Guide Reveals His Top West Coast Egg Cure

By: Bob Kratzer

Fall salmon season is in full swing. I cure a lot of eggs this time of year. This includes eggs for the rest of salmon season and the upcoming steelhead and springer seasons. Each season I continue to pursue the best way to cure quality eggs and do so in a timely manner. BorX o Fire has become that cure for me. It’s the quickest cure, produces the perfect egg and is versatile.

BorX O Fire is an effective cure for anglers targeting steelhead, Chinook or Coho. Unlike curing eggs with Fire Cure (where a wetter egg is created), BorX O Fire makes a little bit of a dryer egg cure, which works well for side drifting, rough water float fishing and other methods. Below is exactly how I cure my eggs. These are the eggs we use on guide trips daily. They put my clients in the best position to catch fish.

The Quick, Easy and Versatile Egg Cure

Contents: BorX O Fire & Gallon Ziplocs

 

Step 1:

Lay your skeins down and push any of the remaining blood out of the eggs.

Step 2:

Butterfly the eggs down the center. Then cut each piece in half, or thirds. This leaves four-to-six chunks per skein.

 

Step 3:

Pour one cup of Natural BorX O Fire in the Ziploc. If you prefer a drier egg feel free to add more.

 

Step 4:

I then add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of Pink, Red or Orange BorX o Fire to the natural. I like to use the natural as my base and then add a little color to tackle different water conditions. For example, in dirty water I want a brighter egg so I use pink. If it’s almost low and clear I’ll use orange, etc.

Step 5:

With the cure already in the bag add the precut skeins.

Step 6:

Seal bag. Then shake the bag vigorously. This ensures that the cure coats the eggs and migrates into all of the folds.

Step 7:

I set the eggs on my bait bench and let them cure. The eggs will be ready to fish the next morning. However, I prefer to let them cure more for a couple of days.

 

Step 8:

When I’ve determined they are done curing I squeeze the air out of the bag, roll it up tight to remove air from the bag and put if the freezer.

 

Bonus Step

Earlier I talked about needing a versatile egg. This is where that part comes into play. If you want a wetter egg for salmon (whether float fishing, hover fishing or diver fishing) you’ll need to add these steps.

 

Step 1:

Take your frozen BorX O Fire eggs out of freezer and let them thaw.

Step 2:

Once thawed add two cups of Fire Brine, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar (for a sweeter egg) and two tablespoons of sodium sulfite.

 

Step 3:

Shake bag vigorously. It’s important to make sure the ingredients are mix thoroughly.

 

Step 4:

Let the eggs soak in this mix for 20 minutes. Then take them out and put them in strainer to dry slightly.

 

Bonus Tip:

Many anglers ask what color of Fire Brine to use. You can use whichever you want. However, I prefer to match the color Fire Brine to the color of BorX O Fire I used in step one. Then the eggs remain the same color. You can’t cure your eggs in Orange BorX O Fire and then add Pink Fire Brine and expect to get good color. Therefore, if I used Pink BorX O Fire I’ll use Pink Fire Brine, and so on, in this step. Keep in mind because the eggs are already dried and dehydrated from the BorX O Fire when pouring in the Fire Brine the eggs take the cure quickly.

While I have used BorX O Fire as my egg curing agent for years I tend to alter the recipe frequently when I discover new techniques. BorX O allows me to cure eggs quickly and efficiently and gives me the versatility to fish varying conditions, different species and employ these eggs with different techniques. Now go catch some fish and stack your freezer with BorX cured eggs!

Editor’s Note: Bob Kratzer operates Anglers Guide Service. For more info on his guided salmon and steelhead trips please visit http://www.anglersguideservice.com or https://www.facebook.com/Anglers-Guide-Service-238776309479038.