# Re-usability Of Homemade Spawn Sacs?



## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Hey Guys, I've only really started fishing homemade spawn this past year. One thing that I notice is that when it's time to call it a day and I pull the spawn sacs off from the hooks, they tend to rip and burst multiple eggs because the barb tears on the way out from the sac. Does anyone else have this problem?


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

Pretty tough to get them off without tearing mesh or breaking an egg or two

it's not a problem for me because I discard them after using anyways. I don't re-use. 

If you want to re-use it, just snip the line and leave the hook in, and tie the hook back on when you go fishing next time


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Thanks, that's a good idea.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

The last spawnbag(s) of the day get tossed - with the caveat that I sometimes leave them on my hooks, and just use them first the following day if they aren't too dried out. I don't try to remove and re-use them, because removing the hook will tear the netting, which ruins the bag. Don't sweat it. 

Here is a tip for a newer spawn fisherman. _*NEVER*_ tie less spawnbags than you think you will use in a day. I had a few days (a looong time ago) where I literally hooked so many Steelhead that I ran out of spawnbags. I tried some flies, and wobble-glos, but they weren't working. I vowed to NEVER run out of spawnbags during a day of fishing, again. It totally sucks to be out of bait when Steelhead are snapping. Don't go crazy, and tie 150 bags for a day of fishing. I usually tie at least 30 bags for a day of fishing, just for myself. If I am supplying others, I tie 30 more for each additional person. I still come close to running out once in a while, but I never do.

Last comment: I would rather toss a used spawnbag, than spend time cutting off the hooked bag, storing it, and re-tying it on my line the next day of fishing.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Sounds good. I have a pretty good buildup which hopefully will one day produce.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

I usually have 10 to 20 reserve spawn bags in a container. Within hours of my next trip I tie an additional 10 to 15 bags. When I am done fishing I put the unused bags in the freezer so I have a reserve for next trip.


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## Clum (May 11, 2015)

If you use a good enough cure method, you should have no problem just freezing your unused bags. I dont freeze any eggs that Ive brined. Ill refreeze if I used Shake n Cure, or Borax only. But I dont rinse my borax off before I tie bags like most people do. I just leave the borax on my eggs and tie them up coated.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I don't throw out un-used spawnbags at the end of a day, weekend, or week of fishing. I re-freeze them, and thaw them for later use, and they work just fine. The original post was about how to salvage that last spawnbag of the day, after it has been on a hook. I toss em most of the time.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Follow-up question I guess. So I still do have a decent amount of uncured loose eggs sitting in the fridge. I've been tying up lots of bags, but do you guys think it'd be alright to freeze a lot of the loose uncured eggs in jars and then later thaw them out and tie them in sacs? It'd save time to do this but I'm not sure if it'd ruin a lot of the eggs.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I freeze uncured loose eggs in quart ziplocs. I put about a cup (enough to tie spawnbags for a big day of fishing - daybag) into a quart Ziploc freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as I can, roll the bag up, and seal it. Then I double-bag them inside a gallon bag, and freeze them in a freezer that doesn't defrost. When I want to use them, I take a daybag out, thaw it in the fridge for 2 days, turning it a couple/few times each day. When the eggs first thaw, there will be some liquid in the bag. Turning the bag allows the eggs to re-absorb the liquid, and in 2 days they are perfect for tying.

But I do this when the loose eggs are fresh. Your first post was 11 days ago. Those eggs must be starting to smell funky. I know a guy who chooses to use real funky eggs for spawnbags. If they don't stink, he won't use them. I prefer eggs as fresh as I can get them.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Thanks Fishndude. Haha no, a buddy of mine dropped off Atlantic Salmon spawn he didn't want a few days ago. I'm just getting tired of tying sacs.


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## BDuff1234 (Jan 18, 2016)

If you're tired of tying spawn sacs I'll gladly take some of those eggs off your hands so you don't have to worry about tying more..  

Also to answer your original question, when I'm done for the day I cut off the spawn sac and let the fish have a free appetizer. Trying to salvage the sac by taking the hook out is much to tedious work without popping the eggs, ruining the netting and making a mess of things. 

