Hey guys, any of ya'll been out for herring lately? I know it's getting to be about that time. I've never been and would like to try it.....

So, I (very fortunately) have two salmon I recently caught (non yak) and wanted to make some lox. As most of you are aware, to kill parasites the FDA  recommends -31 degrees F for 18 hours, or -7 for 7 days to kill tapeworm and nematodes....which *a lot* of pacific salmon carry (one source I found years ago while doing a paper on the subject in school said nearly all salmon and pacific rockfish are infected, but I can’t find it). Well, that’s kind of a bummer to me because I really love Lox.  Somebody here, I think it was Moo, purchased a scientific freezer to bring the temperature down to the specified levels. I came up with an alternate method… I filled the bottom of my yeti cooler with solid Styrofoam I bought at Home Depot and cut it to fit the cooler. I then placed the fish on the Styrofoam (vac packed and already frozen at 0 F)) with a raised wire tray above that. On top of that I put 8 pounds of dry ice and a few more blocks of insulation on top of that and shut the cooler. And viola....my salmon has been at -61 degrees for the last 19 hours. It totally worked!

Noaa is calling for 3-5 with 5 to 15 knot winds Saturday. Anybody thinking about it, or is everyone chasing butts in the bay?

Ok.....so by American standards this is a super strange recipe. But it is so incredibly good using lings or rockfish fillets. That is, if you like curry and pickles It's originally a malay-chinese recipe, which made it's way to south Africa via the slave trade. It's super good....Try it! An added bonus is that it's from Woolworths.....which would take an over-40 to appreciate.

https://www.woolworths.co.za/recipe/_/A-cmp204782/

So, it totally seems like the bite picks up big time around high tide. What about low tide? Don't think I've fished on the ocean during an afternoon LOW tide. Is it just as good? Low tide tomorrow is at like 2 pm on the north coast....wondering if it's worth the trip. Is it the actual tidal *change*, or is it just high tide when they really turn on?

Im thinking of booking my first tuna trip to Mexico or Central America this summer/ fall. I've never done it before and would appreciate any input from those who have. I'm not really interested in Marlin or billfish/sailfish, just tuna and Dorado. Any input on good locations, operators, or hotels would be super appreciated!

Can anyone give me  some suggestions on a mid level rod and reel for american shad? Looking for a lightweight spinning setup....any suggestions appreciated.

Thinking about pulling the trigger on one of the Kodiak canvas tents. It's big, it's heavy, and definately only for car camping. Was wondering if anyone here has any experience with them? They're kinda pricey and wanted to get any input before buying. TIA....