Shrimp & Prawn Curing Just Got a Makeover

By: Travis Wendt of Reel Time Fishing

I’ve been curing shrimp for steelhead fishing for decades. The process has always been time consuming and tedious, but necessary to have good bait to catch fish. Pautzke Shrimp & Prawn Cure just changed that. With the pour of a bottle I’m getting perfect bait in a fraction of the time.

Just like so many other anglers in the PNW that cure their own shrimp, I had a proven cure and it always works. A few weeks ago (when I tried it for the first time) I wanted to see if Shrimp & Prawn Cure worked as well as my homemade dry and liquid cures. After using it I love it. It’s a super simple, quick and easy process. There’s no mixing, adding or science required. This is a super potent liquid cure that doesn’t need any additives, although some hardcore anglers, like me, will add scents.

 

This cure makes the process much simpler. I didn’t add any salt or sugar, and the shrimp still firmed up nice. I keep using the word “simple” but there’s no better way to describe the process. You literally just pour the liquid on the shrimp and let it brine. The previous brines and cures I used prior are more work, more expensive and more time consuming.

Better Get Good Shrimp

As with any bait, like eggs, herring, sardines, etc, to end up with a good bait you need to start with a good bait. That goes for shrimp, too. For steelhead I pink shrimp. They are smaller than a coon shrimp. Buying high quality shrimp is the starting point. If you buy cheap shrimp you are going to end up with a poor product.

Buy uncured shrimp. I buy mine direct from the fisherman on the coast, but most anglers don’t do that. North 40 in Lewiston, Idaho, sells uncured shrimp. Usually, the smaller mom and pop shops carry them. I’d call around if you can’t find them. The key is don’t buy freezer burned shrimp. You also don’t want shrimp that’s been thawed and frozen. You want a natural pink color with good meat. You don’t want anything white and crusted from freezer burn. You also want eyes and whiskers.

A quick lesson on shrimp for fishing. The bait companies label it as coon shrimp. That’s not what it is. It’s pink shrimp. In my opinion, coon shrimp are too big. However, if you choose to use them this process works with coon shrimp, prawns and even shrimp from the grocery store that you eat. Shrimp & Prawn Cure cures any shrimp cure you want to cure.

Use a Sealable Tupperware

Place the shrimp in a Tupperware, something that has a sealable lid. I do this instead of a Ziploc because the spikes on the shrimp will puncture the bag. It will be a disaster. Simply fill the Tupperware with shrimp. Then pour Shrimp & Prawn Cure over the shrimp. You want to cover them. There are three colors available: orange, red & pink.

3 Colors to Choose From

I prefer the red because it creates a more vibrant color. I want my shrimp almost a dark pink and the red gives you that color. With that color they don’t fade as fast. The color doesn’t dissolve as fast, even in heavy current. The orange will give you more of a natural color, which works great in some systems, just not the one I make a living on. Pink is better for side drifting, rather than dragging. If the river you are fishing is clear you can use the pink because you don’t need as vibrant of a color.

Be Patient & Wait

It’s important to make sure the shrimp are submerged in the cure. Once a day I’ll hand mix the shrimp to make sure they are all covered in the cure (some call this a brine). The first batch I cured sat for about a week before they were ready to use. They were firm enough to fish after three days, but the coloring needed a few more days. Letting them sit a few extra days allowed them to absorb the dye enough so that it didn’t wash out, even in heavy current.

Add Scent – Or Don’t

Brines and cures don’t have scent. I choose to add it, but I always wait until the curing is complete. Because I cure lots of bait I can use different scent on different batches. Sometimes I’ll pour a bottle of Pautzke Nectar because salmon & steelhead love that stuff. I also use Atlas Mike’s Shrimp & Anise Lunker Oil. I actually combine them. I add those the night before fishing so the scent absorbs into the bait better.

This Bait Lasts

The good thing about cures like the Shrimp & Prawn Cure is (when kept cool) the bait lasts. You can keep it in the fridge for a year without in going bad. I fish these shrimp that I brined a few weeks ago next fall and they are still like new. If you choose to do that leave them in the Tupperware and let them sit in the liquid brine. As long as you keep them in the brine they don’t go bad.

Pautzke’s Shrimp & Prawn Cure is new. Here’s where you can buy it now. We hope the list grows daily:

Pautzke.com https://pautzke.com/product-pautzke-shrimp-prawn-cure/

North 40 (Lewiston store)

Sportco

Fisherman’s Marine

Kennewick Ranch & Home

Griggs

Cle Elum Farm & Home

Sportsman’s Warehouse: Available in February

Amazon.com