Prepared Baits

For bottom-feeding fish like carp and catfish, bread, small pieces of cheese, and canned corn are good. You can buy commercially made baits. Many anglers, however, like to make their own bait for these fish. Below are two recipes for bait to catch bottom-feeding fish.
Carp Doughballs

1. Mix 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl.
   
2. Take a 1-quart container of water and pour just enough of it into the mixture to make a heavy dough.
   
3. Roll the dough into balls about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter.
   
4. Mix the rest of the water with 1 cup of molasses and pour it into a pan.
   
5. Put the pan on the stove and bring the molasses and water to a boil.
   
6. When the mixture is boiling, drop in several doughballs, but don't overcrowd them. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
7. Cook the rest of the doughballs, a few at a time, in the same way.

You can store the cooked doughballs in the leftover water and molasses. When using doughballs or stinkbait (a smelly catfish bait) use small treble hooks. A treble hook has three points. Some have a spring wrapped around the shank to help hold the bait. Many manufacturers make a variety of "stinkbaits." Homemade stinkbait can be made using the following recipe.
Catfish Stinkbait

1. Fill a jar with pieces of a forage fish like shad.
   
2. Cover the jar with the lid, but leave the lid loose so gases will escape.
   
3. Put the jar in direct sunlight for a day or two.

When you open the jar, you'll know your catfish "stinkbait" is ready to use.