And with your second question about putting the loose eggs in a jar then freezing, a lot of people do that. Some fill the jar with eggs, then fill mineral oil up to the top of the eggs then freeze. Others put the loose eggs in the jar, light a match then wedge it in the eggs and put the top on and it will essentially vacuum seal the jar. I would think any of those options would work just fine.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Thanks BDuff. If you're ever in Sault Ste. Marie within a year or two shoot me a PM and I'll try and get you some eggs.

On a side note, uncured Atlantic Salmon spawn does work. Caught a 17 inch steelhead and 13 inch rainbow trout today using dime-sized orange bags.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Munuscool said:


> Thanks BDuff. If you're ever in Sault Ste. Marie within a year or two shoot me a PM and I'll try and get you some eggs.
> 
> On a side note, uncured Atlantic Salmon spawn does work. Caught a 17 inch steelhead and 13 inch rainbow trout today using dime-sized orange bags.


Atlantic spawn works really well. Seemed pretty close to brown spawn when I used it.


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## Bighunther (Jan 28, 2012)

Just put eggs in mineral oil and put in freezer. I've kept them 2+ years and still like the day I got them.


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## jigsnwigs (Feb 6, 2011)

I would never try to save a spawn bag that has been fished. Total waste of time. I also normally tie thirty to forty bags per day trip. Or less for shorter outings. Try and freeze your eggs in portion sizes equal to the length of your fishing trips. Obviously a two hour trip will not require as much spawn as a full day trip. On a good "day" thirty bags is cutting it very close. Especially if they are biting and you are in a woody, snag infested area. Once you get proficient at tying, it only takes about a half an hour to forty five minutes to so spin up enough bags. And yes if the eggs are cured properly they can be thawed and refroze multiple times. Uncured eggs generally can't handle the thawing and refreezing process as well.

One thing I have never done nor understood is freezing eggs in mineral oil. This makes no sense to me. Uncured eggs have there own natural scent. And most of todays cures today have additional scents added to them like sand shrimp, krill, and others. Unless you are one who is in the camp that believes Steelies only strike at things based on color then by all means go ahead and soak your roe for years on end in oils. But why ruin good natural scent with oils? By the way... Just this last weekend I finally used up my salmon eggs from the fall of 2015. No freezer burn on them and they've worked great! Eggs handled and frozen properly with some TLC can easily last a couple of years without being doused in mineral oil. This just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.


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## 357Maximum (Nov 1, 2015)

Fishndude said:


> But I do this when the loose eggs are fresh. Your first post was 11 days ago. Those eggs must be starting to smell funky. I know a guy who chooses to use real funky eggs for spawnbags. If they don't stink, he won't use them. I prefer eggs as fresh as I can get them.



I found slightly "funky" eggs to be real good channel cat bait if one finds themselves in such a pickle. I cleaned a fly vest out a bit late one year, so I took them with me to the river. It was a fun night and them funky eggs trounced the other baits I brought with me that night 10 fold. I have intentionally let late spring eggs get "funky" a few times now and they simply work for Mr. Whiskers.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

357Maximum said:


> I found slightly "funky" eggs to be real good channel cat bait if one finds themselves in such a pickle. I cleaned a fly vest out a bit late one year, so I took them with me to the river. It was a fun night and them funky eggs trounced the other baits I brought with me that night 10 fold. I have intentionally let late spring eggs get "funky" a few times now and they simply work for Mr. Whiskers.


My all-time favorite kitty bait is a chunk of salmon skein. They go crazy for it!


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## o_mykiss (May 21, 2013)

jigsnwigs said:


> One thing I have never done nor understood is freezing eggs in mineral oil. This makes no sense to me. Uncured eggs have there own natural scent. And most of todays cures today have additional scents added to them like sand shrimp, krill, and others. Unless you are one who is in the camp that believes Steelies only strike at things based on color then by all means go ahead and soak your roe for years on end in oils. But why ruin good natural scent with oils?.


Mineral oil is neutral and has no smell or taste. It actually enhances the distribution of the egg's natural scent in the water. Which is a bonus in my opinion.


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