# Best salmon steelhead egg cure!!!



## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

flyfisher4life1 said:


> I use atlas mikes bags, *the eggs are soft because I removed them from skein so they werent hard enuff to hancle a little bit of pressure*.


Thats useful info there.
Did you hit them with hot water ( just below boiling) first or did ya just scrape em , as is ,with a spoon?


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

wintrrun said:


> Thats useful info there.
> Did you hit them with hot water ( just below boiling) first or did ya just scrape em , as is ,with a spoon?


i scraped them with a spoon but they were fresh, right out the fish.


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## troutguy26 (Apr 28, 2011)

Call me crazy but i dont scrape it out just use a homemade cure that is a mix of about every other homemade one minus any borax and then cut myself some chunks and fish it as skein or bag if you please.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

Boraxofire pink and natural and some bags tied up in natural 

The pink ones are scrape and the natural are loose. Both coho eggs.


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## flyfisher4life1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Multispeciestamer said:


> Boraxofire pink and natural and some bags tied up in natural
> 
> The pink ones are scrape and the natural are loose. Both coho eggs.


thanks for the pics man,it looks like you have extra cure on them is the cre wet or is it dry?


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Just out of curiousity do any of the pautzke guys see an increase in their catch from using borx o fire or firecure?


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

I've only used the firecure in natural.


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## Carpmaster (Apr 1, 2004)

I use a shake and cure on scraped and loose eggs for the river, however in very light moderation, I like the little added color and toughness, however i do not want rubber balls......


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## Roger That (Nov 18, 2010)

pautzke only werks if ya fish the grand!!!! stupid fish!!!


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

I have only used it in orange and pink never tried the natural. I think that is why I have different results when fishing it with more natural eggs. I like colored eggs in murkier water and more natural in clearer water. I now see why guys choose to use the natural.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

flyfisher4life1 said:


> thanks for the pics man,it looks like you have extra cure on them is the cre wet or is it dry?


 They are dry. after the curing process and the eggs have released liquid and took back in almost all of it, I dry them on a paper plate with paper towel under. If they are still wet I add more boraxofire.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> Just out of curiousity do any of the pautzke guys see an increase in their catch from using borx o fire or firecure?


 Boraxofire is for steelhead and firecure for kings. I dont see much difference in there effective ness for either species. I use different colors and one or the other for the kind of egg and species targeted. Boraxofire for singles, and firecure for skain. My dad bought firecure like 5 years ago maybe longer. Thats what we used to drift with for steelhead in the spring and caught lots of fish. I hadnt bought a bottle since, untill this last fall. I couldnt get the salmon to hit the no cured natural coho eggs, and guys next to me were ripping them on cured eggs. So I bought a bottle of fire cure dark red and landed a few fish on it, but it was already late in the season. Will for sure be using it again next fall. Salmon and steelhead have slightly different taste. Salmon like sulfur and salt, Steelhead like sugar. I am sure to many on this site this is basic info to but for some it is not. 

Also in order to get boraxofire to sit on the shelf and not clump they cut the amount of sugar in it. If you want to make it a little different add it back. Like one cup of sugar to a full bottle of boraxofire.


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> Salmon and steelhead have slightly different taste. Salmon like sulfur and salt, Steelhead like sugar


Steelhead like the salt and sulfites also and salmon like sugar too cant really rule out either because it says so on the Pautzke website...


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> Steelhead like the salt and sulfites also and salmon like sugar too cant really rule out either because it says so on the Pautzke website...


 As I said they will hit both. I ve caught steelhead on both. Ive caught steelhead on brined alewifes where the brine contains tons of salt. The sulfites and salt for salmon is just a general thing, as is the sugar for steelhead for your average usage. In the end you can still catch both on either. There is no salmon only cure or steelhead only cure.


I think given enough time the catch rates will be about the same with either product. If you want to get really crazy try mixxing the two. Cure your eggs in firecure all the way to you get the normal final product. Then coat them with boraxofire. Mix up different colors and such. Orange and pink, natural and pink, etc.

Also the new fire brine can be used to wet cure eggs two different methods that you can easily read on there page.


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## samsteel (Oct 6, 2008)

Pautzke has definitely made a huge surge of a marketing campaign in the Great Lakes region the past couple of years. They have done a great job with product placement ads, social media, their website and pro staffer decisions. But that doesn't mean they have the best product, it doesn't even mean they have a good product at all. It's a great business plan, as it appeals to the masses of impressionable minds that are thirsting for the latest and greatest advantage in our line of fishing. 
My advice would be to try the different store bought cures and a few different homemade cures and experiment to find what works best for you. I think finding and having success with your own personal blends is the most fun and rewarding way to go about it.


