NWWC BAIT LAB: Duane shares the secrets of the "tiger prawn rainbow"
POSTED April 17, 2011 / 11:40 p.m.

PUYALLUP, Wash. - How many different colors can you make your tiger prawns? I guess the question should be “How many different colors of Nectar does Pautzke actually produce”?

If you said five, then you're on the right track. With that, we'll stick with the basics just to make sense of it all. If I start mixing and matching colors, there's no limit as to how lengthy this article could end up. With five basic Nectar colors to choose from, you could actually create what I refer to as the Tiger Prawn Rainbow.

It's all about the colors of the rainbow
To say that Pautzke’s Nectar will add some color to your tiger prawn is an understatement. The colors are very vibrant and basically jump right out at you. Nectar not only adds tremendous color to your prawn, but also additional bite stimulants that you get just as a result of how the Nectar is produced. You're essentially soaking your prawn in egg juice, which adds additional scents and attractants.

Oh and by the way, did I mention COLOR? Check out these baits ...

Versatility for salmon AND steelhead
Another question to ponder here: Are you using tiger prawns for both salmon and steelhead? If not, then how come? (Ok, I guess that's actually two questions).

If you've sat through any of my seminars are curing coon shrimp, tiger prawns etc., then you have heard me talk about the versatility of these bait,s and just how much you can do with them.

The first thing I like to remind folks is that fish absolutely love the little buggers. They're a very natural smelling and looking bait that fish very well raw with just a little salt and sugar (see my previous blog on KISS Tiger Prawns)

Having said that, let's go back into the Bait Lab to take our beloved tiger prawn to the next level.

Creating multiple baits with one cure/brine
For me at different times of the year, adding color to my tiger prawns is a way to create multiple options from just one simple bait. I can also create two different baits using just one color of Nectar.

If I soak my prawns, for example, in Blue Nectar, it will turn my prawn, very, very blue. An option that I like to use more often than not is to simply soak some with the shells peeled off and some with the shell left intact. For the prawn that are soaked in the Nectar with the shells removed, you'll notice the color penetrates the meat completely and makes the bait a very bold color.

For the prawn that I soak with the shells still on, however, the Nectar color of choice penetrates the meat around the edges, leaving the center of the prawn almost a natural color or just slightly colored by the Nectar. This creates a bait with great color contrast, which at times may be just the difference needed to stimulate a bite.

Boost your bait's versatility by strip-cutting it
Past practice for many is to chunk-cut your prawn like below, and use it while side drifting, drift fishing or even tip a jig with it every now and again.

Nothing wrong with chunk-cutting, but I like to change it up a bit and fish bait that has a little more natural action. I find that by simply cutting your prawn lengthwise down the center of the back, you end up with a very nice thin "prawn fillet" (see below). This strip of prawn fishes very, very well, whether it's side-drifted, drift-fished or left under a float. The thinness of the fillet allows the bait to tumble, flutter and roll, and in some respects float more naturally, so it more so resemble natural bait then just a chunk of meat tumbling along. 


How about to tip a jig, like below? Trust me, a strip-cut prawn on a jig is DEADLY.

Once you've mastered the skill of cutting your prawn baits into nice even prawn fillets, the next step is to cut them once again lengthwise, to create a nice long strip of prawn that resembles a very small worm. We know that pink worms (and actually multiple colors of worms) are extremely effective for steelhead and coho. Why not create your own colored mini-worm that has great scent properties?

When tipped on a jig, this "rainbow prawn worm" has the double bonus of scent AND action. You cannot get that by simply putting a chunk of prawn on your jig hook.

Final toughts (shhhhh, here's a secret)
I'll let you in on one additional secret before I sign off: If you do select the Red or Yellow Nectar, you'll also be adding UV to your tiger prawns, which may just be the difference you're looking for when fishing low light or off-colored water conditions.
-Duane Inglin

DUANE'S TIGER PRAWN RAINBOW RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
l1 bottle of Pautzke Nectar (any color) 
l1/4 cup non-iodized sea salt
l1/2 to 1 cup sugar (either white or natural)
l25 tiger prawns in the 51 to 60 count size

NOTES
24 hours and ready to go: I will generally soak tiger prawns for about 24 hours in my colored cure mixture and then they're ready to fish. The Pautzke’s Nectar adds the color and bite enhancements and the salt and sugars add the sweetness and durability that makes these little baits fish so good.

Sweeten up for steelhead: If you're curing tiger prawn for salmon, 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of sugar will do just fine, but I like to sweeten them up a bit for steelhead and add extra sugar: as much as 1/2 to 1 cup.

Storing your tiger prawns: I will fish my rainbow prawns right out of the soaking container the first trip out and cut as I go. If I have some left over and plan to fish within the next week or two, I can take the tiger prawn out of the cure and place them into a tupperware container and store them in my bait fridge. Just for test purposes, I have had tiger prawn cured in this exact recipe last in my bait fridge for up to four months and still fish very well.

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