Some better known examples of catfish punch baits
are Danny King's, Sure Shot and
C.J.'s
To use this stuff you can use a slip
sinker rig or a three
way rig with a #4 or #6 treble hook. You simply punch your hook down
into the bait, wiggle it around a little, and pull the hook out of the bait
at a 45 degree angle. What results is your hook coming out with a glob of
this mess on it. You only have to have enough to cover the hook. It stays
on the hook well and the catfish love it! (Just a tip, the bigger the hook,
the easier it is to bait it).
You can use a stick, wooden spoon or anything else
long and skinny (I would not recommend fingers) to get your hook punched
in the bait. I use a paint stir stick most of the time to punch my hook
in. You want to try to keep this off your hands as much as possible, but
if you do get it on you, fast orange hand cleaner will help get rid of the
smell.
This is primarily a bait for rod and reels but
I have heard of a few people using it on trotlines
or juglines. I do
not know how well it would work on these devices, but I intend to give it
a try.
Sure Shot punch bait is not available in stores,
to get it you will have to visit Benny Roberts at his website, and then
call him so he can ship it to you, or make a drive up to Decatur Texas and
buy it from Benny's house. Either way, give Benny a call and he will get
you taken care of.
This is a true home made catfish bait / punch bait...
Benny catches, gathers and mixes the ingredients for his bait by himself
at his home in Decatur Texas.
No fancy containers because Benny is from the old
school -- it's the product, not the packaging that makes the difference
on the water
Gizzard Shad and Threadfin Shad
Shad are an excellent option for all types of catfish.
They work well on rod and reel, juglines and trotlines also. If fishing
with shad, it is best to use either fresh live or dead shad, or catch your
shad the day before and keep them on ice. You cannot buy live shad at most
bait shops because they are very difficult to keep alive. Many baitshops
sell frozen shad but they are often hard to use because when they begin
to thaw they do not stay on the hook well. The frozen shad are also not
anywhere near the fish catchers that live or freshly dead shad are. Something
happens in the freezing process that changes things. I do not know what
it is that happens but the frozens simply do not attract as many fish.
Gizzard Shad and Threadfin Shad are readily available
in most creeks, rivers and lakes. Ocasionally they can be a little difficult
to find, but for the most part they are available. They need to be caught
with a cast net which is a cheap device for catching lots of different baitfish.
It takes a little getting used to throwing a cast net, but it is a fairly
simply process once you get the feel for it, my advice is, don't worry about
how you look, just get it thrown out there. You may see me out on the banks
lobbing a castnet into the water. I am convinced that seeing a 6'6"
lanky fella' spinning around on the bank like a six year old ballerina hurling
a net into the water would probably score well in america's funniest home
videos.
Shad should be hooked with a good sharp hook through
the tail or below the dorsal fin (I prefer the tail) and can also be cut
with a knife to attract fish. You can also "thread" shad on a
hook (similar to a worm).
When handling shad make sure your hands are clean
and having your hands wet when you handle them will keep them alive longer.
The less you handle them the better off you are. If you are not keeping
them in the water you need to to have an aerated livewell or bucket. Either
way they die pretty quick. Adding some non-iodized salt to your livewell
or bait bucket will also help keep them alive if you wish. I have heard
the ratio of 1/2 cup of salt to 5 gallons of water but I have never worried
much about this, so I am not sure of the ratio or the effectiveness.
If you catch your shad the day before fishing take
a cooler full of ice and ice them down on fresh clean ice for the next days
fishing. If you are fishing live shad make sure you have a good bait bucket.
Night Crawlers
Night crawlers work well for many types of kitties.
They can be used on rod and reel, trotlines and juglines. They are abundant
and you can dig for them or buy them at your local bait shop. They are cheap
and easy to keep alive. You can even build a worm farm and keep them around
the house so you will have them at any time. There are several places on
the internet where you can purchase nightcrawlers in bulk and they are even
cheaper than the bait shops. You may even have them in your yard if you
go looking for them.
Fishing with night crawlers you simply thread the
worm on the hook. Make sure you get it hooked on there really well because
if there is a long loose end hanging off there the catfish will suck that
bait off the hook before you know what hit ya'.
Shiners or Minnows
Large minnows or shiners are good baits also. Dead
or alive they will work either way. You can hook them through the tail or
below the dorsal fin (again, I prefer the tail) and use on rod and reel,
trotlines or juglines. They are readily available for purchase and are fairly
inexpensive, and they can also be caught using nets, seines or traps.
Shrimp
Bait shrimp is another option. Bait shrimp is readily
available at bait shops and grocery stores and is fairly inexpensive. It
is a good bait for drift fishing and can be used as a stand alone or with
scent added. Many people soak shrimp in vanilla, anise oil, garlic oil and
a number of other scents to add to their bait. The biggest drawback I have
seen with this bait is it can be difficult to keep on the hook once it thaws
and gets wet.
One fella once told me how expensive fishin' with
shrimp is. The readers digest version of this story is THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN BAIT SHRIMP AND REGULAR SHRIMP. Bait shrimp is not the stuff you
buy at the counter at your local grocer. It usually comes in boxes and has
the heads and tails still on. The outside of the box says "Not for
Human Consumption". Bait shrimp usually runs around $2 a box.
Chicken Livers
Chicken livers have been a long time favorite among
anglers. They are cheap and available at just about any grocery store or
bait shop in town. They work well but the biggest disadvantage is they are
very hard to keep on the hook. Once they hit the water they start to break
down and they fall off (or get pulled off by a kitty or turtle). Chicken livers are best fished with a treble
hook.
Dip Baits
Dip baits are another option. Using a dip bait
you have to use a sponge or dip bait rig to keep the bait on the hook. These
smell pretty bad, just like the punch baits but work well. You have to work
with them some and sometimes have to "stiffen up" the consistancy
sometimes to keep the bait on the hook. There are several options available
on the market and they are readily available for purchase at just about
any bait shop or tackle store.
Bait Soaps
People have used soap as baits for years. Catches
Blue's and Channels very well, easy to use and stays on the hook. Great
for juglines and trotlines.
You take chunks of the soap and thread it onto
the hooks so the tip sticks out of the of the soap and start your fishing.
Crawfish are an excellent catfish bait. If you
cannot catch them yourself with a trap, they can be expensive to buy, but
it all depends on the market value. I have seen them as cheap as $2 a dozen
and as expensive as $5 for one crawfish one summer.
In my experience crawfish work best if you pull
the pinchers off if you are going to fish them on the bottom. Otherwise
they will crawl around and get you tied up. If you choose to keep the pinchers
on, keep the bait off the bottom with a three way rig or bobber rig.
Crawfish should be hooked through the tail when
used whole, or you can cut the tail off and then thread the tail onto a
hook.
Bluegill, Sunfish and Perch
These are excellent baits for catching flatheads.
These are the baits that go after the big un's. Simply catch them and hook
them under the dorsal fin so they will stay alive and make lots of noise.
This calls the fish in for their meal.
Other Stuff/More Info
There are numerous other baits out there to purchase
or make yourself. I have even caught catfish on hot dogs numerous times,
you just never know what might work. The best thing to do is try the different
baits out and see what works best for you. There are tons of dip baits and
dough baits and various other concoctions on the market for you to try.
I can tell you that shad, minnows, shrimp, chicken livers, perch, sunfish,
bluegills Redneck's Catfish Bait Soap and Sure Shot Catfish Punch Bait are
all tried and true baits that have been used for years.
Make sure you always have options. Try a bait and
see if it works, if you are not getting bites, throw another line in the
water and try a different bait. Every once in a while the fish are picky
and you just have to present some options to them.
