Over the years I've tried, observed, and heard of many different baits used by river anglers in pursuit of anadromous salmon and steelhead. Included are salmon roe, steelhead roe, sand shrimp, ghost shrimp, prawns, cocktail shrimp, anchovies, tuna balls, sardines, squid, and night crawlers, to name a few.

Fresh roe is probably used more often and accounts for more hooked fish than all the other baits combined. It's not that roe is always the best choice of baits, it's just that on a regular basis, eggs are definitely the most consistent producer. And, just as roe accounts for more fish, properly prepared and cared for roe gives a distinct edge to all bait fishermen.

Prepared roe can be purchased commercially, or fresh roe can be cured and transformed into excellent fishing bait. There are countless ways to cure eggs. The final product easily determines just how good the particular cure was and how well it holds together, maintains color, emits a desirable odor, milks, and entices fish.

During their spawning season, mature female fish, or hens, begin to develop skeins of eggs while still in the ocean. Each fish produces two skeins of eggs and each skein contains up to two thousand plus eggs. As the hen gets closer to her spawning time the eggs continue to grow.

Eggs removed from an ocean caught fish are not nearly as large or mature as eggs removed from a fish caught in a river. Both ocean eggs and river eggs can be cured and made into good bait. However, the more mature eggs from a river fish will provide a far superior bait. Their size is larger, they milk better, and the membrane that holds the eggs together is less pronounced than that of ocean eggs.

Depending on the species and stock of fish, natural eggs come in different sizes and colors. Bait cured in various shades of orange, red, and pink can all catch fish. When I'm guiding, I usually try to have at least two different colors/cures of eggs. It's amazing how many times one specific bait will out fish all of the others.

The actual preparation, curing, and storage of eggs is comprised of several equally important steps. The following are a few suggestions, tips, and techniques that will assist in insuring a quality fish catching product.

Making bait should start as soon as you land a hen that's going to be harvested. The fish should be dispatched as soon as possible. A sharp blow to the top the fish's head will kill it instantly and prevent suffering. Watch for the fish's eyes to go from staring downward to staring straight outward. Try to handle the fish gently. Dropping hens can cause bleeding, resulting in bloodshot roe.

River caught fish should be bled immediately. Cut a small slit below the gills or through the fish's heart or cut the gills; this will bleed the fish and prevent blood from tainting the roe skeins. Don't clean the hens until you are done fishing for the day. The eggs will remain nicely protected while in the fish.

Unlike river caught fish that are not actively feeding, ocean caught hens should be cleaned immediately. The food in their stomachs spoils quickly and the bacteria can taint both the fish and the eggs.

When cleaning hens, be careful that the incision does not damage the roe skeins. Gently remove both skeins from the fish's cavity. Give the eggs a quick rinse in fresh water and/or use a clean rag or paper towel to gently pat the skeins clean and dry. Store the eggs in a container or plastic bag. Be sure to keep the eggs cool and dry. Don't soak the eggs in water as they will milk out and be ruined.

There are many egg cures, as well as variations of cures, that will produce exceptional fish catching bait. Following, I'll discuss a couple of tried and proven techniques that will allow a first time novice to make bait and maybe even provide the experienced with some information that might improve or alter their curing methods.

Eggs cure best when they have been somewhat pre-dried. Prior to drying, I like to butterfly each skein lengthwise. A sharp knife makes this an easy task. While splitting the skeins I also gently slice off the section of membrane containing a blood line that runs the length of each skein. Now, we should have some clean, attractive skeins that will be easy to work with while curing.

My personal favorite drying method works well with all curing techniques. Simply roll up half of the butterflied skein in at least a double layer of white (non-inked) paper towels. Place the rolled up skeins in a zip lock plastic bag and refrigerate overnight. Repeat this procedure with clean dry paper towels the next day and the bait should be fairly moisture free and ready for curing.

Roe skeins can also be air dried. This involves placing the butterflied skeins, membrane side down, on some type of drying rack or screen. A cover will protect the eggs from insects, animals, and the elements. Most of the juices will drip through the screen. Depending on temperature and humidity, the eggs should be ready for curing in several hours, when they become tacky to the touch.

For an extra quick drying method that will prepare egg skeins for most cures, try a hair blow dryer. Set the dryer on low and hold 12-18 inches from the eggs. Move the dryer back and forth until the exterior moisture is gone and the eggs feel tacky.

The Borax cure is probably the most time proven method. Borax is a mineral and an anhydrous material, which means that it attracts moisture. Borax can be used by itself, or with combinations of sugar and salt. Orange, cherry, and raspberry Jell-O can also be added to give the eggs extra color.

A simple Borax cure is to mix two cups Borax, one cup non-iodized salt, and one cup sugar. Apply the mixture to the dried and drained roe skeins. Be sure that the mixture is equally distributed all over the skeins and in between the egg flaps. This is important in order to ensure a consistent color on all of the eggs.

Another Borax cure consists of first lightly salting both sides of the skeins with non-iodized salt. The salt will cause the eggs to start juicing. They should drain and glaze for several hours until they are tacky to the touch. Then, coat the entire skein with Borax. Once again, be sure to put Borax between all the egg flaps.

