Catfish Dip Bait Recipes

One of the most consistent ways to catch catfish, especially the smaller catfish that are ideal for the dinner plate, is to use a dip bait. Dip baits can be made at home and are used with a sponge and treble-hook setup or with a bait tube rig, which is sometimes called a "worm."

Dip Bait Basics

Dip bait recipes result in fairly runny baits. When it is soaked into a sponge or used to fill a bait tube, it is gradually released into the water, creating an odor trail that will attract catfish.

Like almost all catfish baits, recipes for dip baits are fundamentally stink baits. There are a few basic odors upon which catfish anglers build their stink bait recipes, and usually the recipes start with some source of protein.

Cheesy Dip Bait

You can use a lot of different "add-ins" with cheese-based recipes. You also can start with different cheeses, but most begin by melting a processed cheese such as Velveeta or with a prepared nacho cheese dip.

As a good starting point, take a pound of melted cheese mix and add in about a half-pound of raw meat or fish, such as pork or perch. Chop up a full head of garlic and mix it in along with a good helping of garlic salt.

Add a can of dog food and about a dozen minnows. Many catfish anglers save their leftover minnows from previous fishing trips to use later in catfish baits.

Work enough flour into the mixture to give it a doughlike consistency, then blend the entire mixture in a food processor. Divide it up in bags and freeze it until you are ready to fish.

Fish based recipe

Save your dead baitfish until you have about 2 pounds. On an outside stove, boil the fish in a quart of water for about 10 minutes. Add a quart of soured milk, two packets of dry yeast and a half-pound of blue cheese.

Gradually begin to work in small amounts of flour until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Once it has cooled, put it in a gallon container, like an old paint can. Cover it with cheesecloth, and let it ripen outside for several days.

Divide and freeze the batch when it is ready. This recipe works well as either a dip bait or sponge bait.

Liver recipes

Of all the proteins used in catfish baits, chicken liver probably is the most popular. Many fishermen bait their hooks with chicken livers.

A simple approach for a liver dip bait is to take 2 pounds of chicken livers and allow them to sit outside for a few hours. Next, puree the entire batch. Finally, put the livers in a tightly covered bucket and allow them to sit outside for about 10 days.

During the pureeing process you can add other scented attractants such as anise oil or powdered garlic.

References

• Catfish Bait Recipes: Homemade Catfish Bait
• Catfishing Home: Homemade Dip Baits