Question for Amerman

[MuleyBuck]

Recently, I have been curing up quite a few Steelhead eggs, and trying different methods. I am using your cure, and was just wondering if you put a lot of different combinations in your eggs, other than the cure itself. If so, can I get a couple of ideas from you that might enhance the performance of my egg cure. Thanks.

[Amerman]

MB

I guess my first question would be are you curing them for salmon or for steelhead ( which of the cures are you using)? I believe that the steelhead cure has everything in it that one needs to catch steelhead. I never add anything to my steelhead eggs other than just the cure I sell. If I was to add anything, I would probably add some of Marie's shrimp scent, some crawfish scent or Anis oil. I really do not beleive steelhead are nearly as sensitive to smells as salmon. I think it is taste, the visual appearance of the eggs and taste again that are important when curing eggs for steelhead.

When curing for salmon, they are so very different that it really takes many different things to get them going some times. I do feel that the cure has what it will take to get the fish to bite when nothing else works. When curing eggs for salmon, I first cure the eggs based on scent (this is what will attract the fish to your bait long before they see it and what will make them decide to bite or not), the look of the egg is only important in helping the fish find your bait (and in keeping the fisherman's cofidence high), but taste again is really important because you want that fish that has chosen to take your bait to hold onto it once it bites. I have seen cures that work great on the scent attractor but will never work well for catching fish because the fish, once they grab the bait, spit it out quickly because it tastes bad. I feel I have already added the things to get the fish to bite on each of these three things. But there are certainly times when adding other scent attractors can double your catch. I have some additives I add to my cure for one time of year that I feel will double my catch but other times of year it will cut it in half. There are so many variables when it comes to adding scent to salmon bait that I could write a book and not really cover everything. What I try to do when adding scent is look at the water temp, the stage of the fish I am fishing for ( how long they have been out of salt water and how quickly their bodies are going through changes as their reproductive organs grow) and the speed of the current I am going to be fish. You can fish a lot of different smells in really slow moving water as the smell radiates around your bait and disperses in the water. You may want scent that disperses up ( lighter than water that will float) or scent that disperses down (heavier than water that will sink). Think of your bait as the center of the water you are fishing and the scent that radiates out from it in all directions as the water you are actually covering and fishing. When the water is fast you have a much different scent trail as the water rushes by your bait (you may want a much slower milking bait here because you may not want all the scent to wash off to quickly). The area you fish and cover with the smell of that bait is as much different as is the scents and stuff you can add.

I could list a bunch of additive for you to try but it would just mislead most, because without knowing when and how to use them, you could be hurting your catching ability. I (the guides that fish with me and many of my friends) have spent way too much time experimenting and figuring things out to post them on the internet. So I think it is better to get people thinking and experimenting. I have thought of all these things and have put all the best things I could into the cure I sell for salmon ( everything that I feel works for salmon and that I can put in powder form is in my cure). Maybe someday soon we will come out with oils and scents too. But, again you can fish it straight, and I feel it will out fish most things out there. But experimenting never hurt anything, and if you find something that knocks their socks off, keep it a secret but email me to let me know :grin:

[Chris Nordling]

I think there is some super secret Jedi maneuvering involved too, but I'm not sure.

What ever it is, Amerman products are top of the line!

If you get a chance to get some pre-cured eggs, hide them, your fishing buddies will be raiding your stash !

I've said it before; Amerman eggs have saved the day more than once.

And if everyone keeps tipping off Marie's products, there won't be any left for me when I get back to Tillamook :depressed:

Guess it's time to bust out the plastic and order up some more Marie's Shrimp Scent .

The fish are in, and I can't be out of either. I'm sure glad I stocked up on the eggs, but my supply of shrimp oil is getting a little low. :whazzup:

Chris

[Rueben4life]

I agree with FWF1! Amerman's is straight up the best bang for any anglers buck! Even buying the cure I have the same confidence as buying his pre-cured eggs! But then again saucing them yourself always helps when your in a pinch!

