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My moniker should say it all...

I want to talk bait, specifically salmon eggs.
I tried drift fishing with roe for the first time the other day, and it was kind of cool. No fish, but I also have no idea if i'm doing it "right".
I cut 1"x1/2" sections of roe and stuck them in a sack, letting them bounce along the bottom on a swing.
I was really hoping for a lower flow and easier access to the adjacent undercut bank. However the water was green, which I hear is good (just figured I should be bobber dogging).
My only question is, how and when do you like to use eggs?
 
That's kind of big for steelhead? Maybe. Cloudy water try to slow the presentation down and use larger baits. I'd think, unless your drifting a river known to have steelhead to 20# 1 1/2" is too big. Back when i used to drift fish for steelhead I think i probably caught more fish after the eggs had washed out some and mostly skin was left. That brought me to using more white yarn with/without scent. I hated using bait. However, the times I like using bait was when I could let the offering swing around below me in fishy water. That worked!
 
For years I've cured my own roe for trout to salmon. For steelhead I use King or Chum eggs with the large egg sacks. I use the old tried-and-true one cup of sugar 1 cup of salt 1 cup of borax with 4 cups of water. I cut the skeens about 2 inch squares and make sure that the mix gets into the folds & every nook & cranny then dry em on baking racks in my bait fridge for a day or so then place them in a plastic tub with borax in layers then freeze.

When I get to the river I cut them into nickle size pieces & put the days portion in a belt box with paper towels to sop up the excess juices.
I pre tie all my leaders with an egg loop onto size 1-2 hook to a 2-3' leader of 10-12# test mono figuring the water flow & clarity with just enough lead to make contact with the bottom.
I want my eggs to inundate in the current not be just a gob of sticky mess (which is fine for salmon).
Tap tap tap tap then a stop & the bite feels like a rubber band stretch then movement of some kind (not like a trout), give a subtle upward motion on the rod & wait for a reaction, if it pulls back then swing for the fences!!!! All the while running backwards, rod held high reeling like a cheese grater up the bank and not landing in the fire pit....
Boy howdy you are a Pro Steelheader!!!!
:eek::eek::eek::D:p
When the n0be runs down to the water with a net tell him nyet, gravel bar is fine....:cool:
(if no movement with all the tugging you are hung up on the bottom)...:p:p:p;)
Good luck out there, now is when the bigunns are in.:D
 
Okay, my egg sack was about he size of a quarter, and on a #4 hook (only because I thought I had some #2s about). Also used 12lbs flouro for leader, is mono better of is the difference negligible?
I'll go half the size I used last and try to fish better holding water I can actually get to.

Sure enough, my pops actually had that happen to him. He was hung up on a branch in the river. It's that slow pull up and down that never runs.
Thanks for the tips guys! Hopefully I can make my SO happy with some smoked salmon this year!
Might be able to consider making roe if I actually catch any keepers. ;)
 
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I use a #2 RED hook and cut up ( ask the Wifey nicely) old shiny White pantyhose into small squares (use a soldering iron) and wrap your cured eggs small, like posted above, about the size of a nickel! Let it swing naturally with just enough lead to keep it bouncing along the bottom. I prefer slinky's as they are less prone to snag on the bottom. You could also run them under a water bubble bobber same as you would run jigs! What ever works best. Good Luck!
I prefer running Prawn tails, or sand shrimp tails, but eggs are deadly when the water is just right!
You can Plunk with Eggs too, FYI, set them up under a Spin-N-Glow and have at it!
 
Lol, I saw the title of the thread about ten times and thought it was about Return On Equity every time.. only just now did I realize "Roe".
but yea, that bait can get expensive.. specially if you're just chucking it down the crick like, lol
 
Okay, so my problem is in part that I follow slightly upstream, where I should be leading down and dead drifting. Makes sense, and of course almost always using artificial lures I am inclined to swing and give action. I'll think more green rock worm and less tricoptera! ;)
Maybe i'll tray black pantyhose, because that's all the gal wears! LoL
I'll also look into getting some Owner hooks in red, i'm in love with that hook brand.

