Prepared Catfish Bait

[Don]

My homemade prepared baits do not stay on the bait holders very well as commercial dip bait. Does anyone know if there is something to add to the bait to make it stickier?

[fishinwrench]

Cotton and honey. Or I've heard pancake syrup.

[MOPanfisher]

Would corn starch thicken it up?  Or maybe gelatin?  Sorry old carp fisherman in me came out for a minute.

[Quillback]

As mentioned in the other thread, add in some Wheaties.  Stuff is like glue.

[MOPanfisher]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

As mentioned in the other thread, add in some Wheaties.  Stuff is like glue.

Dang I forgot about wheaties, I suppose it's the gluten on it?  Can you buy gluten?  I mean they gotta do something all the gluten from gluten free stuff.  Wheaties was always a key ingredient in our carp baits, mixed right it stays on well.

Wheat gluten adds bouncy - chewy texture to yeast breads and can be used as a binding agent to make meatloaf - veggie burgers and even tofu

I had to know so I searched and yes you can buy a pound of wheat gluten for like $5.  Now that I know that, well nothing will change but I do know it now.

[Mitch f]

One story I remember Al Agnew telling was of an old river guy that Al used to fish with. He said they would pull up to a rock dike and put out the rods. If they didn’t get a bite in less than 5 minutes, they would pick up and go elsewhere. That shows the ability of a catfish to smell and track down their prey.

[MOPanfisher]

LOL was never a real catfisherman, we usually catfished while listening to a ballgame on the truck radio.  Or we were trot lining etc.  I think I have tried about everything I could think of when younger for bait.  Worst was catalpa worms, supposed to be irresistible to catfish, picked a bunch on a neighbors catalpa tree and I think we caught one bluegill, only tried them once though, maybe it was just a bad day.

[Gavin]

Gluten comes from grains. Wheat, barley, etc...Flour or cornstarch will thicken anything...a binder like cottonseed cake or cotton might make it last a bit longer, or just thread a chunk of sponge on a hook. Catfish are easy if you are on some...No bite in 5 minutes, move.  Cheap Bar-S hot dogs on a circle hook do the trick if I set up forked sticks for catfish. About $2 for 50 bait chunks and no smell. Sonny's is great, but you smell like heck for week if it ever touches your skin. You can usually smell a cat-fisher before you see him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[oneshot]

Was skinning several Skunks. Was at the store. One woman says I smell a Skunk. Me I look around and say I do too. LOL 

But Skunks in ‘71 were bringing $3.50. Coons top dollar was $50.

oneshot

[fishinwrench]

I was getting 10.00 plus a cup of hot chocolate to scoop snow off a sidewalk in '71, took about 20 minutes.

How many skunks can you kill and skin in 20 minutes ?    You'd a done better picking up soda bottles. 😅