# Using soap for baiting lines for catfish



## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I have baited my bush hooks with Ivory soap for years. Today I decided to melt some down and add scent. One batch has garlic powder and the other puree chicken livers. Poured the results into ice cube trays. I don't know if the heat from melting the soap will have any affect on the scent. May have partially cooked the chicken livers. Wonder if I should have added salt? Next batch will be puree mullet guts and maybe Sonny's dip bait. May work better or may not work better than plain soap.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Natural baits will always be the best. But soap may catch a few.


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## born2fizh (Feb 6, 2008)

I use plain ole ivory.. works pretty good.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I might like to take a bath with that garlic one, mix up one with onions and peppers!


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Nothing is better than a river shiner, but sometimes bait is hard to catch so I like to have alternatives. Have used Ivory for years. Might not catch the big ones, but I go after eating size. Some nights they only bite soap and nothing else and then some nights they bite everything but soap.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I think they like soap because of the way it melts and keeps a consistent scent trail. I was always gonna buy some uns center soap, melt it, add blood and pour it on a tray to cut up. I guess that's what you did so it sounds good


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

If you gonna use soap, ZOTE beats ivory hands down. It's 66% animal fat, I guess that's why it works well, always had better luck using it in moving water rather than a still lake, I think the white soap flashing in the current gets em to bite .


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

It sounds like to me that you guy's are using soap for bush hooks. If it works there it should work with rod and reel. Has anyone used in on rod/reel with any success. Just curious. I'm not a bush hooker unless I go with someone who is and will do that Wednesday night on the Choctaw. 

As an alternative I tried soaking some cut mullet in menhaden oil. Only tried it twice. It did work but only so-so. Not sure if the bite was not all that good or they just didn't fancy it all that much.

So, I now have some skipjack oil to marinate some mullet in today for a test tomorrow. Will see how this goes. Will try the skipjack oil with some other baits eventually.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I did a head to head RandR comparison one night off the dock. Ivory vs cut bluegill. Soap worked just as well as fresh cut - I didn't catch anything on either


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

Where did you get that skipjack oil? Would like to add that to melted soap. It is hard to test baits because they might just not bite the night you try it.


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

I've used ivory, but wanted to find zote. With soap, you're almost only going to catch cats, not turtles or gars or other stuff


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Try'n Hard said:


> I did a head to head RandR comparison one night off the dock. Ivory vs cut bluegill. Soap worked just as well as fresh cut - I didn't catch anything on either


Now that's the kind of scientific comparison I like to hear about. Fair and balanced!


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

sure said:


> I've used ivory, but wanted to find zote. With soap, you're almost only going to catch cats, not turtles or gars or other stuff


Walmart carries Zote. Will get and try some. I get turtles and eels with cut bait and shrimp, but doing good on cats with shrimp.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> Where did you get that skipjack oil? Would like to add that to melted soap. It is hard to test baits because they might just not bite the night you try it.


grizzlyjig.com


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I have tried Zote and didn't see any difference, but if Dooler says it is better I will definitely take his advice. Fishwalton I could not find the oil on the site.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> I have tried Zote and didn't see any difference, but if Dooler says it is better I will definitely take his advice. Fishwalton I could not find the oil on the site.



I have their catalog and it's on the back page back cover. You may have to call them it it's not on their website, or get a catalog which takes a little time.


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## Gotfw (May 10, 2013)

*Soap*

We always used Octagon soap. It is usually in country stores.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

billyb said:


> I have tried Zote and didn't see any difference, but if Dooler says it is better I will definitely take his advice. Fishwalton I could not find the oil on the site.


Lol, just because it works here for me, doesn't mean it'll do the same for you! 

I do quite a bit of cat fishing, (limb lining, trot lining, jugging) , one night we went I was out of deer liver, (my fav bait) so we had some ivory and ZOTE , we put out about 100 hooks, and tried to put equal amounts of each out, the ZOTE caught twice the fish that night..... May have been coincidence, may not have been, but ivory stays at the house now for me!


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I saved all of my deer livers. So far they have not produced for me. Those catfish in MS must have a different diet.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

I got a place in monroeville that makes and sells home made soap - they claim it's an Amish recipe but they all look Mexican to me - I'm thinking it has a lot of lard in it. I may pick up some and give it a try


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

fishwalton said:


> Now that's the kind of scientific comparison I like to hear about. Fair and balanced!


I wonder if I could get a government grant to help fund my research?:thumbup:


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

billyb said:


> I saved all of my deer livers. So far they have not produced for me. Those catfish in MS must have a different diet.


Was talking to a friend today who went out to Lake Cassidy recently and put out two trot lines using small chunks of beef liver. Got 72 butter cat one evening after dark. They could have caught more but stopped because they had too many already to clean. 

I tried deer liver back during the winter and it did not work at that particular time. The bite could have been way off that time of year. 

I think a butter cat is what some people call bullheads. ????


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## kmerr80 (Oct 28, 2013)

fishwalton said:


> Was talking to a friend today who went out to Lake Cassidy recently and put out two trot lines using small chunks of beef liver. Got 72 butter cat one evening after dark. They could have caught more but stopped because they had too many already to clean.
> 
> I tried deer liver back during the winter and it did not work at that particular time. The bite could have been way off that time of year.
> 
> I think a butter cat is what some people call bullheads. ????


 
Never heard them called that but perhaps. We used to catch a lot of butters in those sand hill lakes--back before the "paddle only" in Fitzugh


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Try'n Hard said:


> I got a place in monroeville that makes and sells home made soap - they claim it's an Amish recipe but they all look Mexican to me - I'm thinking it has a lot of lard in it. I may pick up some and give it a try


The correct term is AmiMexicans.
Just so everybody knows.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

I catch all my cats on soap.


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## oliver305 (Oct 29, 2020)

Over low heat, dissolve the soap in the water. Add the bacon fat and garlic once it has melted completely.
Fill the molds with the bait. Make sure the mold's form and dimensions are appropriate for the hook.
Simply keep it in an airtight plastic container or resealable plastic bag when not in use for fishing. When stored in the refrigerator, the baits also aid to solidify.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

CatHunter said:


> I catch all my cats on soap.


There y’all have it


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Well. I'll start showering with dead shad and fishing with soap I guess.


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## Tail Chaser (Jun 22, 2008)

N I was thinking if you catch em on soap Do you still need to clean em ??? Lol😁😝


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