CREATE YOUR OWN CATFISH BAIT USING HOT DOGS AND JELLO

[Graybeard]

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/create-catfish-bait-hot-dogs-jello/



Posted by Randall Bonner


Create your own catfish bait with ingredients easily found at any grocery store.
While catfish will take a wide a variety of baits, this secret for creating your own catfish bait with ingredients easily found on the shelves of your local grocer is not only cleaner and inexpensive, but it produces results.

This bait curing technique has been around for quite some time, and Luke from CatsandCarp.com explains his technique for creating the bait and rigging that will provide the best presentation for it.

Watch the video below for step-by-step instructions on how they are made.

https://youtu.be/N7vNeNHz1Dc


First, make a grocery list with cheap hot dogs (they don't need to be fancy or plump when you cook 'em), strawberry or grape jello (these are Luke's favorites), garlic powder and some sort of container.

Prepare the hot dogs by cutting them in half. Then place the hotdogs, one package of jello, and a generous heavy-handed helping of garlic powder to the container and make sure that the contents are evenly distributed.

The color will not show immediately, but after the hot dogs marinate in the jello overnight, you'll see a difference.

To bait the hotdogs on a hook, use a spearing needle to thread the hot dog, grabbing the snell loop of a 4/0 Gamakatsu Circle Hook. Pulling the snell leader through until the hook sets into place at the other end of the hotdog.

Using a quick-clip or duolock clip, attach the snell loop to a swivel tied to your mainline. A sliding weight of some sort above the swivel will allow the catfish to take the bait and move with it freely without being hindered by the weight, which may cause the fish to spit the bait before you can set the hook. Give it a try this year and start catching more catfish!

[BUGEYE]

That will indeed catch cats, but, sometimes when you make a hard cast the hot dog will fly off.
But if you use chicken breast, it's much tougher and will stay on the hook much better.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Dee]

I didn't like the hotdogs either. I buy a bag of chicken breasts, cut'em into bait sizes chunks, and dump'em into ziploc baggies.
I use strawberry jello and mix in garlic powder. I leave the bags in the fridge for a week, then freeze'em.
I take a bag out as needed.

[Buckskin]

I like the chicken breast idea.  I can see the hotdogs not staying on very well...

But that gives me an idea. We use hotdogs for pike under the ice. Put a hotdog on a treble so it sits horizontally, works great!  I've seen +40" pike caught on them.  Cheap and effective as smelt.  I think I may try dying them with red food coloring, might even try the jello/garlic powder.

[Dee]

The garlic/strawberry jello is a good attractor for cats. The smell lasts a while.