# I have 6 steelhead skeins



## riverdawg54 (Aug 27, 2012)

They are frozen in one package so when I thaw them I will need to tread them with something and I dont want to mess them up as I only have 6 of them till I can get some new fresh ones.I have looked over some of the threads about curing eggs but they are very confusing as to what way to go.Home made cure or a store bought cure?

I want to fish skein chuncks with a egg loop knot so I think they should be kind of tuff.thanks


----------



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

You can probably semi-thaw them and cut them and they should fish great. I do that with salmon eggs but I usually prefer the spawn bags


----------



## riverdawg54 (Aug 27, 2012)

Use them with no cure at all?Is that what your saying?


----------



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Take them out of the freezer the night before and thaw them. Nothing works better than fresh, no borax or artificial junk. I catch steelhead in the winter and use the skeins fresh and they produce browns, brookies and more steelhead.


----------



## riverdawg54 (Aug 27, 2012)

OK thats what I will do.

thanks


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

That's a lot of spawn and it will go bad if left uncured or unfrozen for more than a few days. If you want to fish it_ as is_, try to break off a skein or a piece of it instead of defrosting the whole bag. A good serrated edge knife should be able to cut through it.

I have thawed and refroze, fresh uncured steel spawn but a lot of people would say it will burst the eggs or something like that. I think it really only happens with big mature salmon eggs.


----------



## jpmarko (Feb 26, 2010)

You can fish them without any cure. Like previously mentioned, just break of a piece the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. If you freeze and thaw and then freeze and thaw the same piece it won't last very long. I've tried. It will go bad soon. 

If you feel like you want to use something to help the eggs last much longer, soak the eggs in mineral oil. Yep, plain mineral oil. Lots of guys cure their eggs with only that. It's the most "natural" cure I can think of. The eggs seem to maintain their original state just as long as with borax and are soft like real eggs. Extremely simple, too. I've caught steelhead with skein that was 4 years old and cured with mineral oil. Just dump it in the bag with the eggs. As easy as that.


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Mineral oil doesn't cure the spawn it just protects its from freezer burn and keeps it nice and natural. When you put it in oil you still gotta freeze it. Besides that, its a good way to protect your spawn and keep it fresh and natural. The veterans on here swear by it and I like it now as well...


----------



## jpmarko (Feb 26, 2010)

steely74 said:


> Mineral oil doesn't cure the spawn it just protects its from freezer burn and keeps it nice and natural. When you put it in oil you still gotta freeze it. Besides that, its a good way to protect your spawn and keep it fresh and natural. The veterans on here swear by it and I like it now as well...


 
Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention that. You do need to put it in the freezer, otherwise it will eventually go bad. But the mineral oil sure does keep it fresh. I keep mine in the freezer. It's been in a ziploc bag full of mineral oil and everytime I take some out to use it's as fresh as the day I harvested it. Some as long as 4 years ago. Good stuff.


----------



## riverdawg54 (Aug 27, 2012)

I went out and bought some mineral oil for my skeins 

thanks
riverdawg54


----------



## jpmarko (Feb 26, 2010)

Yeah, I think you'll like it. Simple. Impossible to screw up. Just pour the mineral oil on the skein in a ziploc and store in the freezer. When you want to use it, cut out a chunk and take it with you. The consistency and smell of the eggs will be like they were the day you harvested them. If you have some left over from your day of fishing, just stick them in the fridge. They will last a few days like that. Best of luck to you.


----------



## SHANK (Apr 5, 2006)

I like the mineral oil tip. Sounds easy and most natural. 

Does Kool-Aid or Jello work for coloration?


----------



## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

SHANK said:


> Does Kool-Aid or Jello work for coloration?


Sure it does, plain ole food coloring works good too...


----------



## SHANK (Apr 5, 2006)

Thanks Steely. I'm gonna try it.


----------



## Chad Smith (Dec 13, 2008)

How much mineral oil, I think I may add some to my frozen stuff, or should I unthaw add then refreeze?


----------



## jpmarko (Feb 26, 2010)

Chad Smith said:


> How much mineral oil, I think I may add some to my frozen stuff, or should I unthaw add then refreeze?


There's no specific amount or formula of how much mineral oil to add. Just completely cover/submerge it in mineral oil. It's best if you add the oil when the eggs are still fresh and haven't been frozen yet. If it's already frozen, then just dump the mineral oil in there to cover it all up. I've done that before and it still worked fine for me.


----------



## Chad Smith (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks.


----------



## riverdawg54 (Aug 27, 2012)

I have mineral oil on my eggs now too.I thawed them to get them seperated then added mineral oil to them and refroze them in zip lock bags.One skein in each.Thanks for the idea


----------



## yakima (Jan 28, 2012)

Can I ask if the film of oil on the eggs discolors or turns white when it hits the really cold water. Thx for the info. Fairly new to the site. Like it already.


----------



## Benz (Sep 25, 2010)

The oil goes all over the river but it does a good job. Doesn't really discolor the eggs though. It will shine your cork up on your rod handle like a old baseball glove. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------

