Favorite egg cures for winter steel

[CoastalFisher]

  ive produced a cure that consists of borax, and a few other things that works well for me.What are your favorite cures?l

[Fish]

Now that say's a lot, what's the bunch of other things? I think that must be the key to your Cure?

I like to use Eggs and other things

[BC Steel]

ive produced a cure that consists of borax, and a few other things that works well for me.

Hey, mine too! We must be using the same cure so its a good thing we dont fish the same waters all the time! 

[Fllyfishy]

That is kind of like saying I use this white stuff , then this colored stuff, then a little more white stuff. 
I like to use procrue, and a little borax.  Boy it sure is messy in the boat. A buddy of mine cures up eggs with his recipe, and they are harder/firmer than mine, tose work good in the faster moving slots.  I tend to go through a lot of the softer eggs, when fishing these waters.  The firmer eggs seem to stay in longer.

[Brian]

I've tried many messy cures and secret recipes and have now gone back to good old 20 mule team borax. In my opinion it works just as well as anything and always produces a nice natural looking bait. Just my opinion. That being said, I don't use eggs that much anymore.

[JB]

Hey, that's like my cure. A little of the white stuff, then some of that colored stuff. Oh yeah, and a little of that secret liquid. Man, we have this egg cure business down pat.

Jimmy

[CoastalFisher]

Brian the 20 mule team borax is the way to go, i like it better than the comercial
my cure is very similar to jbs alittle borax,sugar,salt,red powder,and you if you want add your favorite scent 

[Sturzman]

I use various combinations of procure, mainly trying to achieve different colors, a little shrimp oil and finish it off with some borax before I fish sometimes.

[Redhook]

I've tried many messy cures and secret recipes and have now gone back to good old 20 mule team borax. In my opinion it works just as well as anything and always produces a nice natural looking bait. Just my opinion. That being said, I don't use eggs that much anymore.

With that being said Brian, I know someone who would use the eggs from all those lovely hens you catch......

 

[BC Steel]

I use various combinations of procure, mainly trying to achieve different colors, a little shrimp oil and finish it off with some borax before I fish sometimes.

Hey now, that actually is how I do mine 

[FJ]

OK here goes...plain and simple.

1 cup boarx
1 cup non iodized salt
1 cup sugar
4 cups water
optional...add 1/4 cup red jello
 
Leave in brine for...25 minutes small eggs...1hour for large eggs...stir frequently.

Once brine complete strain and set out untill dry to touch. I then pack them in borax.

[dardevle]

I used to get way into this subject but there are so many fun ways to fool a steelie and frankly I don't like being forced to keep a bunch of hens to keep my fishing fix going.  There was a day where I wouldn't have any confidence unless there were eggs on my hook.  Now days I will keep a few hens and save the eggs for dirty water conditions.  My cure is simple but effective.  I feel if these eggs worked any better fishing for steelies would be too easy.

I first let the skeins dry in the fridge for 24hrs in paper towells.  Then I will cut them into golf ball sized pieces which will serve as 1-3 baits depending on conditions. I don't like to cut them any smaller because they have a tendency to over dry in my cure.

The next step I skip if I want natural colored eggs but I usually like to bath my eggs in Beau-Macs instant bait color (RED).  I usually squirt a bit in a big zip lock bag and swirl them around for several minutes and then let them sit for a half hour.  I then take them out and lay the baits on paper towells.  I will then sprinkle them with a 50/50 combo of non-iodized salt and white sugar.  This step will pull some additional moisture out of the egg in order to make them a little firmer and tougher.  I will roll them over a few times over a period of a half hour or so until they become sticky to the touch.

My main cure is boring but it's what I prefer.  I use plain 20 mule team borax.  I like the coarser texture that it has.  I feel like it makes for a firmer egg also.  Plus, I can always find it at the grocery store.  I fill a big zip-lock with the borax and shake them around untill the eggs are thouroughly covered.  I put a few baits in at a time and then remove them after covering them and place them back on some paper towells.  Add fresh borax if it appears to be "gumming up".  I now have paper towell covered with my baits once again.  I will let these sit for another half hour and turn them once.  A little more moisture will come out.  

Next, I will fill a zip lock full of fresh borax and fill it with the baits making sure they are totally covered with borax.  Then they go in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.  I will check them daily and touch some of the baits.  Once they feel just right I will use them or freeze them.

Obviously, in a pinch I don't alway go to this extreme and things still work out fine but this is how I do it in a perfect world.

Some variations I've tried is:
1.  add shrimp, anise, or herring oil to them when coloring.
2.  add garlic to my borax(thanks Roadtrip)
3.  Substitute brown sugar for white sugar.  I really like this but I usually find white sugar at home.

[Brian]

Hey Redhook, I do give most of my eggs away, you just have to be around when I'm handing them out! 

[Fllyfishy]

Nice step by step Mikey.  Good luck finding Brian handing out eggs, shoot most guys can't even keep up with him  

[dardevle]

Thanks Deano!  Actually the big guy gave me the eggs for a batch I did just before Christmas.  Also, he gave me a fish too!  Just remember, he has to come back to the truck at some point.  A little bait helps too, you know, like a cheap stinky cigar.