Salmon belly as a bait

[Angler]

Hi there fellows!
Just wanna share the discovery I made for myself today while fishing. I had a salmon (from Superstore) for supper few nights ago and decided to keep it's belly to try it out for a bait. I had a feeling it might work, wasn't certain though...
I cut the belly fin out with a small chunk of meat and put it on a little jig, 1/4 oz? So the fin looked like a tail. Here is a snap shot.
It is a little hard to see, I should've taken a real close up picture, but you get the idea




Maaaan, that's a killer! I've caught 4 pikes and a walleye on it! It has long life too, salmon skin is pretty firm, pulled 3 fish before I changed the fin!
This gonna be my bait of the season! Sure burbot wouldn't mind either.

More pictures and video are to come soon...

Has anyone tryied before? How did You do?

[3blade]

I tried 4 baits for burbot one day last year: salmon skin, salmon lateral line, Gulp minnows and real minnows. 100% of the burbot (8 or so) were caught on lateral line, the others didn't even get a sniff that day. Other times it's been shrimp, fish eyes, roe, or all manner of other fishy type stuff

Just depends on what they want that particular day. Good job figuring it out.

[EZM]

A thought occurred to me regarding the legality of using salmon "meat" as bait.

Nothing specifically pertaining to what you were doing - as I think you have no issue here .... BUT .... would it be allowed (in Alberta) I wonder?

I realize you used the fin (which is OK to use and perfectly legal as bait) BUT ....I think if the fin wasn't there there ..... and it was just the belly meat ..... is it legal?

Is the belly meat "skin" if there is skin attached?

The regulation states that only the eyes, skin or fins may be used from a gamefish.

Salmon is not a game fish listed in Alberta's regulations, HOWEVER, Salmon is listed as both as a commercial and game fish species under the federal fisheries act governing both tidal and non tidal waters.

Interesting ....

[molsoncanadian]

I've caught lake sturgeon using salmon belly meat from the grocery store. I like using it as it stays on the hook forever and I don't catch so many pesky goldeye when using it.