Egg / bait curing question

[jd39]

So I have bunch of boraxed eggs in my freezer, I thought I'd get more steelheading in this year than I have. Is there anyway to rework/re-cure them into decent salmon bait? Mostly thinking for coho this fall but maybe a batch or two for springers if that's possible. Any advice appreciated!
I can hold onto them for next steelhead season but I'd rather get them used up to be sure they're not wasted.
Thanks!

[natetreat]

Brush them off and soak them in fire brine. Put a little krill powder or special sauce on them and then strain them in a strainer and it'll put new life in them. The borax basically dries them out, so you're just putting new juices back in. As long as they don't smell super funky when you unfreeze them, you'll be fine. Any eggs are better than no eggs, and springers like them juicy.

[Amx]

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[Steelheadin360]

For springers- Go to the store and get some Tuna in a can in OIL. Shake off the excess borax, add the tuna oil and a little bit of Pro-cure SODIUM METABISULFITE, But be careful! that stuff is hot and will cook your eggs in a hurry. Steelhead hate it but King Love the stuff. Make sure to keep your eggs cool after you add the metabilsulfite or the will turn to mush in a hurry and wear gloves when handling or it will feel like you just dunked your hand in battery acid.

To help make dry eggs Juicy for Coho and kings I like to use Atlas- Mikes Brite & Tight Cluster-Skein liquid egg cure. A little bit of this stuff goes a long ways and its best to add it in small amounts to make sure you don't end up with sloppy eggs that fly off the hook. The Brite and tight doesnt contain any sulfites which works good for steelhead and trout but sometimes wont work on Salmon that are being pressured or in low water. Thats were the procure comes in.

[jd39]

Thanks All! I will try all of these suggestions, appreciate the tips and help!

[RiverChromeGS]

Thanks All! I will try all of these suggestions, appreciate the tips and help!

What kind of eggs are they? Were they like early pink eggs or later in the fall? I ask because my borax eggs usually freezer burn quite a bit after about 4 months. Even if perfectly covered in borax and vac packed, borax eggs are not cured and just do not stay fresh in the freezer very long compared to cured eggs... I sort of agree with springer... Once eggs are boraxed, they are dried out and no longer have the ability to go through the curing process as a fresh egg does. Your best bet it to keep em the way they are, and when you use em for salmon, springers that is, put a sandshrimp with it, maybe some bloody tuna or dipping sauce or one of the good salmon scents on your bait before throwing it out. Should work fine if the eggs are still fresh and not too freezed burnt, but i wouldnt count on borax eggs lasting much longer from last salmon season. My skagit coho eggs i boraxed from october that i havent used yet are still decent but are obviously burning on the edges and not so fresh anymore. And salmon are WAY pickier than steelhead. Try to use em for springers cause theyll be shot by summer

[natetreat]

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[jd39]

Thanks All! I will try all of these suggestions, appreciate the tips and help!

What kind of eggs are they? Were they like early pink eggs or later in the fall? I ask because my borax eggs usually freezer burn quite a bit after about 4 months. Even if perfectly covered in borax and vac packed, borax eggs are not cured and just do not stay fresh in the freezer very long compared to cured eggs... I sort of agree with springer... Once eggs are boraxed, they are dried out and no longer have the ability to go through the curing process and a fresh egg does. Your best bet it to keep em the way they are, and when you use em for salmon, put a sandshrimp with it, maybe some bloody tuna or dipping sauce or one of the good salmon scents on your bait before throwing it out. Should work fine if the eggs are still fresh and unfreezer burnt, but i wouldnt count on borax eggs lasting much longer from last salmon season.

Besides the big steelie from Jan, all are from salmon season, one batch of pink left and they are a little burnt. 2 batches of coho left and they seem fine. Those coho eggs got 2 steelhead for me this year!

[RiverChromeGS]

Besides the big steelie from Jan, all are from salmon season, one batch of pink left and they are a little burnt. 2 batches of coho left and they seem fine. Those coho eggs got 2 steelhead for me this year!

The ones from our skagit trip? Haha. Glad to hear it! It is hard to beat bright red fresh boraxed coho eggs for hatchery steelhead. There are coho dropping eggs everywhere when they enter to river, so its only natural to use an uncured coho egg for em. Deadly! Yea those coho eggs you have left will last for springers. Doctor em up with a sandshrimp and some tuna oil and your good. Will they last for fall coho? Wouldnt count on it

[jd39]

Besides the big steelie from Jan, all are from salmon season, one batch of pink left and they are a little burnt. 2 batches of coho left and they seem fine. Those coho eggs got 2 steelhead for me this year!

The ones from our skagit trip? Haha. Glad to hear it! It is hard to beat bright red fresh boraxed coho eggs for hatchery steelhead. There are coho dropping eggs everywhere when they enter to river, so its only natural to use an uncured coho egg for em. Deadly! Yea those coho eggs you have left will last for springers. Doctor em up with a sandshrimp and some tuna oil and your good. Will they last for fall coho? Wouldnt count on it

Yep, those eggs, 2 trips 2 fish, they've been good to me! Thanks for the advice man!

[strider43]

I have a s$%t ton of pink and Coho eggs left from this fall, where are you guys fishing for Springer’s at? Will they last till summer steelhead?