eggs that won't milk

I love to try different cures that are avaliable. I'm asking you guys this question because you guys
on the West Coast are much more knowledgeable about curing eggs than anyone in the Great Lakes.
Last fall I used proglow the dye, sugar, salt, and borax for a cure. I mixed it in water like it said and
the eggs turned out great, they had great color and milked real nice.
This time when I cured my eggs they had an awsome color but they got real rubbery and the juice
inside of the eggs is like a jell and they don't milk. The only difference is these were single eggs,
does that make a big difference between skein? My other question, is there anything that I can do
to get these eggs to milk or will I just have to live with it. Thanks.

I also had some eggs that where single and the best way to do them is not to put them in any cure but put them in a bowl and pack and cover them with non iodized salt this works great.
As for the eggs that wont milk I think you'll just have to live with it.

Good luck

I would suggest letting any fish go that has singled out eggs, Their meat quality suffers from all the energy the fish puts into the eggs. Just give the belly a little squeze, if an egg pops out, then back to the river it goes!

Hey Kevin:

Just an FYI. Our steelies don't have that great of a meat quality to begin with, whether they have tight or loose eggs. Mostly a candidate for the smoker or grill if you get a real chrome one.

We fish more single eggs in bags, than skein, as our fish generally take smaller offerings than yours. In low, cold, clear water, we often fish loose eggs tied in mesh, that are no bigger than the size of a dime. Water has a lot of eddy current, and skein just won't hold up. Been messing with cures for skein and singles for the better part of 25 years, and it's a tough gig to get skein that is tight enough to hold up to our type of water, in a small enough pieces.

Another thing to consider is how our fish behave before and during the time they enter the rivers. Most of the Midwest is not blessed with the proper flow, temp, and water conditions that make steelheads spend a great deal of time in the river. There are rivers in Michigan, New York, Ontario,Northern Wisconsin, where the fish come in, and behave just like your fish, but most of the fish stage in the lake while eggs loosen up, just waiting for the right flows and temps to come in and spawn. Many of our fish are only in the rivers for a week or two max.

As a sidebar, catch and release is very big out here, and most guys only keep a hen or two for eggs to use in the winter under floats. Not a very nasty deed, as alot of the rivers won't even support natural reproduction. In most cases, it's a put and take fishery.

Hope this helps you understand a little more about our fish. Peace

Need to experiment with how long they are in the cure. And less salt more borax.

Tight lines

Kevin