Using cured salmon eggs as bait is one of the most effective techniques to catch big trout, steelhead and salmon. When eggs are cured properly, it firms them up, enhances the scent, and makes them practically irresistible to fish. Learning how to cure eggs the right way will give you a secret weapon that catches more fish on every trip.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about curing lively salmon eggs into a fish-slaying bait. You’ll learn curing methods, ingredients to use, storage tips and how to rig eggs. Let’s jump in!
Why Cure Salmon Eggs?
Curing eggs before fishing provides some major benefits that make them better bait
- Curing firms up the soft eggs so they stay on the hook longer
- It amplifies and preserves the natural fishy scent
- Adds flavoring that triggers instinct to feed
- The brine solution penetrates the eggs to slowly release scent underwater
Overall, curing makes the eggs tougher, more durable and super attractive to fish. It allows you to harness the full potential of salmon eggs as bait.
Curing vs. Preserving Eggs
When you cure eggs for bait, it’s not the same as storing them for a long time. Curing eggs is a quick way to make them better as bait for a few days. Fully preserving eggs for long storage requires much heavier salt and processing.
Step 1 – Get Your Curing Ingredients
Curing eggs only requires a few basic ingredients:
-
Salt – Table salt, kosher salt, canning salt all work to firm the eggs.
-
Sugar – White and brown sugar adds sweetness and smell
-
Borax – Sodium tetraborate helps prevent spoilage and toughens eggs.
-
Food dye – For visibility, use red, orange or other bright colors.
-
Scent – Optional but scent eggs like shrimp, krill, garlic, anise, etc.
You probably have most of these already in your pantry. Avoid additives like formaldehyde.
Step 2 – Mix the Curing Brine
Combine your curing ingredients together into a plastic or glass jar. A basic brine is:
- 1 cup borax
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- Food dye for color (optional)
- 1 tbsp scents like garlic or shrimp (optional)
Mix 1 part this concentrate with 5 parts water to create your curing solution. Adjust the amounts as needed for larger batches.
Step 3 – Rinse the Eggs
Before curing, briefly rinse off your salmon eggs under cold water. Gently move them around to wash away any blood, membranes or debris. Don’t soak the eggs before brining.
Step 4 – Apply the Curing Brine
Place your rinsed salmon eggs into a plastic container or ziplock bag. Cover the eggs completely with the prepared brine solution. Use a ratio of 1 part eggs to 5 parts brine. Gently mix to distribute evenly.
Step 5 – Cure Time
Place the eggs in the refrigerator to cure. Resist the urge to excessively stir or mix the eggs while curing. Let them sit undisturbed for best results.
Cure time can vary depending on factors like brine strength, temperature and egg size. Typically 12-24 hours produces well cured eggs.
Step 6 – Rinse and Store Cured Eggs
Once cured, drain off the old brine and rinse the eggs thoroughly under cold water. Gently rub off any remaining slimy membranes from the outside of eggs.
Store cured eggs covered in the fridge and use within 3-5 days for best freshness. Lay eggs in a single layer, not touching each other.
Tips for Excellence
Follow these tips when curing eggs to get the best bait:
- Handle eggs very gently to avoid damage and bursting
- Cure eggs in smaller batches for ideal results
- Soak less time for more delicate steelhead or trout eggs
- Add dye to make eggs highly visible
- Occasionally rotate eggs during curing for even penetration
- Don’t cure much longer than 24 hours maximum
- Keep cured eggs chilled in the fridge and use within a week
Put Cured Eggs to Work!
Now you’re armed with the knowledge to cure lively salmon eggs into a supreme bait that will catch more and bigger fish. Salmon eggs are a fantastic bait, but only if cured properly.
Take your time with the process, handle eggs gently, and use the right techniques. Do this and you’ll have a secret weapon that helps you hook trout, steelhead and salmon like never before. Tight lines!
Pautzke products for curing eggs like a pro
Pautzke Red Fire Brine is the foundation of this curing process.
When I cure eggs for salmon and/or steelhead fishing, I usually use three or four products from the Pautzke Bait Company. These help me get the results I want in a good cured egg skein. Sometimes, I only use one of the products below from Pautzke Bait Company to make a base-cured egg skein that will catch salmon or steelhead. Most of my egg cure recipes use brine, especially when I’m curing salmon or steelhead eggs that were frozen before being cooked. I also use dry or powder mix cures, but I want to talk about wet brining the eggs to cure them for this article. Brine cures are the easiest to master because they are very forgiving and almost always turn out great.