Next time we'll continue discussing the preparation of roe for river fishing. As always, if you need an update on river conditions, or are interested in booking a guided trip, give me a call at (707) 539-9534 or (707) 247-9183.

By: John Pizza - (Bear Ride Guide Service - Northern California)

Preparing Salmon & Steelhead Roe for Bait (Part I)

In the last article, we discussed the preparation of salmon and steelhead roe for bait. In this column we'll continue with a few additional techniques along with suggestions on storing our cured eggs. We've already covered the Borax cure, so I'll plug two of my favorite commercial curing products.

Pro-Cure, based in Salem, Oregon, manufactures five colors of bait cure: Natural, Redd Hot Double Stuff, Flame Orange Fluorescent, Steelie Pink, and Tillamook Blend (fluorescent orange/red).

Beau Mac Enterprises in Auburn, Washington offers their Pro Glow Egg Cure in natural, orange, and red colors.

Both products can be found in most tackle shops catering to steelhead fishermen. They each come in user friendly shaker top plastic bottles. These cures can be used in three separate methods. Each manufacturer provides easy to follow directions, so rather than go into specific details, I'll provide a general summary of each method.

The simplest and quickest cure technique calls for sprinkling about two tablespoons of the cure over butterflied skeins, as well as between the egg flaps. Place the skeins in a container and allow to develop juice for approximately one hour. Remove eggs from the container and place in a strainer or on a draining/drying rack. Allow the skeins to dry for several hours, until somewhat dry and tacky to the touch.

The jar technique is my personal favorite. Sprinkle approximately three tablespoons per pound of cure over butterflied skeins. Place skeins in a wide-mouthed glass jar and seal. Turn jar several times as juice develops and penetrates roe skeins. After several hours pour off the excess juice and re-seal the jar. Refrigerate and allow the eggs to soak up the juices. Be sure to turn the jar occasionally.

The brine technique is probably the most difficult to master. A basic brine recipe calls for mixing two cups of Borax, one cup of non-iodized salt, and one cup of sugar with two quarts of water. Immerse the egg skeins for six to eight hours. Remove the skeins and allow to drain and dry. Then, gently roll the skeins in Borax. This technique can be varied by adding Pro Cure's or Pro Glow's colored cures. The amount of cure added and the immersion time differs, so it's best to carefully follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Storage:
Eggs store best in glass or plastic containers. With proper care and preparation, cured eggs should last for a year or longer, whether refrigerated or frozen. Both wet eggs, left in the cure's juices, and dry eggs, lightly packed in Borax, should preferably be stored in containers filled close to the top. If the eggs are going to be stored for a lengthy period of time, it will help to remove the oxygen from the container. Place a small piece of crumbled wax paper or tissue on the top of the eggs. Light the paper with a match and immediately screw on the lid. The flame will consume the oxygen in the container and create a vacuum.

A Few Tips and Suggestions:
Wear rubber or latex gloves when curing bait with commercial products. The dyes will color your hands just as well as it colors the bait. Also, use care to avoid getting the bait juices on your clothes. It leaves a heck of a stain. Gloves will also eliminate any undesirable odors that might be on our hands.

Avoid storing eggs in styrofoam containers, as it will cause the bait to excessively dry out. If using a metal bait box, line the box with paper towels so the eggs won't pick up a metallic scent.

When processing the skeins, be sure to get the cure between all the egg flaps so you will be assured of a bait with consistent color throughout the eggs.

Do not drain, set or store your eggs on newspapers or designer, printed paper towels as the bait will absorb the ink.

Do not use plastic zip lock bags for long term storage, especially freezing. Most plastics are oxygen permeable and will cause freezer burn on the eggs.

If vacuum packing bait, be extra careful not to create too tight of a vacuum as the eggs will collapse. Besides making the eggs less attractive, collapsed eggs loose most of their milking capabilities.

Before storing bait in the refrigerator or freezer, it's a good idea to label the container. Useful information might include the date the eggs were cured, the type of fish, and the method by which the eggs were processed.

Functional containers will make the curing process simpler and neater. Favorites include glass baking dishes and hard rubber dish washing pans. The flat bottom surface and the raised sides allow for even distribution of the cure while containing both egg skeins and liquids.

Adding/Using Scents:
The addition of scents to roe, or any other bait can often make the difference between getting bit and not getting bit. Some of the tried and proven scents include Pro Cure's sardine oil, anchovy oil, sand shrimp oil, anise, garlic plus, and Slam-Ola Powder. Dr. Juice and Mike's Shrimp Oil can also produce results.

It's best to apply scents to the bait the evening before, or the morning you're going fishing. Prolonged marinating in bait oils may break down the egg skeins over a period of time.

Don't rely on just one type of bait. Try to prepare your eggs from two different color groups - one brightly colored like fluorescent red and the other natural or orange colored. Experiment with each color group, both scented and unscented. If there are fish in the river and if you hit upon the right bait combination, chances are that success will follow.

I'll continue offering guided drift boat trips on the Eel and other coastal rivers through April. In May and June, it's jet boating the lower Klamath for spring salmon. If you have any questions, suggestions for future articles, or are interested in booking a guided trip, please give me a call at (707) 539-9534 or (707) 247-9183.

By: John Pizza - (Bear Ride Guide Service - Northern California)