Tis the season to be busy like the ant! We just got done making up another batch of catfish doughballs & I had time to actually share the recipe!
Before you turn your nose up about a prepared bait, I used to be the same way. I always fished with live natural baits whether it was worms, perch, minnows, grasshoppers, etc. My husband turned me on to store bought baits that actually caught fish. Then we brainstormed and have been making our own ever since.
Basic Catfish Dough Bait Recipe
2C flour, 1C whatever flavoring chopped into fine pieces, 1/2C cornmeal, 1/2C water, 1/4C cooking oil, 3Tbspn salt
Mix ingredients until all incorporated and dough is a little tacky. Knead dough to build gluten. That’s what will hold it onto the hook! Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
Put a big pot of water on to boil and roll the dough into quarter sized balls. When the water is rapidly boiling, drop balls in and cook for about 60-90 seconds. Remove from water and set on a drying rack overnight.
You can use this basic recipe to make any type of bait you want. Depending on what flavoring you use, you may need to adjust the dry/wet ratio.
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