# Where to get egg sacks.



## GaryV311

I live in in Parma. (south west of Cleveland) Just wondering where to get Good, Fresh, egg sacks. Also wondering how to fish with them. Tired of goin home empty handed..... Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## TheFishWhisperer

dicks has them but not always the best shape but they are fresh. best bet is to find a friendly fisherman on the water and strike up a conversation. tell him yr new and they almost always give you the freshest of fresh sacks. Just use common sense and be cool, and most guys are real nice, and willing to help as long as yr respectful. 

As far as using them, search the threads here for plenty of info. But in general, get some egg sack hooks from dicks, and some BB split shots. Put hook under thin float and use shot about 12'' from sack. Try to learn to get them to the bottom using shots. Watch closely what others are using and you'll figure it out. Look up drifting spawn sacks here, or google it. hope this helps get ya started


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## archman

Gary,

It's a short haul out there but Erie Outfitters sells the best eggs. He sells them fresh and curred. I usually buy the curred and I'm still catching fish on frozen ones from two years ago. Just tie them up in dime to nickel sized sacks (depending on water clarity), use a couple split shots to get the bait down and you'll be good. You'll want to be ticking bottom every so often.


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## GaryV311

So you can freeze them and they'll still work?


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## Tom G

I get mine from Erieshore Beverage & Bait store in Willoughby. They are called sticky salmon eggs. I make sacks with them and have used them up to 2 yrs, depending on how big or small I make the sacks.


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## archman

Yep, you can freeze them and they'll still work. Just make sure it's as air tight as possible when you freeze them.


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## John S

I heard that Erie Outfitters and Gander Mountain have good spawn sacks. I bought some from Erie and they were cured, I didn't know he sells both so I guess it's my fault for not being more specific. I would always get fresh eggs! 

If you do not know "cured" is when they soak the eggs in boric acid so they swell up. I don't know why they do this but assume its because you could fill up a sack with less eggs since they plump up.

The best eggs are the ones straight from the belly of the fish but you need to catch a fish first. Like the one post said, just try to strike up a conversation, thats how my friend got are first "fresh" sacks. Then you can catch you own female and get the eggs, go buy the netting and thread and make your own. Good Luck!

PM me if you are going fishing, I'm always game and will bring you some spawn, I'm from Elyria but go to the Rocky and Vermillion.

As far as techniques, search my post I explain what I do to catch them. I'm fairly new myself though but a quick learner.:B


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## K gonefishin

Gander has jars of cured eggs in orange and red, I picked up some already tied sacs as well as the jar and tied up some bigger ones with different color netting. once you get your work area layed out you can tied up a pile of them in no time, not as fun as tying spinner rigs but since it's winter it give me something to do.


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## Mepps3

How many eggs sacks do you guys use per outing? I have been using 30-40 sacks in 6 hours drifting.


Here is my refrigerator:


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## Brian.Smith

mepps I see you are having a egg shortage.


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## John S

Mepps, I see where all the hens went. I started to wonder why I'm catching only males, jk. 

Hope steelhead are not extinct next year!


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## Fishaholic69

just ask mepps for some haha.


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## boss302

DOes rodmakers cary fresh eggs/sacks?


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## archman

Mepps, what kind of eggs do you primarily use? I'll take some off of your hands if you want


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## K gonefishin

boss302 said:


> DOes rodmakers cary fresh eggs/sacks?




Yes they do.


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## jojopro

John S said:


> If you do not know "cured" is when they soak the eggs in boric acid so they swell up. I don't know why they do this but assume its because you could fill up a sack with less eggs since they plump up.


Eggs are cured to preserve them. Cured eggs last for months refridgerated or even for up to 2 years in the freezer. I wouldn't say that the cures that I have used caused the eggs to swell much if at all. I started the season using Atlas brand Shake 'N' Cure but recently started using 'Eg-Cure' from Erie Outfitters which leaves the eggs much more natural than the Atlas brand. To me, it's a real waste to kill a fish every time out for spawn if you're not going to eat the fish. I've been fishing quite a lot this year, (and use spawn for bait the most), and have only had to cut open two fish so far.


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## GaryV311

I think I will give up on the Dick's eggs... No pun intended.  I'll hit up Rodmakers and see how those do. This has turned out to be one very informative thread. Thanks to ALL of you guys!


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## GobyOneGnoby

archman said:


> Gary,
> 
> It's a short haul out there but Erie Outfitters sells the best eggs. He sells them fresh and curred. I usually buy the curred and I'm still catching fish on frozen ones from two years ago. Just tie them up in dime to nickel sized sacks (depending on water clarity), use a couple split shots to get the bait down and you'll be good. You'll want to be ticking bottom every so often.


E.O. is the ONLY place that I know of around here that properly cures FRESH eggs.


