How to Make Flavored Dough Balls for Fish Bait
Carp and catfish are both bottom scavengers that eat an omnivorous diet. While these fish eat plants, they prefer insects, worms and crustaceans. Dough balls with dog food or other meat mixed into them make good carp and catfish bait. However, these fish also have a sweet tooth. Dough balls sweetened with sugar, molasses, syrup or flavored gelatin make effective bait for catching carp and catfish. Dough balls, sometimes called boilies, can be prepared ahead and refrigerated.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 2 cups water
- 2-qt. saucepan
- Long-handled wooden spoon
- 4 tbsp. dark, thick syrup or molasses
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
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1
Mix together flour and cornmeal. Add water and stir into a paste.
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2
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. This basic mixture is called a boilie.
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3
Use natural rather than synthetic flavorings and scents in fish bait. Add flavorings. Use vanilla and cinnamon to give a scent to the dough balls to attract fish. Add syrup or molasses. Stir.
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4
Carp and catfish also like dough ball bait made with cheese in them. Return to the heat and continue to cook until the mixture becomes dough-like. Turn off the heat and take a teaspoon of dough and make a ball. Throw the ball onto the counter or table. If the dough ball does not bounce at least an inch, cook the mixture longer.
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5
Form the dough mixture into balls approximately the size of a nickel. Cool completely. Refrigerate in plastic, sealed bags.
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Tips & Warnings
Try different types of ingredients in your basic flour and cornmeal dough. Fishing experts switch up bait recipes every few weeks to keep the fish from becoming knowledgeable about the bait and refusing to bite.
References
Resources
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