Standard Prawn Set up?

[sherretb]

Hi All,

I just purchased some divers to drag around behind by boat. I have eggs but I know that prawns are a favorite on the S. Santiam and other local rivers (I live in Corvallis). I was wondering where you guys get your prawns?

I know you can buy them cured, but I was thinking about getting some raw and then curing them myself using egg cure. Do you get them from Safeways? Do you get the ones with the shell on (like the cured ones I have seen?) or do you get the little salad shrimp? What size do you like?

Thanks a ton! Looky to drag some of these crustaceans around this weekend!

I searched the forum and didn't find too much regarding this. If I missed the mother prawn thread, i'm sorry- please point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[SantiamDrifter]

Hey, I spend a lot of time fishing prawns for summer steelhead. You can buy uncured coon shrimp or artic shrimp or raw tiger prawns. The coon shrimp and artic shrimp are cooked then flash frozen. I like to fish the uncured prawns under a bobber, but they dont last long enough behind a diver if you dont cure them up. Here's a link to one really productive prawn cure.

Although I like this cure for prawns, you have to understand egg cures where made for eggs. They react a little differently to prawns. My favoritve dry cure is Nate's baits prawn cure, in any color you like. I just go with the natural and add bad ass bait dye to the prawns when they start to juice out.

Another one of my favorite cures is a wet pack, the link's below. That cure really get's a awesome color to the prawns, a great scent trail and the prawn is tough as can be.

 

[sherretb]

Thanks SD!
Where do you get your prawns?

 

[beaverfan]

I buy my prawns at asian markets. I can get a 1lb of Arctic prawns for about 4.00 and I cure em up with Mike's Bright and tight liquid cure/dye. The best part is the cure is reusable! All you have to do is add salt and put it back in the bottle. Here's a pic of my last batch.

 

[natro]

I buy my prawns at asian markets. I can get a 1lb of Arctic prawns for about 4.00 and I cure em up with Mike's Bright and tight liquid cure/dye. The best part is the cure is reusable! All you have to do is add salt and put it back in the bottle. Here's a pic of my last batch.

hey now that's a good idea. I like to use these too, I just paid like 6 bucks for a little jar of em.

 

[beaverfan]

hey now that's a good idea. I like to use these too, I just paid like 6 bucks for a little jar of em.

It was 7.00 for the dye stuff and that bag had 2lbs of prawns in it. So I made 2lbs of them for about 15.00. WAY cheaper than if you bought them at a bait store!

 

[Razz]

Good looking bait,you ever add egg juice to the basic mix or do you just use scents?

 

[beaverfan]

Haven't used egg juice but have used lots of scents. This batch was krill/anise.

 

[jigguy]

Is there anyone that knows where to get the COON SHRIMP? Its smaller than the arctic prawns. Pm's welcomed

 

[Drew9870]

Haven't used egg juice but have used lots of scents. This batch was krill/anise.

Beaverfan (friendly advice), play around with different natural scents, I tend to avoid thing off the shelf because fish aren't used to a million different natural/unnatural ingredients, anise is just a cover up for unwanted scents, not an attractant.

Mash up some fresh Sand Shrimp and some fresh Krill into your next batch of eggs/prawns, or maybe some Squid, Crab, Amino Acid blend, (< health store >) Cod Liver Oil, heck I bet tropical fish flakes could be a killer, and I will even try it this year, full of all the Minerals/Aminos/Vitamins/Yadda-yadda.

Some natural scents can provide as a cover for unwanted scents, Anise, when bought from the shelf, should be used in extreme moderation, maybe 5-8 drops in a 1lb batch of bait.

 

[SantiamDrifter]

A litte does go along way, but I would have to say its more then just a cover up scent. Too many winter steelhead have died because of my anise/krill eggs.