Northwest Fishing Reports

I got some sockeye eggs from my brother in law. However, they were bloody skeins. I always bleed my fish so I never have this problem. I put them in my my salmon cure. I am just wondering how affected my bait will be. Especially fishing for the finicky kings who seem to eat only good bait. I have other bait to brine but my question is should I even consider fishing this bait. Just wondering what others thoughts are...

I would have patted them down with paper towels. Also running your fingers down them will get alot of blood out. My brother gives me eggs all the time that are not properly cared for, and I try to wring them out as best I can but they still catch fish. Hopefully they'll be alright.

I did exactly what you said and I even got rid of a couple skeins that were just dripping.

I hate to rinse eggs or fillets , but if they are that bloody I would give them a quick rinse and then pat dry them right away... I always bleed my fish, I think it is better for you if you do and makes cleaning the fish easier/cleaner all around!

Luckily I have good bait cured and uncured.I just hate throwing away bait!

I have never bleed a fish or even heard of doing it until a couple years ago on this site. I gut a female, rinse the eggs a little, then cure them. I would bet that over the years I have caught as many or more Steelhead and Salmon as any body on this site(and this is the best fishing web site I have come across). I have to chuckle about some of the things folks on here worry about. Your going to taint your bait more with your morning shaving lotion on your hands or the gas smell from filling up on the way fishing than a small amount of fish blood on fish eggs. I have never thrown out eggs for any reason. This year I used my old cured eggs in my crab pot containers,they caught as many crab as the ones I used chicken in.

I decided to toss mine. They were gooey and had a really fishy smell.

If you use them quickly, I've seen little if any difference, but if you store them over 2 or 3 weeks, the blood seems to make a difference. Definitely they don't last as long. I have had a couple of times where the bloody ones seemed to attract more fish, perhaps by scent, but it could have just been timing.

hewesbob wrote:I have never bleed a fish or even heard of doing it until a couple years ago on this site. I gut a female, rinse the eggs a little, then cure them. I would bet that over the years I have caught as many or more Steelhead and Salmon as any body on this site(and this is the best fishing web site I have come across). I have to chuckle about some of the things folks on here worry about. Your going to taint your bait more with your morning shaving lotion on your hands or the gas smell from filling up on the way fishing than a small amount of fish blood on fish eggs. I have never thrown out eggs for any reason. This year I used my old cured eggs in my crab pot containers,they caught as many crab as the ones I used chicken in.

Wait...you actually gut your fish? LOL I never gut the fish! I can pull both fillets of a fish in one piece without ever sticking my hand in there unless it is a hen and I pull her eggs..

Springer Jerry wrote:Gutting a fish ensures you don't pop the sperm sacks or accidentally cut open the stomach and expose the bile. Most people gut their fish it's not rare. Less meat is wasted too.

If your replying to me, I am guessing you didn't catch the sarcasm in my post, but I actually find my way is faster and easier than going through the extra step of gutting.. jmho .....my knife never enters the cavity...A Japanese chef showed me the method and he called it a "Butterfly Fillet"