Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

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Bugalugs
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Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by Bugalugs » Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:31 pm

Hi folks,
my local wholesale butcher has IQF sardines for $11kg and I buy them to give to my dogs once or twice a week in their dinner. (Omega 3 oils etc - they absolutely LOVE them and crunch down on them as the first thing they eat from the bowl)
BUT the thing I want to know is what do you reckon about using them as bait for bream and mulloway down in the Glenelg River at Nelson? Looking at them they don't seem to be as oily as the pilchard, which might mean they might not attract the fish to chew on them.
Perhaps it's a case of try it and find out for myself if they work.
Any feedback is much appreciated.
Cheers
Neil.
P.S. Do you reckon casting out one into a freshwater impoundment might attract a trout, redfin or bass in the middle of winter?
Cheers

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by Nude up » Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:26 pm

I always thought that sardines is a nice name for pilchard, who wants to eat pilchards in oil

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by cobby » Thu Jun 06, 2019 11:38 pm

Pilchards are a species of sardine. Most of what you get at fish mongers labeled as sardines are the same pilchards species you buy from a tackle shop. At $11/kg it'd be about the same cost as a 2kg bag of pillies from a tackle shop too

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by purple5ive » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:49 am

As cobby has already said sardines and pilchards are from the same family Clupeidae.
there are a few versions of them under the same family..

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by Kimtown » Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:41 am

purple5ive wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:49 am
As cobby has already said sardines and pilchards are from the same family Clupeidae.
there are a few versions of them under the same family..
That doesn't really answer his question though. It's like saying southern calas and arrows are both cephlapods belonging to the lolinigdae (sp?) family but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the same from a bait perspective.

FWIW, I've bought these really big looking sardine type "pilchards" from some bait store once before (the ones I believe the OP may be referring to at the fish monger) and they were nowhere near as oily or bloody as a general IQF Pilly, however they were more firm and robust. I didnt have a touch all day - however that could be more due to my ability as an angler, or lack of, rather than the taste preferences of the target species. Where as general bait shop pilchards seem to get smashed constantly by everything, all the time. That's my thoughts anyway.

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by cobby » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:37 am

Kimtown wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 9:41 am
purple5ive wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:49 am
As cobby has already said sardines and pilchards are from the same family Clupeidae.
there are a few versions of them under the same family..
That doesn't really answer his question though. It's like saying southern calas and arrows are both cephlapods belonging to the lolinigdae (sp?) family but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the same from a bait perspective.

FWIW, I've bought these really big looking sardine type "pilchards" from some bait store once before (the ones I believe the OP may be referring to at the fish monger) and they were nowhere near as oily or bloody as a general IQF Pilly, however they were more firm and robust. I didnt have a touch all day - however that could be more due to my ability as an angler, or lack of, rather than the taste preferences of the target species. Where as general bait shop pilchards seem to get smashed constantly by everything, all the time. That's my thoughts anyway.
Sardinella Longiceps or Indian Oil Pilchard are the ones you bought. Alot deeper and slender in the body compared to our usual Sardinops Sagax (neopilchardus)

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by Sebb » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:39 am

Bought and used sardines at $8.99/kg, caught snappers/pinkies, flathead and aussie salmons. No issue.
------------------------------
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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by cobby » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:43 am

Sardinella Longiceps top. Sardinops Sagax (neopilchardus) bottom
Attachments
20190607_104058.jpg

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by GusG » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:50 am

That reminds me of a condition I used to suffer from which my mate and I called 'pilchardus tracksuitis'

It is when you fish with pilchards and constantly wipe your hands on your tracksuit pants. By the end of the day's fishing your trackies are that badly crusted in pilchards that they can stand up on their own. And the smell...oh the smell..... :(

Probably could have used the trackies as berley :-D

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Re: Sardines - are they as good as pilchards?

Post by Kimtown » Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:51 am

cobby wrote:
Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:43 am
Sardinella Longiceps top. Sardinops Sagax (neopilchardus) bottom
Yep that's the one!

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