| There use to be a time when people fished for | | | | One can of 100% lye – 12 oz |
| catfish out of necessity. They needed food and | | | | 6 pounds of animal fat or lard |
| used whatever means to catch their next meal. | | | | 3 cups of water |
| Many different types of bait were tried along with | | | | The lye must be poured into the water. You do |
| many homemade concoctions. | | | | not want to pour water onto the lye. While adding |
| It turns out that one of the simplest and | | | | the lye into the water, stir to dissolve. Be careful |
| effective baits used to catch catfish is a bar of | | | | of any fumes and splatters of lye water. Allow |
| lye soap. The old timers still swear by it and | | | | the lye water to sit as it adjusts to room |
| maybe some of modern anglers think it’s an | | | | temperature. |
| urban legend. Maybe the only way to verify is to | | | | Melt the animal fat in a glass bowl. Make sure that |
| try it out. | | | | the bowl is made for stove top cooking or boiling. |
| The problem with modern day soap being used as | | | | Once melted, allow to cool to around 90-95 |
| catfish bait is that it is ineffective in catching | | | | degrees Fahrenheit. |
| catfish. It may actually be a repellent because it is | | | | Start mixing the fat with a wooden spoon and |
| filled with perfumes, chemicals, and other | | | | slowly pour the lye water into the fat. Don’t |
| additives. | | | | stop stirring until mixture begins to thicken. You |
| You can still find natural lye soap through niche | | | | are looking for a consistency similar to pudding. |
| retailers. However, when you make your own | | | | This mixing process may take up to an hour |
| soap catfish bait, you are also able to customize | | | | depending on temperature and purity of |
| the bait by adding additional ingredients to entice | | | | ingredients. |
| the catfish to bite. And making your own catfish | | | | You may add additional ingredients, at this point, |
| bait is more fun and rewarding. | | | | to help attract catfish. Popular additives include |
| Making catfish soap bait is kind of easy to make. | | | | anise extract, garlic salt, garlic powder, gelatin |
| The ingredients needed are water, lye, and animal | | | | mixes, juice from can of corn. |
| fat (beef, pork or lard). Lye is also known as | | | | Pour the mixture into glass bowls, soap molds, or |
| sodium hydroxide. It must be noted that lye must | | | | the bottom of cut milk containers. The soap |
| be used with caution. Read the label for all | | | | needs at least three to four days to harden. |
| warnings and the correct ways of handling. | | | | Secret formulas for catfish baits were developed |
| Lye also reacts with certain metals so that it is | | | | through trial and error and using lye soap as a |
| highly recommended that the catfish bait soap be | | | | base for your personal catfish bait is a good |
| mixed in glass or plastic. Lye can be found | | | | starting point. You are encouraged to experiment |
| wherever drain cleaners are sold. The product | | | | by adding additional ingredients to the catfish soap |
| must be 100% lye – no additives. Liquid drain | | | | bait. It is very possible that you will hit upon the |
| cleaners are not acceptable. | | | | next legendary catfish bait soap that will win |
| Material list is as follows: | | | | competitions and fill your stringer full of fish. |