Brett

[Green Machine]

Mr. Amerman, I would just like to say that you are a class act!! Many people have asked you questions about eggs, cures, fishing tidewater, and you have always responded with a wealth of knowledge. Everytime I read one of your very detailed replies or posts, I learn something new. Thank you. You are the man!!

Green Machine

[ampersat]

did he really?? if you look it over, there's info and there's no info at the same time. quite the teacher. the answer is there but you've left it for us to find it.

thanks for the info and for leaving the mystery intact. i've learned something and i still have much to learn.

[Gun Rod Bow]

I have to agree with Green Machine. It is awesome of you to share the experience that you have collected. I for one, really appreciate it.

I guess we were both in the same room in Salem today, would like to have said hello...next time.

I'd like to ask, based on your reply, do you think it is best to keep eggs cured, not scented, then try different scents/blends while cutting baits to fish?

Also, when "dripping" eggs, do you dry longer for drift eggs then bobber eggs? Is this primarily what you mean by fast milking/slow milking?

Thanks

[Amerman]

Thanks to all for the positive feed back.

Ampersat: Your reply is much like you say my post is. After reading it and rereading it, I am not sure if you like my post or hated it. :smile:

GRB: Which room were you in? I was in both the over flow rooms. In room C I was one of the 5 people that got kicked out because I was sitting in the nice chairs and was informed those were only for house members. When I explained that there would be no house members in this room today and, since we as tax payers paid for the chairs, it was better than standing, they ushered us out, and explained we would have to go to the other room because we were in violation of the fire marshal because all the other chairs were filled. As the State cop led us out of the room and down stairs, the guy sitting with me explained to the cop that he was pretty sure that we were not in voilation as the fire marshal would have counted the house chairs as well for his room count.

Anyway. I never add scent when curing my eggs other than my cure. When I do add scent, it is always before I go fishing for the day. It's too hard to add scents ahead of time because conditions change so much. Also I never drain my eggs, at least not until right before I go fishing. If I do drain them, it is only quickly to get surface juice off. If I wanted to tack up my eggs or make then hold juice or scent longer, I would air dry them in the fridge leaving the juice on them. The dehumidfiers in the fridge suck the water out of the eggs with out draining off the juice. This will make the eggs firmer without losing scent. If you drain stuff off, you only make it less effective.

[fishing is life]

thanks for the words of wisdom Scott.

[Gun Rod Bow]

Hey Scott,

FYI, I'm a big guy, 6'3" 275#, dark blue work shirt, black cap, shaved head, mustache...(gee I sound pretty good!!)

I was in room 52 (?) down stairs with all the little school kiddies. I walked over and stood next to a guy in a tie and blue sport coat. That's my neighbor James (El Shaddai). I gave Sturgeon Tom a ride down. I was talking with Toman for a while.

WTG screwin with the bureaucrats!! I love that stuff!

I've read too much on eggs. I've been curing, rolling, racking..let drip for 2-4 hours then sealing. I think I'll let 'em juice then do like you say. Thanks a lot.

I'll stop and say hi at the Sports show. Wont get down there till the weekend, got work outta town.

GRB

[fishing is life]

i am no expert on curing eggs, but reading back a while in STS Dave Johnson talked about mixing different cures so you have something different from everyone else. Also adding live sand shrimp when curing was talked about but not practiced much anymore as everybody was doing it now. adding scents before the reabsorption process helps. i also believe for nooks anything sweet is good.

[MuleyBuck]

Scott, Thank's for the tutoring. Sorry I have not replied back sooner, but I was off fishing the Alsea one last time for some more hens. The fishing is coming to an end over their. We ended up getting 30 quarts of eggs of that river this year though, so I can't complain. I am only curing these for Salmon and do the majority of my fishing for springers on the Santiam. I have been adding quite a few sents to do a little experimenting, so I was just curious what advice you might have to add. Some things I have been trying is Salmon feast, Sugar, and some other things on here that I can't mention, because if they work, I could end up being the riches man in the world. ha,ha ha. Thank's again. Oh, are you going to be at the Sportsman show this Saturday, I would like to meet you if possible.

[Fishen Fool]

Scott will be at the show thru Sun. unless his wife goes in to labor, which is very likely to happen!