Quote Originally Posted by LEfriend View Post
Glad you did well on the perchin!. Not judging, just a suggestion some might find helpful. Instead of dumping, I have taken to keeping all my leftover shiners. I put them in a jar or plastic bag and throw them on ice in the fish box for trip home. At home I salt them and put in a plastic jar (Jiff peanut butter jar works great), seal lid tight, turn to coat salt good, put in basement fridge. Drain off liquid for several days till no more comes off. They will keep a long time. Key is to always keep them cold on way home and until ready to hook. You do not have to freeze. As long as you keep jar sealed and outside clean they will not smell up fridge.

I always carry a jar of these with me in small cooler and ice pack. Great for if you limit eyes and want to perch a little, or if you are perching and run out of shiners, or when you can't get minnows. Work as good as fresh ones and easy to keep chilled until you need them. If I don't use them, back home they can go for next trip, unlike ones froze and then thawed.
I like that idea...I keep a quart of gulp alive 2" minnows on my boat for just that reason. I can't say whether they work better or worse than real shiners, but I have had good luck with them. I have frozen my excess shiners before, but I will try salting them now.