Introduction and spawn question

[Ajarns]

Greetings to all! I'm privileged to be a new member around here but I'll admit I've been a "watcher" of this site for many years now. Recently, I made a smart move and came back to Michigan from Illinois where I had been living for the past 7 years. While there, I was always jealous reading this site about all the good fishing and hunting that this state had to offer, though the whitetail hunting wasn't too shabby in Illinois I must say. You guys have a great thing going with this website as it's truly a wonderful source of information coming from good people.

Now to my question at hand......I have some brown trout spawn in my freezer at home. Somebody gave it to me awhile back, but never cured it prior to it being frozen. Can it still be used or has it lost its effectiveness? I've heard differing opinions. For all I know, it may be too green to use, as I don't know when the eggs were actually harvested. What should they look like?

Also, what are your thoughts on the store bought salmon spawn bags? Do they work? Forgive all the questions but I'm anxious to wet my line once the ice clears in Holland to do some surf fishing for those browns and steelies.

[jeremy L]

Was the spawn froze soon, within a few hours, after coming out of the fish? has it never been thawed? if those two answers are yes then i would say its fine. We have used steelie spawn frozen for a year and a half, and salmon spawn that was two years old and its worked fine. I tend to think spawn that is froze soon after coming out of the fish is better then any cured spawn.

Second, the store stuff will work, but isn't nearly as good as the fresh stuff. If you have to use it, it will work, but just not as good as the "real" stuff.

welcome to the site.

[quest32a]

Well agarns how about you mail me some of that brown spawn and ill give it a try:p :p


i don't know the best answer for you but some of the guys here should be able to give you good info on that.

[chromium]

Ajarns
Where did you live in Illinois. I grew up west of Bloomington. No fishin' there.......just CORN.

[riverboy]

I have learned brown trout spawn works the best in the fall and early winter. Later winter and spring use the Steelhead spawn. If none of those are available than by all means use salmon spawn. When I first starting steelheading that was all I used was bait shop bought salmon spawn bags and I caught fish! I mostly use steelhead spawn all year round now though!

Dont forget about trying wax worms!!!!!!

[Ajarns]

Thanks for everyone's answers.

Jeremy, the spawn was supposedly frozen within a day or so after catching the fish. I'll give it a shot and hope I can catch at least one female steelhead with it, then I'll be all set. I headed out to check out the conditions this afternoon in Holland and it looks like it's going to be a little while till that ice breaks.

Chromium, while in Illinois, I lived in both Palatine(NW suburbs) and later moved out to small rural town by Rockford called Poplar Grove. We had a lot of corn there too. You were down there in the land of those big ol' bucks. Hopefully you had a nice piece of land to hunt while growing up.

Thanks again and happy fishing to all.....

Ajarns-

[Hunter333]

Welcome to your newest addiction!! Glad to see that you registered after many years being a "watcher" :) This is one amazing place!!

[flyrod4steelhead]

Ajarns, welcome to the site.

That spawn should/will be fine. If not freezing spawn right after cleaning a fish, put it in fridge to keep it cold until you get a chance to properly freeze it. I have used spawn that sat in the fridge for 4 day's, then put 'em in the freezer. Thawed it out 2 week's later, and it was fine. I'm not sure what Brown Trout spawn look's like, but it should be fine. Although when it come's to Steelhead egg's, you can't go wrong. I tend to stay away from the store bought salmon bag's, do to there size. Yes they will work.

[Buzz Floatman]

As long as they don't have freezer burn, they'll be fine. When you freeze them first, they are a mess to tie when thawed. Always tie your bags within days of obtaining the eggs and then freeze. I even put my jars of tied eggs in a vacuum sealed bag before freezing. It has payed off big time this winter with some great bait courtesy of one hen brown from November.

Buzz

[flyrod4steelhead]

When you freeze them first, they are a mess to tie when thawed.

Buzz Floatman,

I have not had a problem doing it this way. What do you do to your's to make them messy? All I do is rinse them really good under cold water, let them air dry for a few minutes, then put maybe a layer of1" of egg's in a zip-lok snack size bag. Set them in freezer 'til I need them for the next fishing trip. Which I am out :(

But I guess to each his own. Just my $.02cents