This Salmon Egg Cure Is Easy as 1, 2, 3

By: Mike Ainsworth

It’s fall again and that means egg fishing and curing time. While there are many complex cures that do work here is a simple, yet effective way to cure eggs to target kings, coho or steelhead. Even though this cure is simple it catches fish and can be used by veteran and first time anglers. I invest in this cure to put my clients on fish daily.

Easy As 1, 2, 3  

*Start by cutting your egg skein into thirds then butterfly them with scissors so they will better absorb the cure.

*Once that is done place them in a Ziploc and add Borx O Fire. I like adding the BorX O first as it is easier to visually see if you are getting a proper coat on the eggs. Red Rouge is my go to, but I do cure eggs in Pink, Orange and Natural BorX O Fire for clearer water conditions. The nice thing about the BorX O is that you can’t burn your eggs if you add too much.

*Next I add Fire Power (that’s krill powder for those of you who haven’t used it) to the Ziploc and then tumble to coat the eggs.

*If it looks like the eggs are mostly covered with cure then add the Fire Brine. I add enough Fire Brine to cover half the depth of the eggs in the Ziploc and then tumble them in the bag to ensure the cure gets in every fold of the eggs.

*Once this is done put the Ziploc in the fridge and tumble every couple of hours. I will soak the eggs for up to three days and as little as 12 hours if I’m using them the next morning.

*If I need a firmer egg, pull them out of the Ziploc after 24 hours and let them air dry overnight or to your desired firmness.

I like to keep things as simple as possible to start and adjust if needed. This curing process is especially easy for the first time angler looking to achieve a great egg for a wide variety of species. When specifically targeting kings it’s hard to beat Fire Cure eggs due to the sulfites already added in the mix. On the other hand, I prefer a BorX o Fire and Fire Brine cure with extra krill to thrown in for added scent.

This way you can start with a great egg and add what you need to later down the road. If you find fish are not reacting to your eggs like you were hoping they would it’s always good to keep it wide variety of scent that you can add to your eggs while on the water. I keep an arsenal of Atlas Mike’s scent (mostly Mike’s UV Super Scent Anise/Krill, Mike’s Anchovy Oil Glo Scent and Mike’s Shrimp/Krill Oil Glo Scent) on the boat. Having multiple scents helps see what the fish want that day.

Editor’s Note: Mike Ainsworth operates First Light Guide Service. For more info on his guided salmon trips please visit https://firstlightguideservice.com or https://www.facebook.com/First-Light-Guide-Service-465494153638629.