I guess I jut have fish for brains. o_O
 
Might try the Targus hooks, they seem to work better for the type of presentation, and are every bit as sharp as the Owners and Gamagatsue. There getting harder to find, River City Fly shop usually has them over in the back corner! While there, pick up some really dull pink rabbit fur cross cut, and tie in a small strip to your egg skein!
Are you drifting with a Flyrod? if so, use a sink tip leader to mimic a full drift set up, or suspend under a small clear water bubble and cast up stream and mend back to your strip and then mend out your strip as it passes you!
 
I don't use eggs much for steelhead.
I like golf ball sized gobs for Chinook though.
Either backbounced or under a float.

For steelhead right now I would swing brass, rubber worm or Corky/yarn.
As the water warms up the late returning winters will jump on a spinner or spoon.
 
Bobberdogging can be effective too.
Yeah, one of these days i'll get crazy enough to try it from a canoe! ;)

I'll try to remember the brand and give them a shot. Where is River City Fly Shop?
I'm using an 8'6" E6X G.Loomis medium weight spin cast with a Penn Battle II 3000 andsing 8lb diameter braid and 12lb-8lb test flouro leaders. I need to get an 8wt before I try that. I always get too caught up in different fly patterns, but have been meaning to carry a few hooks for bait to try. Tho I might go a little crazy with plankton nets if I do that.

I suppose I should freeze it and wait until May or June, if you think I should stick with artificial s for winter steelhead. I've seen spinners do well in September and early April. My day ended with a purple jig and a pink worm beneath a slip float, after I tried a copper size 3 BlueFox.

It seemed weird to read some articles mentioning six eggs per sack for winter steelhead, I guess that's not unheard of.
 
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I don't often fish with roe, but when I do, it's for salmon and I use cured chunks on an egg loop leader (I tie my own, using Chameleon or Ultragreen depending on water color), never roe bags.
1. Backbouncing a quarter size chunk of roe, or an anchovie, from a drift boat.
2. When water is high and brown after a storm, I shore fish and plunk a golf ball sized chunk of roe about 5'-10' with a Spin & Glo from the edge of shore. I can even use a beach type rod holder with a piece of white yarn attached near the tip of the rod and a bell to signal a bite, and go back into the cab of my rig to drink coffee.
3. Also from shore in a deep hole or current, I have used Ghost Shrimp threaded tail-first up the hook and leader, with several Jensen Eggs on top of the tail. Fish slow. (not good in fast currents)
4. A #5 Jed Davis silver spinner with red tubing on the hook and red tape on the underside of the blade (salmon like to chase)
5. Drift rig with weightless nickle blade drift spinner (these can be drift fished or cast and slow retrieve along the bottom. My wife outfishes me casting straight downstream and retrieving back to the boat)

For Steelhead:
1. Here in E. OR we drift worms and yarn, with or without a pea sized corkie.
2. Drift rig, corkie, and a 3/8" to 1/2" piece of calamari (squid)
3. Drift rig, and a small corkie with yarn
4. Bobber and jig
5. #3 Jed Davis spinner
6. 9# flyrod with a leader and a slightly larger corkie than used above. Careful not to be snagging!
7. Drift rig and small weighless nickle blade spinner on a 2"-3" leader. (works well in clearish water)
8. Wade out, let Hot Shot or Wiggle Wart work downstream, hold in various good looking spots (like where stream comes in)

Smaller baits and hooks for clearer water, larger baits and hooks for darker water.
 
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Yeah, one of these days i'll get crazy enough to try it from a canoe! ;)

I'll try to remember the brand and give them a shot. Where is River City Fly Shop?
I'm using an 8'6" E6X G.Loomis medium weight spin cast with a Penn Battle II 3000 andsing 8lb diameter braid and 12lb-8lb test flouro leaders. I need to get an 8wt before I try that. I always get too caught up in different fly patterns, but have been meaning to carry a few hooks for bait to try. Tho I might go a little crazy with plankton nets if I do that.

I suppose I should freeze it and wait until May or June, if you think I should stick with artificial s for winter steelhead. I've seen spinners do well in September and early April. My day ended with a purple jig and a pink worm beneath a slip float, after I tried a copper size 3 BlueFox.

It seemed weird to read some arrivals mentioning six eggs per sack for winter steelhead, I guess that's not unheard of.
 

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