soaked squid, shrimp, bluefish strips, plastics, bucktails, and a few other things in menhaden milk. I've caught fish with all of them, but I won't go as far as to say it's solely because of the menhaden milk. It definitely adds a scent though.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Giving off extra scent can't hurt, IMO.


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## marstang50 (May 3, 2005)

Im trying a little experiment myself by soaking some fresh caught croaker chunks in clam juice, then freezin them.. The clam juice has a lot of salt it in and seems to hardn it up a bit before freezing, not sure what it will turn out like but well see.


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

Well here is a little secret that I use with crabs....

1. Go on the internet and find a homemade recipe for play down

2. Follow the recipe except substitute Menahaden Oil where it calls for vegetable oil but double the amount.

3. Once the play dough is done roll it around in some flour like you would bread.

4. Roll the play dough up into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet and cook on low heat say 200 degrees for about 2 hours. This hardens the play dough but it will still desolve over about 2-3 hours in the water but.

Then I throw 3-4 in the trap along with a chicken leg and the crabs pile in.

So I am thinking about using that as kind of a carp or catfish dough but for Saltwater fish like reds or black drum


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## BentHook (Dec 22, 2002)

Menhaden oil will rise to the top of the water and move with the current or wind and be gone in a short time.For a slower release you can mix it with hard dog food or even quaker oats inside a mesh bag.A small sponge soaked in oil will relaese at a slower rate.
Menhaden Milk, if you can find it will mix with the water and have a slower release.For the size of the milk it appears more expensive but you mix it 4 to 1, if I remember right.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Where can you find the menhaden milk at? Bait shops I'm guessing?


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## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

I ordered my Menhaden oil from Boaters World on line...but this is the first I have heard of Menhaden Milk


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## DrumintheSuds (Nov 19, 2007)

Been soaking mu cutbait in menhaden oil for years. It can give a head NEW LIFE after being out in the wash for awhile


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

When fishing from the pier I'll punch a small hole in the bottom of the menhaden oil jug and hang it over the rail. Every two hours or so I'll need to take the cap off and allow air into it but other than that it is a great low-maintinence chum slick. I have also used a 5-gal bucket with 2 gal of menhaden oil in it to soak rigged shark baits. Just hang the bait in the bucket with the wire hanging over the rim and put the top on. Works wonders on sharks off the pier.

Evan


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Ok if I understand this you are after crabs. Why waste Menhaden oil or milk on crabs. They are scavengers. 

We always used turkey necks for them. Oh we reused them and they get better with age. At the end of the day just toss them back in the freezer (I left the string attached). Then let them thaw out in the water. The crabs liked them.


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## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

Digger said:


> Ok if I understand this you are after crabs. Why waste Menhaden oil or milk on crabs. They are scavengers.
> 
> We always used turkey necks for them. Oh we reused them and they get better with age. At the end of the day just toss them back in the freezer (I left the string attached). Then let them thaw out in the water. The crabs liked them.


yaeh we use to use that in NJ, or the chicken backs i think when i was little....handlining the lil lines off the dock and dip-netting them..some of my first fishing memories in the summer...miss that 

i do it in the summer now every now and then...get a couple big blueclaws for tarpon bait lol



Jesse


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## Lip Ripper (Dec 8, 2003)

Digger said:


> Ok if I understand this you are after crabs. Why waste Menhaden oil or milk on crabs. They are scavengers.
> 
> We always used turkey necks for them. Oh we reused them and they get better with age. At the end of the day just toss them back in the freezer (I left the string attached). Then let them thaw out in the water. The crabs liked them.


yep, i dont think you need to get fancy with the crab bait. we put all the heads off the striper and blues we catch in the freezer, then when we feel like putting out some pots, we just throw a few frozen heads in the pot. it works great.


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