The Best Catfish Bait Recipe

The best catfish bait recipes stink. Yes, they smell bad, but must be durable, too. These are the bait qualities needed to catch these freshwater bottom-feeders--something smelly enough to draw the fish's attention and tough enough to stay on the hook until it strikes. Follow these strategies to make your own stink baits.

Mix the ingredients, hold your nose

Catfish find food using their sense of smell. As bottom-feeders, their eyesight is poor, so bait must smell strong enough to grab their attention. This recipe will help you do just that.

Crumble a pound of old, moldy cheese into a bowl, then add 8 ounces of chicken livers, cutting each liver into 4 pieces. Save the blood in the container of chicken livers.

Mix in about 1/2 cup of corn starch, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup of cornmeal to thicken your bait.

Garlic might keep vampires at bay, but it also drives catfish crazy. Add 1/2 cup of powdered garlic and whip the mixture in a bowl until it is the consistency of pizza dough.

Form and freeze your catfish bait

You'll need both hands to do this, so breathe through your mouth, dip both hands in your bait recipe and start forming the mixture into balls. Shape them to the size of meatballs and arrange on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Slowly drizzle the chicken blood over these stink baits so that it absorbs into the balls, then shake garlic powder liberally over each bait.

Freeze the baits in plastic bags if you won't be going fishing for a while, or place it in bags and refrigerate if you're headed out on the water later today or tomorrow.

Fishing with stinkbaits

Bury a #2 treble hook in one of your stink baits and attach to the end of your line. For lake and pond fishing, attach a 1/2 ounce pear sinker and cast away. In rivers, use a pyramid sinker to hold your bait on the bottom.

Give the bait time to dissipate some of its foul smell, then keep an eye on your rod tip or float.

References

• Bait recipes