Should You Add Bite Stimulants to Your Egg Cure? A Veteran Salmon Guide Weighs In

When it comes to curing salmon eggs, we’re always looking for that next advantage. Anglers have been experimenting with bite stimulants for years. I’ve personally used sodium sulfite and metabisulfite in my egg cures for a long time. More recently, I’ve been experimenting with Pautzke Fire Bite, and I’ve had good results. I look at it as another tool in the arsenal.

The truth is, there isn’t just one way to approach a good egg cure. Some anglers prefer keeping things simple with a basic base cure, while others like adding ingredients that give their eggs a little something extra. I use both approaches, and I think there are advantages to each.

Start With Good Egg Preparation

Before getting into the cure itself, good bait starts with how you handle your eggs. When I catch a fish and know I’m going to use the eggs, I bleed it out really well. Getting as much blood as possible out of the skein is important.

As we’ve discussed in several of our blogs, I also like to butterfly my skeins. You can cut them down to size if you prefer, but generally, I just cut the skin in half and butterfly them. This makes them easier to handle and toss around in the bag during the curing process.

Option 1: Adding Bite Stimulants During the Curing Process

One way to incorporate bite stimulants is to add them right from the beginning when you’re curing your eggs. I probably do this about half the time, especially when I know I want a particular batch of eggs to have those added ingredients.

The process is pretty simple. After cleaning and butterflying your eggs, sprinkle some of your base cure in the bottom of the bag. For me, that’s Fire Cure & BorX O Fire. Then lay down a layer of eggs, add more cure, and then sprinkle your Fire Bite over that layer. Continue building your layers until all your eggs are in the bag.

Leave some air in the bag and toss everything around, just like you normally would when curing eggs. I’ll turn the bag over several times throughout the evening to make sure everything is distributed. Before bed, I remove the air, seal the bag, and let it sit at room temperature overnight.

By the next morning, the eggs are ready to fish or freeze in jars for later use.

I’ve used different sulfites in my egg cures for years, so adding bite stimulants isn’t a new concept to me. What I’ve been experimenting with recently is Fire Bite. It contains fish oils, amino acides and sulfites, along with other ingredients intended to stimulate feeding. In my experience, it adds something extra without changing the color of my eggs, which is something I like.

Option 2: Adding Bite Stimulants to Eggs That Are Already Cured

The other option is adding bite stimulants to eggs you’ve already cured, either the night before fishing or the morning of your trip.

I really like this approach because it gives me more flexibility. You’re not committing large amounts of cured eggs to one particular combination. You can keep several different cures available and adjust your baits depending on what the fish seem to want that day.

I do this quite a bit, especially with eggs I’ve had frozen for a year or two that still fish very well. I’ll cut my eggs to the size I want, prepare several different bait options, and add Fire Bite to the ones I plan to fish.

I prefer doing this the night before. I’ll cut my baits, get them ready for the next day, sprinkle the bite stimulant over them, and mix everything together. That gives the ingredients some time to work into the eggs before I hit the water. You can also do it the morning of your trip if that’s what works better for you.

This is one reason I like having both options. I have plenty of eggs cured without Fire Bite, and this year I’ve also put quite a few batches together with it added during the original curing process. That gives me a chance to experiment with both approaches and see what I like best.

Why I Like Having Different Egg Cures Available

If there’s one thing I’ve learned fishing fall Chinook and in other areas where chum and coho are available, it’s that salmon can be finicky. I like having four or five different egg cures available when I hit the water because what works one day doesn’t always work the next.

Some days I want a simple base cure. Other days I want something with a little more added to it. Having the ability to add bite stimulants during the curing process or to eggs that are already cured gives me that flexibility. I’ve been fielding lots of questions about this lately. The biggest one is: is Fire Bite different than Fire Power? The answer is yes. Fire Power is pure krill powder. It’s a scent. Fire Bite is a bite stimulant. I always still use Fire Power in my egg cure. You should, too.

I don’t think there’s one right answer here. Every river, fishing condition, and day on the water can be different. My advice is to experiment with both methods. Keep some eggs simple, try adding bite stimulants to another batch, and see if you notice a difference.

For me, having another option in the boat is never a bad thing. It’s all about finding what works best for the conditions you’re fishing and giving yourself the best opportunity to get more bites.

Editor’s Note: Kyle Buschelman operates Willamette Valley Outfitters. To learn more about his guided trips please visit https://willamettevalleyoutfittersllc.com.