was it raw or cooked?
Bacon
bacon is officially my new favorite bait, took it out the other night to try it and caught about five fish one being about 7 pounds my best so far, and my pole almost got drug in countless times, and my friends little brither finnaly caught his first catfish on his own and it was a 3 and a half pound blue, seems like this stuff drives the fish nuts
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i used it raw , i took half a strip and rolled it up and put it on the hook the channels and blues seem to love it
I have never thought of using bacon before sounds like a great idea. It probably gave off a bunch of oils and the cats love the oils.
I tried raw bacon years ago and caught mostly big snapping turtles on it.
ive never caught turtles on it yet, onlything ive caught turtles on is hot dogs and live chubs
A couple of years ago, I took the grandkids out fishing at a guy's catfish pond. The weather was so hot that the fish had quit eating catfish food when he put it out first thing of a morning, so we didn't expect to do as well as we had hoped. Sure enough, the cats wouldn't hit frozen skipjack, cured chicken liver, or any of several other baits I had brought along. Finally, I got down to the last bait I had brought along, which was about 1/2# of bacon that had set in the fridge so long we were afraid to eat it. I was surprised how well it stayed on the hook, and we not only got enough fish for the pond owner to have a couple of fish frys, but we released about as many as we caught.
That got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing). Bacon is pork (high-level thinking). Maybe other pork parts would catch catfish, too. About this same time, I was wandering through a cut-rate grocery store, and saw a 10# bucket of chitlings for $4.99. I cut the chitlings up into bait sized pieces, and separated them into ziploc bags with about a pound or so in each bag. I put garlic powder in one bag, and 3 shrimp flavor packets (from Ramen noodles) into another bag. I put the rest of the chitlings back for later 'doctoring'. The first time I used them, we couldn't catch any fish using skipjack or cured liver, but we did very well using the chitlings. It didn't seem to make any difference whether we used the garlic flavored ones, or the shrimp flavored ones. Since then, I've found that, like any other bait, chitlings isn't always going to be the best bait. In order of preference, I like fresh skipjack, fresh shad, frozen skipjack, and cured chicken liver. But one great thing about chitlings is that they will stay on the hook better than any other bait you've ever used. Last spring, I did try some 1/2" cubes of unflavored salt pork, and I think they will stay on a hook about as well as the chitlings; I just haven't given them an overnight try yet. We did catch a 16# blue on the salt pork; it was the only keeper catfish caught that day.
That got me to thinking (always a dangerous thing). Bacon is pork (high-level thinking). Maybe other pork parts would catch catfish, too. About this same time, I was wandering through a cut-rate grocery store, and saw a 10# bucket of chitlings for $4.99. I cut the chitlings up into bait sized pieces, and separated them into ziploc bags with about a pound or so in each bag. I put garlic powder in one bag, and 3 shrimp flavor packets (from Ramen noodles) into another bag. I put the rest of the chitlings back for later 'doctoring'. The first time I used them, we couldn't catch any fish using skipjack or cured liver, but we did very well using the chitlings. It didn't seem to make any difference whether we used the garlic flavored ones, or the shrimp flavored ones. Since then, I've found that, like any other bait, chitlings isn't always going to be the best bait. In order of preference, I like fresh skipjack, fresh shad, frozen skipjack, and cured chicken liver. But one great thing about chitlings is that they will stay on the hook better than any other bait you've ever used. Last spring, I did try some 1/2" cubes of unflavored salt pork, and I think they will stay on a hook about as well as the chitlings; I just haven't given them an overnight try yet. We did catch a 16# blue on the salt pork; it was the only keeper catfish caught that day.
I'm going out this afternoon hunting blues, I think i will give it a shot seems like it would do pretty good.Often thought about useing it now i have read this i think i wll give it a shot.
it works great for me and catches some decent size fish, let me know how u do using it
Bacon works very well i got my largest catfish on bacon. i like to lightly warm it in the microwave to get the oils init going then put it in a zip lock bag.
Seems to work better that way.
Seems to work better that way.
i never thought of microwaving it and using it, i might have to try that one
When you warm it in the microwave don't warm it till it's stiff as a borad just warm lightly just enuff to get the oils active slightly warm to the touch should do just fine. you want it to stay to where you can still roll it.
alright ill remember that
Ok brother keep us posted as to how well it works for you in your area.
I have used cracklins as chum with some success. I haven't put any on a hook but I probably should. I get mainly beef cracklins but I could easily get pork. For those of you who don't know, cracklins are beef (or pork) fat cooked in a kettle with the grease cooked off. They leave a oily scent trail when used as chum. My dogs love them and I bet catfish would too at certain times.
ive never heard of cracklins before
Yep i know what they are my family use to make them also. and i have used them before in a bait that i was making and your right they work well.
I like to crush them up and use them in with some type of cheese or something like that.
And then adding alittle table salt and mixing it well. if it gets to thick for you theres always cooking oil that will thin it to where you would like it to be.
I like to crush them up and use them in with some type of cheese or something like that.
And then adding alittle table salt and mixing it well. if it gets to thick for you theres always cooking oil that will thin it to where you would like it to be.
that sounds like they would work, do u think pork rinds or somthing like that would be a good thing to add to a homemade bait?
I have used pork rinds before. i like to do one or 2 things with the crush them and mix them in or soak them in liver blood and then mix them in.
Another thing i have had good luck with when chasing trophy size channel catfish is the fat round somked sauage cut into 1 and a half inch links.
Another thing i have had good luck with when chasing trophy size channel catfish is the fat round somked sauage cut into 1 and a half inch links.
im heading out fishing tonight, im gonna take some livers and bacon and see how i do this time, cant wait to reel in a big one
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