A guide to buying bait eggs from Springhills

Springhills rainbow trout eggs have been a go-to for steelhead and salmon anglers for decades. They are bright. They are clean. They smell just right. And hundreds of anglers every year tell us they work.

Here is everything you need to know before your next trip to the river.

How we get these perfect little eggs

Spawning season runs from September to April every year. We spawn once a week, typically on Wednesdays. Our team works with the trout gently and collects the eggs by hand. Only rainbow trout are spawned at Springhills.

The main reason we’re spawning is to collect viable eggs that we hatch and grow for human consumption. If we have more eggs than we need that week, we offer them to anglers.

Two ways of buying bait eggs

1. Fresh uncured eggs

These are raw eggs directly from the fish. They never touch water, are unfertilized, and are very soft. (When a trout egg comes into contact with water, it assumes it has been fertilized and starts hardening the shell to protect what’s inside.)

Serious anglers often grab these because they want full control of their own curing recipe. Every angler seems to have their own secret method, and very few are willing to share!

Fresh uncured eggs last two to three days before they spoil. We recommend curing them shortly after receiving them.

How to order:

• $25 for a 225g container (half a pound). We accept cash or cheque at the farm, or e-transfer to orders@springhillstrout.ca.
• Ordering in advance is highly recommended, as we typically only collect enough eggs to fill orders.
• We typically spawn on Wednesdays, so these must be picked up at the farm Thursdays, Fridays, or the latest Saturday morning.
• Orders are also not guaranteed, as we are relying on mother nature and what the female spawners give us.
• To order, call us at 519-364-7803 or email us.

2. Frozen cured eggs

These are the workhorse of bait eggs. After collection, the eggs get a light saltwater rinse. This toughens the shells. Then we freeze them so they stay perfect for months. Anglers love them because they can thaw what they need and refreeze the rest. Bait companies also use this exact format for their own packaged products. We hear they can be unfrozen and refrozen without sacrificing quality.

How to order:

• $30 for a 454g container (one pound).
• You can order on our website, or visit our farm store.
• We deliver throughout most of southwestern Ontario on a monthly basis. Enter your postal code on our website to see when we’re delivering in your area.

Why anglers keep coming back

We hear from hundreds of anglers every year. Many send photos, messages and excited updates about how many steelhead or salmon they catch with these eggs — both the fresh uncured and frozen cured options.

The feedback is always the same. Clean eggs. Bright colour. Great scent. Fish cannot resist them!

The most common method of using them is tying small sacks of bait eggs (see a how-to).

Other important things to know

• Springhills eggs are not for human consumption
• Not fertilized, and will not hatch
• Only rainbow trout eggs are sold (no coho salmon or Arctic char)
• We do not sell eggs in the skein because we don’t euthanize fish to collect eggs
• As a licenced aquaculture facility, Springhills is legally allowed to sell rainbow trout eggs

Ready to fish smarter?

Whether you want soft uncured eggs for your secret recipe or ready to go frozen eggs for your next steelhead run, Springhills has the bait that anglers trust.