Jigging for herring is loads of fun when they spawn in the spring. Huge schools of herring make the water "boil" as they jump out of the water in mass to avoid feeding salmon underneath. Not the smartest animal on the food chain, the herring will bite a bright colored hook.
Fresh herring makes the best bait for catching fish, but they are also delicious eaten on their own. We coat the herring in flour and fry them whole in a hot pan. One eats the entire herring, vertebrate and all.