Catfish soap bait - a question for masterbaiters

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

I bet there are quite a few fishermen on here that may be able to help.

Recently, I learned about folks using lye soap as bait. From what I understand this practice was popularized during the depression era.

Chicken livers are usually my weapon of choice when Catfishing but as you know, they are hard to keep on the hook and smell like arse.

Anyone ever use soap for bait. From what I understand it has to be old school soap with lye in it in order to work.

Some folks are even selling special soap baits such as the "Redneck catfish bait"

Whats your experiences? Any secret soap bait or other bait recipes you would like to share?

 

[Zuljin]

Some people have an aversion to them, but we used to catch and eat the hell out of saltwater hard heads. Delish. They love shrimp. Fresh or not.

I was never much on fake bait, but those hard heads would bite on bright white rubber grubs too.

 

[BigPicture]

Catfish are the most boring fish in the world to go for. I've had good luck with chicken livers too but............... what do you do................... throw your line out............. and wait................................ and wait...................................... and wait................................................................. and wait some more.

Even when you do catch them they just sit on your line like 100 lbs of weight. No action. Just felt like a huge log on your line.

I do like fishing for them at night, campfire, few brews, party time. Then check your line in a few hours, "Oh look, I caught a fish!"

But then, I did see a fella on the delta with 20+ catfish in his boat. I must be doing sumptin wrong!

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

I do like fishing for them at night, campfire, few brews, party time. Then check your line in a few hours, "Oh look, I caught a fish!"

I enjoy catfishing for this reason.

Nothing more relaxing than a half dozen poles, case of brew, and a fire on a Friday night.

I'll have to disagree and say that larger catfish will put up a good fight.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I've heard about using soap as bait, never saw a reason to try it though. I like to use chicken livers, beef liver, or some sort of dough/stink bait like power bait or charlie type A. I've caught catfish on the aforementioned baits, crawdads, anchovies, cheese, leftover gutpile from deer season, fish guts/cutbait, just about anything strong smelling & food-like to a catfish can be a good bait.

Larger catfish WILL often put up a good fight, and they don't just hangout in slow, muddy water either. I've caught 'em in white water in a fast moving part of the Snake river over in ID. Biggest catfish I ever caught weighed 11lbs & came out of the Snake. I love catfishing at night with a lawn chair, a cooler full of beer & tasty snacks, and a bell on my pole.
Regards, GF.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

I've heard about using soap as bait, never saw a reason to try it though. I like to use chicken livers, beef liver, or some sort of dough/stink bait like power bait or charlie type A. I've caught catfish on the aforementioned baits, crawdads, anchovies, cheese, leftover gutpile from deer season, fish guts/cutbait, just about anything strong smelling & food-like to a catfish can be a good bait.

Larger catfish WILL often put up a good fight, and they don't just hangout in slow, muddy water either. I've caught 'em in white water in a fast moving part of the Snake river over in ID. Biggest catfish I ever caught weighed 11lbs & came out of the Snake. I love catfishing at night with a lawn chair, a cooler full of beer & tasty snacks, and a bell on my pole.
Regards, GF.

Thanks! I'll have to try some of these suggestions!

Iv'e been using chicken livers for years but for some strange reason, my hands itch, burn and peel the following days after handling them.

 

[Whsoj]

Get swmbo's mini muffin or quiche pan, spray it with pam. Put a chicken liver on each hook and pack it into the muffin hole with the hook sticking up and freeze.
Keep them in a bag in a cooler until you need them just change hooks you wont throw it off, and its pretty clean if you use swivel clips.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

Get swmbo's mini muffin or quiche pan, spray it with pam. Put a chicken liver on each hook and pack it into the muffin hole with the hook sticking up and freeze.
Keep them in a bag in a cooler until you need them just change hooks you wont throw it off, and its pretty clean if you use swivel clips.

Very nice! Thank you for the tip!!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Catfish are the most boring fish in the world to go for. I've had good luck with chicken livers too but............... what do you do................... throw your line out............. and wait................................ and wait...................................... and wait................................................................. and wait some more.

Even when you do catch them they just sit on your line like 100 lbs of weight. No action. Just felt like a huge log on your line.

I do like fishing for them at night, campfire, few brews, party time. Then check your line in a few hours, "Oh look, I caught a fish!"

But then, I did see a fella on the delta with 20+ catfish in his boat. I must be doing sumptin wrong!

If it's legal in your state, try a trotline and/or jugging (jug fishing) Catfishing is all about the bait & the wait.
Regards, GF.

 

[sweetcell]

where does one go to be a recognized master-baiter?

 

[BetterSense]

The reason soap CAN work is that traditional soap is basically a block of fat. It's not the lye or the soapiness that catches them, it's the dissolving fat-like substance. It will not work with modern synthetic-detergent soap (probably). I believe that Ivory soap is still made of fat and still floats.

I prefer nightcrawlers, livers (deer liver is tougher) and cut bait for channel catfish, and live bait, typically live bluegills, for BIG catfish.

 

[Whsoj]

bluegills[/B], for BIG catfish.

I agree with BetterSense bluegills are great bait for catfish but in my experiences dead or alive don't matter in NC.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

If it's legal in your state, try a trotline and/or jugging (jug fishing) Catfishing is all about the bait & the wait.
Regards, GF.

Jug fishing is a lot of fun, especially when you have a couple dozen jugs out in the water. Sit back, drink beer and wait for the jug to go skiing across the water.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

where does one go to be a recognized master-baiter?

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something.

At this rate, you would have to bait your own hook 1 hr per day, every day for 27.39 years. Once you hit this milestone you can call yourself a "Masterbaiter"

 

[sweetcell]

At this rate, you would have to bait your own hook 1 hr per day, every day for 27.39 years.

pfffff. i'm well ahead of that pace. i should be there in a week or two.

and once i am, where should i go? i thought about hanging out at the local high school. i'm sure someone there will recognize me as a masterbaiter.

 

[OrdinaryAvgGuy]

pfffff. i'm well ahead of that pace. i should be there in a week or two.

and once i am, where should i go? i thought about hanging out at the local high school. i'm sure someone there will recognize me as a masterbaiter.

Local highschool would be the place to hang out. I will look for you in the Rockville newspaper.