does a guy need gut and remove heads of fish before making into bait or salt curing for storing?

thanks tdillon

It will preserve better with less bacteria developing internally if you gut them first. I have salt cured with heads off and on doesn't seem to matter. Just make sure that you have layered the salt generously as it is economical enough to do so.

thank you bob!!

I do whole fish for one bait and cleaned fish for another. same fish 2 different smells.