How to Make Your Own Catfish Lye Soap
Catfish have been known to bite at almost anything you put on a hook and throw in the water. One of the strangest baits that catfish seem to love is soap. A simple homemade soap made with nothing but lye, lard, water and strong aromatics such as garlic seem to work the best. Making a lye soap bait will end up saving you money when compared to buying bait. The best thing about this type of bait is that you can make a large batch and store the leftovers for several months.
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Things You'll Need
- 4-quart container
- 3 cups water
- 12 oz. lye
- 6 lbs. lard
- 12-quart stainless steel pot
- Wooden spoon
- Thermometer
- 2 garlic heads
Instructions
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1
Pour 3 cups of water into the 4-quart container. Use a container that is capable of withstanding high temperatures, such as stainless steel. Do not use a container made of plastic.
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2
Add 12 ounces of lye to the water. Stir the mixture until the lye completely dissolves. The lye will cause the water to rapidly heat up.
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3
Set the mixture aside for 30 minutes until it cools down to room temperature.
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4
Peel both heads of garlic. Mince the garlic and set it aside.
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5
Melt the lard in a 12-quart stainless-steel pot at medium heat. Remove it from the heat once all of the lard melts.
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6
Check the temperature of the lard frequently with the thermometer. When the temperature cools down to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, add the lye mixture.
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7
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it reaches the consistency of pudding. This can take up to an hour to complete.
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8
Add the garlic once the mixture reaches the pudding consistency. The smell of garlic is known to attract catfish.
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9
Pour the soap mixture into a large plastic container. Empty milk jugs or soda bottles work well for this.
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10
Let the soap sit until it hardens--three to four days in most cases.
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Tips & Warnings
Most types of strong scents can be added to the soap and attract catfish. Try using fish guts, anise or onions.
If lye comes in contact with your skin, wash it off immediately. Lye may cause damage to any type of surface it touches. Do not breathe the fumes that lye produces. Do not use the pots for cooking after using them to make soap.
