dyeing prawns

[DUCKY]

I tried to dye some head on prawns for springer fishing today with poor results. I cooked them with LOTS of food color in the brine. any suggestions from those more experienced than me?

[bellinghamangler]

I don't brind my prawns, rather I get them wet, and put lots of Pro Cure double neon red on them. Usually I'll put them in a zip lock bag and do this. I also put shrimp oil to the bag, it seems help the Pro Cure soak in as well as juicing the prawns with lots of oil. The pro cure seems to toughen the prawns pretty well.

[Bait O' Eggs]

Cooked them ??? :whazzup:

I stopped at Tonys Fish Market in OC today and bought 80 frozen bait prawns ($7.50). I dont have very good results getting the dye into a frozen prawn. I first let them thaw. Then I put about a quart of water in a plastic container and some red dye (not cure) you see at the sporting goods section. Not sure how much I used but maybe a tablespoon +/-. I let the dye disolve in the water and then I added the prawns. In an hour or so, they are usually colored up. I am going to let them sit in the fridge overnight this time and see what I get.

I will remove them from the water and let them air dry tomorrow and them vac pac them in packages of 8 or so.

Edit: I have done it like Bellinghamangler in the past with good results. It gets the prawns dyed a deeper color than diluting the dye in water. When I add the dye diretly on the prawn I have a hard time not getting my hands all red when using them later. Maybe I needed to rinse the prawns somehow.

[ 02-01-2002, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Bait O' Eggs ]

[DUCKY]

when i have purchased them at Fishermans Marine i just assumed ey had been cooked from their texture? I have some pro-glo dye. i will try again tomorrow. thanks for the replies.

[Captain and Marie]

I have found the perfect way to dye prawns...

but the CIA :grin: told me NOT to tell anyone...

but you can buy them from me....

Tillamook Bait Company

email me

tillbait@wbrgalaxy.com

I'll be glad to ship you some... :smile:

Thanks,
Marie @ TBC
www.tillamookbait.com
[img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img]

[jet]

Head on prawns are actually packed and sold in Seafood markets as product for human consumption. They are cooked and ready to eat. When bought from a Bait supply shack I really would not trust that they have been cared for, they are sold as bait only, I am sure there are exceptions to this. When sold as bait possibly they have been thawed and refrozen. I like to smell them first.

Prawns that have dark heads were dead for a while before freezing, so if you have choices pick the ones that have pink heads.

I figure if they smell nasty to me, not good for bait.

Jet~~~

[Uncle Bob]

Ducky,
I think that if you don't cook them, they'll stay tougher. (cure them up raw)
Check with "FWF1"
I'm sure he could tell ya the right way to cure them up.

UB

[ 02-02-2002, 09:43 AM: Message edited by: Uncle Bob ]