The first ingredient I use for wet brine curing is Pautzke Fire Brine. There are many colors of Fire Brine that come in a 1-quart bottle, but I usually only use two colors to cure eggs. I use the red Fire Brine to cure salmon roe, and most people use the clear brine to cure steelhead roe. Fire Brine has salt, sugar, and chemicals that make fish bite. These are enough to cure eggs that salmon, trout, and steelhead will eat. However, there are a few things that can be added to the Fire Brine to change how well it works, depending on the fish you are after. But I really think that a simple base cure is best. Adding other ingredients to base cure eggs before fishing them helps them catch more fish when the base cure isn’t enough to get the bites you want.
When adding products to the Pautzke Fire brine, consider adding a few other ingredients. I always add Fire Power to my eggs when fishing Northern California rivers. Its hard to beat the addition of the primary forage of salmon and steelhead into your egg recipe. I almost always add red Pautzke Fire cure to my brine recipe as well. The addition of these products into the brine makes a perfect base cure egg for salmon fishing. Instead of the Fire cure, use the natural BorX O Fire cure to cure steelhead eggs that are a natural color. It too in the brine will make a perfect egg for steelhead fishing.
5 quart brine bucket is perfect for curing 1 gallon size frozen egg bricks.
Most of my frozen egg portions will rarely exceed the volume of a one gallon plastic bag. I find that a plastic 5 qt. A bucket with two quarts of Fire Brine is enough to properly cure a gallon block of frozen eggs. A plastic container holds 2 quarts of fire brine. To this I add 1/2 of a Pautzke Fire Power (Krill) bottle and 1/2 cup of Fire Cure. After stirring the contents for several minutes, I place the egg brick into the 5 quart container. It won’t completely cover the eggs in my container, but its not an issue. As time progresses, the eggs will thaw in the brine and settle completely into the brine solution.
This makes for a great base cure and your eggs will cure up very nicely every time. I like to soak them for 24 hours, but you can leave them to marinate for a few days without any problems. This really cuts down on the time you have to spend watching them cure, and if you don’t have time, don’t worry about it. Just make sure the brine and eggs stay relatively cool during the brine phase. Letting them get too hot can speed up their development and keep them from being in their best state. Warming up your eggs is set aside for your day on the river.
Now, if you are looking for a really good base cure this is it. During the brining process, you can also add known chemicals, scents, or flavors that sometimes make the bite better if you want to change things up. When the eggs are fully cured and ready to be fished on any given day during the season, I like to add those chemicals and scents. Every year, salmon and steelhead have different tastes when it comes to the things you add to your cures.
Curing eggs like a Pro
My go-to ingredients for a base brine cure for salmon fishing.
Curing eggs for salmon and steelhead fishing has always been seen as an art, and most people who have never done it before are afraid they will mess up the eggs while they are going through the process. Most people have a hard time finding good eggs, and when the chance comes up to cure eggs from a salmon or steelhead, they can’t waste them. The Pautzke Bait Company has a line of products that let anglers cure eggs the old-fashioned way, but they do it so well that even people who have never done it before can get professional results. If an angler wants to cure their own salmon or steelhead eggs, they can easily do so with just a few Pautzke egg curing products. The eggs will then be very good for fishing for salmon or steelhead.
How I Cure Eggs for Steelhead & Salmon Bait – 4 EASY METHODS
FAQ
How to cure salmon eggs without borax?
How to cure raw fish eggs?
How to cure salmon eggs with borax sugar and salt?
How do you cure salmon eggs?
Place the eggs and cure in a plastic bag and get the cure evenly distributed. Salmon Egg Cure is a mix of borax, salt, sugar, dye and other preservatives. The salt preserves. The sugar toughens. The borax dries. The dye colors. Once the skeins are coated, the cure will draw out liquids from the eggs.
Can I eat cured salmon roe while pregnant?
Salmon roe are the eggs of salmon and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, important for the development of the brain and nervous system of the fetus. Cured salmon roe is generally found to be low in mercury and considered safe when eaten in small amounts during pregnancy. Some doctors and health officials may still recommend avoiding fish roe during pregnancy. Fortunately, there are other ways to consume the omega-3 fats that are healthy for both mom and baby, including salmon fillets and dietary supplements. If you consume salmon roe, it should come from a trustworthy source who has cured and handled it properly.
How does salmon egg Cure work?
Salmon Egg Cure is a mix of borax, salt, sugar, dye and other preservatives. The salt preserves. The sugar toughens. The borax dries. The dye colors. Once the skeins are coated, the cure will draw out liquids from the eggs. Within a few hours the eggs will shrink and the container will be filled with a soupy colored juice.
What fish can you catch with cured salmon eggs?
Cured salmon eggs are effective baits used to catch Salmon, Steelhead and Trout. You might be heaving a fist sized ball of eggs for Chinook Salmon in the tidewater, stalking Trout in the high mountains with a single egg on an ultralight rod, or using one of many Winter Steelhead fishing techniques that are perfect for cured roe.