Homemade catfish baits

greengiant

Button Buck
Was thinking of making a homemade easy and cheap catfish bait for fishing river park north in greenville. Saw several nice cats(guessing 5 to 8lbs) following a topwater a few weeks back and thought I'd give them a try some day soon. Want something quick and easy and was looking at the jello and garlic powdered hot dogs. Anyone ever tried that and have any success?

Hello everyone, thanks for allowing me membership. This will be my first attempt at making a positive contribution to the forum. My wife's dad, after retiring, moved down to and lived on Lake Blackshear in Georgia and one of his friends and neighbors was an old retired commercial fisherman who went catfishing nearly every day. He always caught cats. Since my ole daddy-in-law was his friend, he showed me what he was using. I have since used his method with considerable success.
(1) Get a few "small cube" ice trays (I find the plastic ones with 1" holes at Walmart), put a couple of bars of plain ole Ivory Soap in a metal bowl, sit it on top of a pot of boiling water till it melts, add a dab or two of chopped & mashed up fresh garlic and a little strawberry Jello or Kool-Aid powder, stir it all up real good. (while you are waiting on the soap to melt, stand a circle hook up in each hole in the trays) When melted and stirred up, pour the melted soap mixture into the trays. Be sure as it starts to firm up a little, stand the hooks up strait. I make a bunch of them ahead, put them in the freezer. Take out what you think you will need the day before so they can thaw and get warm. What you don't use that day, put back in the freezer. I've used some that were frozen the year before and were still just as good as fresh.
(2) Cut up an old pair of pantie hose into around 4 to 6 inch squares, place a blob of chicken liver in the center, fold up the corners and tie it into a tight ball with fishing line, trim off the excess ends, let them set out a day or so till they begin to stink. Then, simply thread them onto your hook like you would any other bait. Stinks and is messier than the soap, but, it works.
No guarantee guys, but, they worked for him and they work for me. I sure hope they will work for anyone of you who try it.
Again, thanks for admitting me.
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
smaller brean/sunfish always worked the best for us..... a few red wigglers and a half an hour , you've got a stringer full of lively bait !
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Yep
Plan to head out several times over the next 5 days.
Have some perch and Bluegill already to go and carry worms for more bait.
 

kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
Headed to buckhorn dam this after noon to give hot dogs and grape koolaid a go. Also have fat back soaking in the cool aid also. If that fails I guess I will get the little hooks out and catch a brem. Hopefully have some chub photos to show.

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Headed to buckhorn dam this after noon to give hot dogs and grape koolaid a go. Also have fat back soaking in the cool aid also. If that fails I guess I will get the little hooks out and catch a brem. Hopefully have some chub photos to show.

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Those baits are going to target the smaller cats around 2 to 8 lbs. Goodluck, I wouldn't expect much more than a small channel cat tho.
 

kilerhamilton

Old Mossy Horns
I’d stay home, grill the hotdogs, fry the fatback and make popsicles with the koolaid
I cooked some slab fat back yesterday and chewed on it all day at work, pounded water.
The water at buck horn is shallow. We paddled down 1000yds or so and finally found some head deep pockets.
Hot dogs In Kool aid came in behind good o chicken liver. Caught 9 12-18" fish
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Last edited:

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
The water at buck horn is shallow. We paddled down 1000yds or so and finally found some head deep pockets.


back when I was running with a rowdier crowd, in April/early May each year we would put in at Lillington and fish all the way to the shallows below Buckhorn dam and then back down,,,,caught many a catfish on those runs,,,we'd start at about 8:30AM or so and fish till early afternoon,,,then cook,,,,

fun fun area,,,but don't fall in love with your prop,,,,LOTS of rocks between those two locations,,,,,game wardens used jet drives,,,,likely still do
 

Buffet Trout

Twelve Pointer
Set fresh shrimp in a ziplock bag in the sun until it begins to turn a little pink...then throw on ice and head to the water

Have had excellent results with this bait and circle hooks on jug lines
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
The 2 best baits other than live fish is cutbait srayed in Garlic spray. Garlic spay works waaaaaaaay better than garlic powder but dont try and freeze anything with the spray on it. It is tooooooo strong so use the powder to put on anything you freeze.

the other thing is to buy a clove of garlic, buy a tub of nighcrawlers 3 days before you fish. use 1/4 of clove and chop fine . sprinkle with worm and they will eat it during those 3 days. on the day you fish you have nightcrawlers that have a strong garlic scent. The late great Bill Gammon put me on Garlic 25 years ago.
 
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