It took me forever to find my password to logg in! Is there a way to have a password that I can remember? Anyhow, I cant seem to find that egg cure that was on this site. I have tried a search and keep coming up with nothing. Does anyone have a good cure that can hold up for boondog fishn?And how I should store them so that they can last longer? Thanks in advance.

I use the ole borax and jello. I also use Amerman's Egg Cure

You mean this one?

TRBO\'s Egg Cure

Ideally, you do *NOT* want your eggs to hold up. The general rule of thumb for me is one bait, one cast, one drift. After you make your drift, put on a new bait. You want that egg to milk out (not fully) during the drift. A rock hard bait won't do that.

Oh sure, you'll run through some eggs, but you will increase your productivity. Good baits catch fish. Not saying a 5-cast bait won't catch a fish, but a bait that looks like this will catch fish:



I cure my eggs directly in a pint jar. I'll let them cure for 3-4 days in the fridge than I will freeze them to do two things - stop the curing process and to store them long term.

When I need eggs, I'll take a jar out the day before and let them thaw at room temperature. Whatever you do, DO NOT try to advance the thawing (running under hot water, etc), as they egg skein will break down during this process. Let them thaw SLOWLY. I learned this the hard way. A few hours before I use them, I'll pull them out and put them on a paper towel on a Tupperware Tray. By the time we hit the water, they are perfect.

A too-wet of an egg is not that bad for boondogging. I'd rather use a too wet of an egg for boondogging over a rock-hard candy glob of eggs for boondogging.

Bob's brine cure should be fine. Once you have brined up the eggs, cut them in to 2-3 inch chunks, pack in to a pint jar, and freeze them. They will last well over a year in the freezer.

Parker:

That is, truly, a beautiful loking bait.

Q: I don't see a corkie there. What do you use to float the bait off the bottom while boondoggin'?

Q: Favorite corkie colors? Do you add yarn?

No, I ain't asking about the "what-nots"...think I got that part figured out already..

Mike

We use no corky or yarn while boondogging. It's just one extra thing you have to do that will slow you down while fishing... Straight eggs is all you need if you have a good egg cure.
Keith

Mike B. - The objective is to have just enough weight to suspend the bait in the lower part of the water column. Ideally with in a foot from the bottom. An occasional tick of the bottom is all you want just to let you know you are playing in the right court.

If you can master this... it is the feeling of knowing when you are on the bottom with out actually touching the bottom... you will catch a lot more fish, lose less gear, and you won't have the problem of trying to figure out which color corkie to use.

LT

LT:

Appreciate the tip..did lots of boondoggin this year (a few trips) with T/C and a couple other locals. Understanding the weight set-up is not a problem.

My thought was that not having the bait floating above the bottom leaves me with three questions:

A) Leaves it in "snag" zone, doesn't it?

B) Don't we want the bait (or corky, etc) floating a few inches above bottom, so to get in front (or just above) the fishes eyesight?

C) Do you adjust the weight so that you rarely tap bottom? If so, then I guess it would make more sense.

I don't get too concerned with corky colors. I only got to fish the later months, and the water color was sufficient that the fish weren't being so picky.

Mike

If the eggs alone are sufficient to float up from the bottom, then I understand.

Mike B,

When you're side-drifting from a boat, the current isn't pinning your bait to the bottom like it does when you are drift fishing. Even without a corky, your bait will stay up off the bottom.

LT, Dan,

Muchos Grassyass for the good info.

One thing I love about steelheading (and river fishing in general) is the learning curve...its endless!

(Note to self: Boondoggin and side-drifting are two different styles of fishing - heavier weight bouncing every few seconds vs. light weight just to hold it down around the bottom...not touching often).



Mike

Thank you fishnphysician, and Parker for the tips and the name of the cure. Parker, Is the Ultimate egg cure a REAL cure that can be bought? Because I love that color!

Myself and prfctdrift (James) are the designers of Ultimate Egg Cure. It's not on the market at this time and will be someday. When, one might ask? Well, someday.....
Keith

Stlhd1

You been saying that for years now, give up the goods. :p

Yeah Keith

How about posting the in-greed-a-mints for all of us to critique?

:p :p :p

If he posted it, just think how many people he'd have to kill.

Him and James are all doped-up on the fish.........they can't be bothered with all that marketing/packaging/selling/licensing crap right now.