# Skein Rig



## jwheelfan03 (Jun 9, 2011)

Just curious how you guys keep skein from milking out so quickly? Do you roll the cured skein in a little borax or fire cure before putting it on the line? I’m only getting 2-3 drifts before it’s milked out completely - maybe that’s typical?


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## nichola8 (Oct 7, 2013)

Cut skeins into golf ball chunks. Dump in the cure. Shake up bag, add more cure if some pieces didn't get hit. Throw in fridge or freezer. I think they start turning white pretty quick, doesn't seem to matter though. 

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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

I don't cure my eggs, I cut my skein in 1 fishing trip size, rinse, wrap in 4 layers of dry paper towels, then 1 more wrap with damp towel, slip piece in small zip lock, remove air, freeze it, when i'm ready to use it, let it thaw, then cut fishing size pieces off the chunk as needed, if I need color I add a small piece of colored dubbing (in bait loop) this has worked for me, for a long time, ain't nothing wrong with cured bait, (sometimes a little scent is good),,,if I need scent, I break out my super secret gobble gobble juice,,,,good luck go gitum


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## flyrodder46 (Dec 31, 2011)

I normally just river cure both skein and singles, have tried several different commercial cures, some good others not so good. As for the milking, I have found that after 3-4 drifts, I just squeeze a couple of eggs and fish the skein/bag again. Works for me.

A friend makes/cures the best I have ever used, but, I can't get him to share the recipe, just the finished product. Oh well, at least he is willing to share the cured product with me, and it saves me some work.


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

flyrodder46 said:


> I normally just river cure both skein and singles, have tried several different commercial cures, some good others not so good. As for the milking, I have found that after 3-4 drifts, I just squeeze a couple of eggs and fish the skein/bag again. Works for me.
> 
> A friend makes/cures the best I have ever used, but, I can't get him to share the recipe, just the finished product. Oh well, at least he is willing to share the cured product with me, and it saves me some work.


 I believe what he ment by the word miked out, was turning white, witch is caused by bad eggs (old refrozen n things like that), but I could b wrong


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## jwheelfan03 (Jun 9, 2011)

So I cure my skein with fire cure before use. But the eggs pretty much dissolve- “milk out” after 2-3 drifts. Nothing left but membrane. Just thought rolling them in cure again just before I put on the hook may help them not dissolve so fast..


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

jwheelfan03 said:


> So I cure my skein with fire cure before use. But the eggs pretty much dissolve- “milk out” after 2-3 drifts. Nothing left but membrane. Just thought rolling them in cure again just before I put on the hook may help them not dissolve so fast..


 maybe the skein u r using is from a hen that was real ripe n ready to drop, so the membrane would b weak, just a guess


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

jwheelfan03 said:


> So I cure my skein with fire cure before use. But the eggs pretty much dissolve- “milk out” after 2-3 drifts. Nothing left but membrane. Just thought rolling them in cure again just before I put on the hook may help them not dissolve so fast..


Riverbob is on target. The best skeins are mid-summer fish, not late summer. The skeins are smaller, but also much tighter and more together. I often end up with later summer skeins myself, and just use that with no worries. Just don’t over cure and maybe try an egg loop.


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## jwheelfan03 (Jun 9, 2011)

It’s only my second year ever salmon fishing so a lot of things have been trial and error. I am using egg loop this year hopefully it will make a difference. It gets a little annoying having to rebait every few drifts.


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## jmaddog8807 (Oct 6, 2009)

Sent ya PM bud. Let me know if you have any more questions


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

I am trying to cure some frozen uncured as we speak. It's a adventure of trial and error. Never tried to cure frozen eggs. We will see what happens lol. 

If you can get fresh unfrozen eggs, keep it simple. Boraxo fire or borax based cures will work and hard to screw up. Cures with sulfites can burn eggs so you kind of half to watch and learn. If in doubt hello and borax catches fish. Usually, the first few drifts of a new piece is what they want


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

I always thought it was strange that some guys keep their recipe a secret. It seems like teaching people how to successfully get salmon to bite is a good thing. Less snagging and all that.


