Eggs Over Easy
March 7, 2007 - 6:12pm — JYork
Steelhead trout love to eat fish eggs - salmon eggs, brown trout eggs and even their own eggs. This fish could not resist a cluster of eggs like the ones in this picture, but was lucky to get a CPR deal - Catch, Photograph and Release!
Steelhead anglers plan for success by using fish eggs for bait. The only problem they face is how to keep fragile pea-sized bait on their hook.
Egg Sacs 101 - Making the Perfect Steelhead Bait
Turning fish eggs into fish bait is really easier than one would think. To begin with, you need fresh, loose fish eggs that have been "treated" so they will not spoil and so they can be used and stored for an extended period of time. I will assume you already have the eggs - if you don't drop me a comment and I can help with that too. Now let’s talk about the preservation treatments.I have discovered many methods for treating fish eggs. Some are commercial treatments you can purchase and some are home recipes that require a few readily available ingredients. I have used both and they work well. But after years of treating eggs I have settled on one home recipe that I like the best.
My home recipe Ingredients - equal parts of Borax, pickling salt and regular sugar - you now have the Borax dry mix that can be sprinkled on the eggs or used to create a brine to soak the eggs.
Dry Mix Application: Spread out a large sheet of paper towels, and cover it with a thin layer of the dry mix. Place eggs on mix-covered paper. Thoroughly dust the eggs with additional dry mix and let them stand in a cool, dry place for 1 hour. Then put the eggs in plastic zip-loc snack bags. The egg bait may be refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for longer storage times.
Brine Application: Dissolve three cups of dry mix in 2.5 quarts of hot water and let it cool to room temperature. Put in three cups of fresh eggs and let them soak for 10 - minutes. Drain the eggs, put them on some paper towels to absorb more of the brine, then store in plastic bags. The egg bait may be refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for longer storage times.
Now you have treated eggs and you are ready to tie some Eggs Sacs. This picture shows you what equipment you will need:
This video explains how to use the equipment:
If this looks like too much work and bother for what you have in mind, most bait shops along Lake Erie tributaries sell treated, bulk eggs suitable for tying into sacs, egg sacs already tied and single eggs that you can place on a hook.
Drop me a comment if you have any questions.
Comments
the machine
i am curious in your video you say you can get that "sac machine" at a local store. i have not been able to to find them anywhere online or in any stores. would you be able to tell me somewhere online i would be able to order some?
Preserving the sacs
Thank you for all the info, i have a couple questions concerning when to refriderate the eggs. Do i refridgerate before i treat the eggs, and if i do, what is the longest time i can store them before I treat them? And after i treat them or if they are already treated, then do i refriderate them more until I am ready to tie them? if so how long can they stay before going bad? Lastly do i refridgerate the eggs after I tie them into a sac?, and whether i do or dont, how long are they good for? thank you again -josh
Keep them cool
Hi Josh:
As soon as the eggs are removed from the fish you must keep them on ice or in the refrigerator until you have time to treat them. NEVER FREEZE ANY EGGS BEFORE TREATMENT. The egg membrane will split if frozen before treating, and you get mush!
You can store fresh eggs in the frefrigerator for one or two weeks, but the shorter the time the better. Once treated, you can freeze eggs for a year or more. If they get freezer burn, toss them out.
I like to tie fresh eggs and then go fishing or treat and freeze them until my next trip. Fresh, untreated eggs sacs are great bait, but treated eggs that have been frozen and thawed are just as good.
One more thing, keep your eggs cool while fishing. If the air tempeature is 45 degrees or more, carry them on ice in a small cooler.
Where do you get your eggs?
The Rodmakers Shop in Strongsvilee
Thank you for the helpful information,
I purchase my eggs from the rod makers in strongsville ohio, they have the best selection and reasonable prices, along with great costumer sercice.
Another Question, if you don't mind answering.
1. Two week old (fresh), non-treated eggs
2. Treated eggs kept in a refridgerator and are only 2 weeks old
3. Treated eggs kept in the refridgerator for several months
4. treated eggs that have been frozen for about a yr
From the choices above, could give an order from the most productive to the least productive? -thanks again
Perfect
I would rank them as you have.
Years ago, there were times at Oak Orchard-NY, that we would snag salmon in the morning. Milk some eggs from a ripe female, tie up some sacs and spend the afternoon catching browns and steelhead with the those eggs. They were the best. We watched brown trout swim several feet across the current to pick up the fresh eggs.
I have noticed in the early fall that the Erie Steelhead are more inclined to hit fresh eggs. Some guys do well using fresh skein cut from Steelhead they have caught. Late season and in the winter, the fish are less particular.
Use the fresh eggs as soon as possilbe or treat them and put them in the freezer.
Cool
Wow Jack that is really cool. Nice job on the video. Where do you get your eggs?
Clay hardens by immobility – men's minds by standing pat. Both lose the power to take new impressions. (Pinchot 1910: 138)
Getting Eggs
Impressive
Yeah. Very impressive. Thanks
Clay hardens by immobility – men's minds by standing pat. Both lose the power to take new impressions. (Pinchot 1910: 138)