I've heard that Chum eggs are the number one choice of many fisherman, followed by silver eggs and a toss up between chinook/steelhead eggs taking third place. I would think the ideal stage of eggs would be between (right about in the middle of) a fresh fish in the ocean and a fish spilling it's eggs? I have used uncured/fresh bait, but I didn't think it held up as good as cured bait (harder) in the water.