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## GRUNDY (Jun 18, 2005)

I’ve borax cured salmon skein that was previously frozen with good luck. It stayed in the hook good with a couple wraps of magic thread and the whitefish loved it


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## joe dirt (Jul 3, 2010)

Cup of salt , cup of sugar cup of borax. Boiled till all dissolved and cool to room temp. Soak 5-10 minutes on loose eggs. 10-20 on the skein. Set out on paper towel and let dri to the consistency of your your preference. Then freeze in one trip fishable bags. Holds up extremely well


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Trout King said:


> I am trying to cure some frozen uncured as we speak. It's a adventure of trial and error. Never tried to cure frozen eggs. We will see what happens lol.


I have probably 15 fresh skeins from last September that are frozen. They were wrapped in paper towel and put in freezer bags. I pulled one out two weeks ago to do a trial cure, and it turned out great:










Pink is my favorite, but mine is back-ordered, so I wait. I also natural cured one with borax and some other stuff. Looks good and smells even better.


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## joe dirt (Jul 3, 2010)

Do guys that’s freeze eggs fresh have issues with eggs breaking when they hit the water? Every darn time I’ve fished fresh frozen eggs it seems as soon as they hit the water the break .. either loose eggs tied in sacks or chunk skein. 


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## riverbob (Jan 11, 2011)

joe dirt said:


> Do guys that’s freeze eggs fresh have issues with eggs breaking when they hit the water? Every darn time I’ve fished fresh frozen eggs it seems as soon as they hit the water the break .. either loose eggs tied in sacks or chunk skein.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


never had that happen, haven't used bags in over 30 yr., but when I did, i only used fresh, water cured singles, as for chunk, never had the eggs break when they hit the water, I've thrown them off, I've had it chum off, but never pop off, don't know what to tell ya


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

I start out by taking the skein out of the fish and cutting the blood vein. Push the blood out and wrap in paper towel and ziploc in cooler for 24 hrs. Towels soak up any blood left over and take away moisture that makes eggs soft. I then cut skeins in half with scissors and sprinkle borax o fire on them. Re ziploc and fridge for 24 hrs. Pull out and put membrane side down on paper towel in fridge for 24 hrs to get tacky. Role in 20 mule borax and freeze. Easy as can be, cant burn eggs, catches fish. 
Thaw in cooler on towels and catch fish. 

Also I dont cut till time fishing. Fresh egg goo can be fished, old egg goo goes to waste...


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## nichola8 (Oct 7, 2013)

Here's the deal with kangs....if it's got firecure on it...for whatever reason...they will bite it. I've used jank laker skeins that were a shade of brown from the curdled blood. I've caught them on king skein that sat in a warm cooler for 2-3 days. I've caught them on globs of skein that was more white than pink because I was too lazy to change it out. Kings are not picky, cure it, make it messy, it will work...trust me. Now steelhead is a different story and whitefish is a waaaaay different story. Now if your a veteran and take time to make it the good stuff, like some of us have perfected over time then yes it helps with the overall fishing. For new timers as I was with skein about 7 years ago.....dont work to hard to make it perfect....cut it, cure it, and bring that messy bag to the river. Mapleriversalmon...I'm with you on the skein treatment now, just lending a hand on where we all started from.

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## john decker (Jan 21, 2010)

I don't freeze it at all.cut skeins lengthwise in 1 1/2" strips.then cut strips into chunks trying to leave some skin on each chunk.now lay chunks on paper towel /newspaper eggs down,skin up to dry.if you have a old fridge that's great but ive done this on table in garage also.let them dry for 6 hrs or so.sprinkle,coat skin w borax and flip over to clean pptowel and let dry another 6 to 8 hrs then coat eggs with borax.by drying bait it gets a lot tougher and doesn't fall off,turn white as fast.you can speed up drying time w a house fan.you don't want it like jerky or leather but about half dryed.I just roll up in qt size ziplocks w borax and keep in fridge.will last for a month or 2.


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