Is this just a personal like or dislike, or do most of you do both?

If so, what conditions dictate which you will go with?

Thank you

Go out and experiment with some of these questions you have. You'll form your own opinions and be better off because of it.

I have answered every other question he has asked. I didn't think I was being a dick in any way. But, ok

If you want one bait to last a really long time use a spawn sack or make a really dry egg. If you want a natural good bait ditch the sack. A lot of people use spawn sacks to use up the individual eggs that seperate from the skein during curing.

Spawn sacks seem to be more popular up north with steelheaders. I personally have never kjown anyone to use a sack for salmon outside of drano for kings where they use canned oil in tuna.


There.

I still think you should go out and try a little of everything you see what's best for you and your method of fishing. But of course, that would make me dickhead:)

If I felt my eggs would only fish if they were in a mesh swimsuit liner that needed some silly contraption to seal I would probably opt out for a different bait. Too much work for me when there are so many options to choose from that will catch a steelhead.

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Well friend I'm working right now and doing what I can to learn from those with experience, that is what joining a forum is all about. What purpose does a forum serve if not to learn from those with more experince than yourself? I get that newbie questions can be a bore, so here is a heads up for you, don't click on my threads, cuz there is sure to be more of the same coming.

I have tied up a few spawn bags over my 30+ years of steelheading and have had great success with them. But being a lazy fisherman as most of us tend to be it is very time consuming to tie the little buggers up, your bait will last alot longer and they are very durable to cast over and over. Thats my two cents.

Bark - What are you fishing for? If you're after steelhead you will likely get a different answer than if you're fishing for Chinook or coho.

Personally, I never use spawn bags for Chinook. Always skien eggs on an egg loop, under a float. Occasionally, I use spawn bags for steelhead or coho, but haven't been real successful.

The only time I use spawn sacks is when the smolts will destroy your bait otherwise.

Which brings up another newbie question. How often are you actually targeting one or the other as opposed to fishing for both?

Float some eggs along under a float, throw a spoon, cast a fly, aren't there times you are targeting either or both?

You are pretty much always targeting a specific species. The biggest overlap might be kings and coho. If you are starting from zero, I'd suggest learning about run timing for the areas you want to fish. Even "great" fishing spots are worthless most of the year (if the fish aren't there, you can't catch them).

Then, read up (or even better, get to a river) and see what types of water each species like (for example, coho LOVE non-moving "frog water" while steelhead generally don't). Once you know when and where, you start working on a specific technique. From now until mid-November, work on learning how to rig a float with eggs under it. Also, buy some number 4 and number 5 spinners. Plan on doing nothing other than throwing spinners and drifting eggs under a float. Stick with it. Look around on the river and figure out who is catching fish (in the mouth!) and why. Copy those people.

What steelhead 59 said.

The spawn sacks are a bit of a pain, but they work well, conserve bait, and
decrease mess.

Many B.C. anglers swear by them.

Or what ybd said.

Bark - Salmon and steelhead are completely different animals. They occupy very different habitats, their migratory patterns differ, and their behavior could not be more divergent. Normally anglers are fishing for one or the other. You won't find many Chinook in steelhead habitat. And vice-versa, although both will be in the rivers at about the same time.

i use them for smaller baits... i also use them when there is a ton of Dollys and such around, it keeps them from stripping the eggs off out of the loop...

they all seem to work for me, ive caught Kings, Silvers, Pinks, Chum, Rainbows, Cutts, Dollys/Bulls, and even Whitefish on them... personally, i dont find them any less effective than straight skein eggs, depending on where you are fishing... to me, its all how you cure your eggs in the first place which is what is going to entice bites... i like to think i have perfected that part of it.... but i havent... theres just too many ways now to do it...

they also work good in super rocky streams and keep the skein baits from getting beat to death on the bottom of the river... they still get bumped obviously, but they stay as a bait, and not a battered piece of mop....

just my 3...

IMO. I have fished a lot of both types. Spawn sacs are a East Coast / Great Lakes things and I used them exclusively when fishing for Lake Michigan Steelhead and Browns. They do work well for those fisheries, but they are a pain to tie up. I also think that once anything starts mouthing your eggs, you are going to get egg crush no matter what and spawn sac material does little to protect it. So why take the added time and expense to tie up spawn sacs? The ONLY reason is if you have individual eggs that you need to group together. IMO - the PNW way (clusters) is the way to go.

BTW - I have all the of ingredients to tie up 1000's of spawn sacs, brand new in the PKG that I'll sell if anyone wants the stuff. That should tell you everything!

Here's a boot that bit a spawn sac somewhere in an eastern state, to maximize fishing time while on the water, tie them up the night before. About nickle to quarter size is ideal in most cases.

You can also add tuna oil or other scents of your liking as already mentioned. I usually squirt some shrimp juice or Dr. Juice on mine the night before when I tie them up for good measure. It was also caught on one of those funny looking centerpin thingys. They really like the color orange over there...sometimes I also use them springer fishing on the Yakima when good eggs are scarce or hard to come by. During which I also usually add a sardine chunk, or chovie/herring to my spawn sacs. They sell everything you need at the tackle shop, but you can save a few bucks by going to the fabric store. Good luck!

Another plus to spawn sacks is that the sack can tend to stick in the fishes teeth and even an empty sack can get a bite because its red and smells like eggs.

Ewww...

Prince is correct. Many of the East Coast / Mid West fish are boots and shoot eggs, hence tying up of said loose eggs. We don't have that problem here, hence clusters.

Dave is also right, they do stick in teeth nicely.

Nice fish Yak!