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

samsteel said:


> Pautzke has definitely made a huge surge of a marketing campaign in the Great Lakes region the past couple of years. They have done a great job with product placement ads, social media, their website and pro staffer decisions. But that doesn't mean they have the best product, it doesn't even mean they have a good product at all. It's a great business plan, as it appeals to the masses of impressionable minds that are thirsting for the latest and greatest advantage in our line of fishing.
> My advice would be to try the different store bought cures and a few different homemade cures and experiment to find what works best for you. I think finding and having success with your own personal blends is the most fun and rewarding way to go about it.


I agree 100%. I got it on sale, tried it, caught fish on it, now its all over the place. Its just an option I used I still prefer homemade cures over anything.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> I agree 100%. I got it on sale, tried it, caught fish on it, now its all over the place. Its just an option I used I still prefer homemade cures over anything.


 Where do you guys get your products for home made cures, like sulfites and stuff. Sugar and rock salt, non iodized salt, borax all easy to get a hold off as well as Boric acid, jello. But what about the other chemicals? I seem to catch more fish on my homemade herring/alewife cures then other patuzke recipies. Just got the fire brine to try this last fall. Still sitting plan to use it this spring and test it. I know it produces a better color. But will it catch more fish is what I want to see. Also mixxing my own burns my hand.


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## steely74 (Feb 9, 2010)

Multispeciestamer said:


> Where do you guys get your products for home made cures, like sulfites and stuff. Sugar and rock salt, non iodized salt, borax all easy to get a hold off as well as Boric acid, jello. But what about the other chemicals? I seem to catch more fish on my homemade herring/alewife cures then other patuzke recipies. Just got the fire brine to try this last fall. Still sitting plan to use it this spring and test it. I know it produces a better color. But will it catch more fish is what I want to see. Also mixxing my own burns my hand.


You don't need anything else besides borax, salt and sugar. Salt permeates the spawn to preserve it from the inside out. Borax to preserve freshness and your all good. Not all cures contains sulfites its more of a specialty cure. It is used for making photos and thats where you would go to get it. Its inexpensive but its just real strong stuff I know I would not really want to mess with it. There are all types of chemicals to cure eggs but why use them if they are not absolutely needed?


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

steely74 said:


> You don't need anything else besides borax, salt and sugar. Salt permeates the spawn to preserve it from the inside out. Borax to preserve freshness and your all good. Not all cures contains sulfites its more of a specialty cure. It is used for making photos and thats where you would go to get it. Its inexpensive but its just real strong stuff I know I would not really want to mess with it. There are all types of chemicals to cure eggs but why use them if they are not absolutely needed?


 I hate using borax. Boraxofire, is the only broax product I like so far.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Chemicals, mineral oils, anise, etc--not in my house. I want my eggs to smell like eggs, not a massage parlor. 

No matter what cure you use, you've gotta let those eggs sit in the fridge for a week or so before you break them out and use them. The longer they sit, the more they get that natural egg scent back--a fishy scent. With skein, scent is EVERYTHING--especially salmon fishing. You use those eggs the day after you dumped this, that and everything else on them, then you might as well be throwing a bar of soap on your hook. 

Cure first...use later.


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## METTLEFISH (Jan 31, 2009)

thousandcasts said:


> Chemicals, mineral oils, anise, etc--not in my house. I want my eggs to smell like eggs, not a massage parlor.
> 
> No matter what cure you use, you've gotta let those eggs sit in the fridge for a week or so before you break them out and use them. The longer they sit, the more they get that natural egg scent back--a fishy scent. With skein, scent is EVERYTHING--especially salmon fishing. You use those eggs the day after you dumped this, that and everything else on them, then you might as well be throwing a bar of soap on your hook.
> 
> Cure first...use later.


What came first... the egg or the cure?.....


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Salt, Sugar, sometimes a little kool aid for color and they are good to go.


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## FishKilla419 (Feb 22, 2008)

Redd hott double stuff for kings. Preferably frozen from the year before.
Plain jane with steel bait. little borax is all if not going to be used in a week.


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## Multispeciestamer (Jan 27, 2010)

thousandcasts said:


> Chemicals, mineral oils, anise, etc--not in my house. I want my eggs to smell like eggs, not a massage parlor.
> 
> No matter what cure you use, you've gotta let those eggs sit in the fridge for a week or so before you break them out and use them. The longer they sit, the more they get that natural egg scent back--a fishy scent. With skein, scent is EVERYTHING--especially salmon fishing. You use those eggs the day after you dumped this, that and everything else on them, then you might as well be throwing a bar of soap on your hook.
> 
> Cure first...use later.


Well said that second part, I let mine sit a good 3+ days before using them. Make sure your fridge is clean as not to take in other unnatural scents.


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