Reports of the first salmon are starting to trickle in. We all have a bad case of cabin fever, and are eager to get out after the Springers!Last year, tuna-in-oil was an effective additive to lure offerings... we canned alot of tuna and salmon, and thought we'd try making our own tuna-scent for our lures.
The first thing we tried was adding sugar to thicken the oil, and make it sticky.The sugar didn't disolve very well in the oil, and just sank to the bottom.
Hmmm....
Next, we microwaved the sugar/oil mix to see if that would help thicken the mixture.30 seconds did the trick. Came out smelling good!
The heat definitely caused the sugar to mix into the oil, and gave the oil a thick, STICKY quality - just what we were looking for!And yes, it tastes GREAT!
Tuna-candy!
This is going to come along in the boat this spring.Last year it was difficult keeping the oil on the lure - this mixture should hold up well over time and keep that fresh taste lasting longer.
Another mixture we tried was using powdered, plain gelatin.It thickened the oil ok, but it was less sticky in water, and did not cling to the lure as well over time.
We like the sweetness of sugar - real cane sugar, too. Not the artificial aftertaste of chemical sweeteners...
Our test subject preferred the sugar/oil mixture as well.A little too well - she followed us all around begging for more!
Here's the simple recipe:
- 3 parts oil
- 2 parts sugar
- heat for 30 seconds or so, let cool, and serve chilled.
We got ahold of some small "icing tubes" for cake decorating to let us keep the mess down in the boat. Stay tuned until March when we start out after the salmon!
We got ahold of some small "icing tubes" for cake decorating to let us keep the mess down in the boat. Stay tuned until March when we start out after the salmon!
If you try it, let us know how it works for you.