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## John S

Thanks jojopro! I was wondering about that also, how do you guys store your eggs between outings?? I heard to freeze them but also heard to just put them in the fridge. Can you do either with fresh eggs or only curred?

I agree on not killing the fish for the eggs, the ones I got was from a fish that was ate. 

Thanks for the tips!

P.S. How many hens does it take to fill up that many containers Mepps? 
3-4


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## jojopro

John S said:


> how do you guys store your eggs between outings?? I heard to freeze them but also heard to just put them in the fridge. Can you do either with fresh eggs or only curred?


I personally tie up all my sacs immediately after curing the eggs. Then I put all the sacs in a Food Saver canister and use my Food Saver, (probably the BEST investment I ever made), to suck all the air out. I put the whole canister in the freezer for at least one day, (I heard that your eggs milk better when frozen first), then I move them to the fridge. When I hit the river I take about 2-3 dozen sacs with me. If you are trying to make your eggs last for more than a month, or if you are not curing them, then you should probably keep them frozen.


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## Crumdfargo

Remember, the egg sacs you buy in any shop are salmon eggs. Thats why they are so big. Kightlingers has pretty good eggs sacs in conneaut, but they are expensive. I cant see paying like 2.50 for 6 sacs, that is just obscene. Thats why I tie my own. Check this site out, they ship em anywhere:
http://www.guideshop.com/shops/1439.htm


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## archman

Crumdfargo, that's a pretty good site. Have you ever bought eggs from there? It seems a little pricey compared to Erie Outfitters. I just wonder if they work better.

I went out with a guide in Oregon about 5 years ago. I caught a nice female but didn't have any way of getting the eggs back.


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## Tom G

I'm with JOJO unless your eating the fish you don't need to kill just for the eggs. Let someone else have a chance to catch then. One of them big jars would lat at least a year.


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## Crumdfargo

I think erie outfitters only has cured eggs now. He got fresh in early on, but I think he cured them all. Craig, the owner, said that on another site. I dont know, never been there. I have never bought from this site, but got an email from them I think it would end up being like 40 bucks for 10 pounds after shipping. I eat steelhead, so keeping a hen every now and then keeps me in bait.


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## TRIPLE-J

Eggs can be frozen either fresh or cured. I usually put them in small freezer bags and take out what I feel I'll need for the day the night before. I do both depending on how I plan on using them. To the guys keeping their fish for eggs and eating, if you bleed the fish when you catch it the eggs will come out MUCH MUCH better. And they'll taste alot better too. Most curing recipes will tell you to use eggs from a bled fish, as it's the blood in the eggs that usually goes bad before the eggs do.
Triple-J


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## Crumdfargo

I dont bleed my fish and the eggs come out just fine. There is a vein on the skein membrane that is pretty easy to pull/cut off. The eggs themselves dont have veins in them. I dont like bleeding fish, as I would much rather have all the blood on my kitchen counter  . Especially now, the eggs are getting looser in the skiens, so bleeding the fish plays less of a part in the quality of the eggs. PLus, i use the eggs with any blood around them first, so I have never had any problems with spoilage. I bash my fish on the head then throw them in a cooler of ice. Its just a personal preference; I like to keep the fish as fresh as possible. As for taste, I haven't noticed any difference, but maybe there is.


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## mkormos23

I'm with 3-j , trust me bleed your fish. The eggs come out alot better, bleed your walleye too you'll see the difference.

On another note

Craig's cured eggs are some of the best, he cure's over 200 pounds a year. His eggs are better than most guys you know. The whole uncured thing is a joke, cured eggs are just as good as uncured.

Matt


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## TRIPLE-J

I'm with mkormos23, cured eggs are just as good usually better than uncured. You just have to have the right cure. Unfortunately most store bought cures are ok but they aren't the right cure. Better to come up with something on your own. But any recipe you read about will tell you to bleed your fish first. Makes a better product in the long run.
Triple-j


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## John S

Thanks for all the info!! I know Craig from stopping in the store often, he seems very knowledgeable and to be a good guy. 

One guy I know though said not to use cured eggs, but of course everybody will have their own opinion. From the little steelhead fishing I have done, I see little difference. My opinion is that fresh eggs are the closest to the real things, therefore, are the best. Not to say cured are far off, if not identical (As I said, I'm fairly new to the steels).

When you guys say you "bleed" your fish, how do you go about doing this? (Eg. do you cut the tail off, or the neck, and let the blood run out?) 

Thanks!

-JOHN


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## mkormos23

Take your fingers and rip out the gills or you can cut it's thoat.

Matt


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## TRIPLE-J

Put tehfish on a stringer and then take a knife and slice through the gillrakers at the bottom of the mouth were the gill rakers attatch. Then just let it bleed out.
Triple-J


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## Flyfish Dog

Craig at Erie Outfitters definitly knows about egg sacs and I am sure if you stop in there and he will give a good idea on what works well.


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