I'm not new to the B&B just don't post much. I have never seen a topic on this? Give me your opinion on which one is better. By the way bob finally tried the egg cure in the tips section. I won't cure my eggs any other way!

I would cure some up both ways. Its best to have some different colors. Some days natural works best, some days red works best, some days it doesn't matter what you use.
Fishhead5

I lean towards natural in clear water. Just fish fresh eggs in a little borax.

One thought I'd like some comment on is the chemical scent that the commercial dyes leave on eggs. For example Pro-glo. Bob's recipe also leaves this scent to a degree and though the eggs hold excellent color it is bothersome to have that smell on the eggs. it's a confidence thing I guess but in steelhead fishing it's all about confidence. He hints at the use of oils in the cure but I don't want a shrimp smell on my steelhead eggs...I want a natural egg smell.

are there some good egg scent additives available to offset the chemical smell produced by commercial dyes? This chemical smell issue is one I see seldom addressed.

I use Bob's recipie, but use red food coloring instead of the Pro-glo. I don't think that it has the chemical odor, although the color is not as bright as the Pro-glo. The eggs milk good and stay on the hook well. Just my opinion.

[This message has been edited by navigator (edited 02-22-2001).]

Redder the better!!!Also i tried bobs recipe and screwed up my eggs.It seems the eggs are coming off the skein.What the hell did i do wrong.I would sure appreciate the help i dont want to ruin any more eggs.Although i have not tried them yet it dont look like they will stay on the hook very good.

nativepride- sounds like you put the eggs in the solution a little early? Have to wait until it is almost cool before placeing the eggs in.

After using any and all cures over the past 20 plus years
Bob's is the best I've found yet,I won't use any other now.good luck.....Os

Bob's egg cure recipe must be a little senseative.I'm getting mixed reveiws on it.I've tried curing some nice coho egg's last fall and messed up big time on six awesome skeins,I added some shrimp scent and every thing.These egg's turned out nasty in a bad way.I probley added the egg's before it was time or some thing,I don't know!!!!!
But if Bob is all over it and O's is too then they must be good if done correctly.I'll probley have a hard time trying it again any time soon.I've always had great results from the double red pro-cure and borax method.Maybe some helpful hint's would help O's/Bob ????????.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Me like STRIKE ZONE's eggs. They good!!

Thanks again, Justin.

Don't understand why people are having trouble with it, perhaps it's just practice makes perfect!

One thing you want to make sure you do ... is make sure you use the DYE and NOT the CURE ... people do, and the results will be terrible.

Another would be letting it cool under lukewarm, too hot and you'll have problems.

And like fish in the smoker, junk in, junk out ... if the eggs are falling apart (too loose) when you put them in, you'll have lots of trout bait when you get done.

PS do a batch with the dye and without ... differnent color eggs seem to make a diff some days, other times, no biggie!

Hey Bob or anyone- were do you find the dye? can't find it anywhere!

I have used Bobs recipie since last Feb and it is great and easy foolproof really. I did not have any dye so I threw in a packet of cherry jello it gave them a nice color and worked great.
Bob have you ever tried the jello as an additive?
Thank You

Hey fishmaster.Auburn sports usually has it so does sportco in fife.

I haven't tried Bob's recipe. Is it on the board, or is it on the homepage? I may have to try it on a few skeins.

I usually use one of the flourescent red egg cures. I usually will let it dry out on a rack until they're tacky. But I'd love to try a new recipe. You never know if you'll find a better cure.

Hey Eric, Mike's Scents make a salmon egg scent to put on your eggs if you want to mask the smell. I'd have to agree above, if Os or Bob use it and give it a thumbs up, it can't be bad.

Let me know where the recipe is, I'll have to print it out.


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you haven't lived til you've rowed a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

69,er i beleive it,s in the fishing tips section on the front page.I was wondering can you refridgerate the stuff and use it more than once.

Hey steelheader69,

Thanks for the tip on the mike's egg scent.

But to everyone else, my question still hasn't been addressed and Bob, you son of a gun, you skirted the issue too.

The question is, and remains: Does anyone find the strong chemical smell left on the eggs by commercial dyes bothersome? And if so, what can be done to return that natural egg smell?

Thanks.

YO Strike Zone,
The Pro-Cure and borax method you mention is that just as simple as curing them in the Pro-Cure and then packing them in borax or is it something more exotic than that??? Please post it if you don't mind or tune me up with an e mail if ya would. I use a mix of the OTC cures with some other stuff thrown in and wondered if packin' them in borax when your ready to put them up would help but haven't tried it yet.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Salmonhead, Here's how I cure my egg's.It's pretty basic but work's real well for me and my fishin partner's.
#1 rinse egg's in cold bottled water,pat dry
with plain white paper towels.
#2 place egg skeins in gallon sized freezer bags,note I useully only put two or three skeins pure bag.Sprinkle pro-cure double redd
egg cure on skeins and in between folds tell
desired amount.
#3 rub skeins lightly and milk around for a few minutes,let eggs juice up and keep repeating the rub process every few hours while keeping in the fridge.Let skeins cure for two full days in fridge or cool area.
#4 take out skeins and lay on a screen of some sort,the window screen from the spare bed room works great but wash real well before useing.I let the skeins dry for two days in cool area,note this process varies with temp out side.Winter/Spring ect.It may take one to four days!!!!
#5 Take egg's and cut in to salmon sized cluster's,useually golf ball size or maybe a touch smaller.You can always go smaller but can't go bigger after cut up!!!! Roll clusters in borax,let stand on white paper towels for ten to fifteen minutes.Then layer
in containers.I will layer eggs in between a
double layer of paper towles.Useually four clusters per layer and around three to four high.Label and freeze.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Thanks Strike Zone thats just what I was looking for. Just for a fair trade here is what I use and follow the same cure method as you do up to step #4 (will try the air dry and pack in borax as you suggest next time)and use glass jars instead of zip locks. Usually after a couple of days in the fridge the skeins have sucked any extra juice back into the eggs.

3 tbsp each of Procure double redd, Pro Glow, and Mr. Sure Cure
1 tbsp MSG
1 tbsp non-iodized salt
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp Pro-Glow red dye

Mix thoroughly then add 1 tbsp per lb of eggs. After the skeins have been in the mix and have juiced up good add shrimp oil or a small amount of anise or both, then go through step #3 as you have described. Makes for some nice deep red looking berries. Thanks again!!!
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff


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"Never be afraid to try something new."

Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.

[This message has been edited by salmonhead (edited 02-27-2001).]

I've used Big Bob's formula with excellent results. However, I made one significant change. I cut the amount of salt/sugar/borax in half. One cup of each (three cups total) in one quart of water is too much. When the solution started to cool, the salt/sugar/borax began to precipitate out into a layer of sludge at the bottom of the container. So I cut back to half cup of salt/sugar/borax per quart of water. I still use 2 tbl of Procure bait coloring per quart. I wait until the water is cool and soak the cut-up skiens for 20-30 minutes. Drying time is usually 24-48 hours. I wrap'em in plastic, vacum seal them in Mason jars, and freeze them. They seem to work great.


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MSB