Punch bait never works for me

Tried punch bait for the last time today. I bet I have tried it 30 times off and on for the past few years and never caught anything on it. That includes CJs and my grandpa's homemade stuff he swore by my whole life.
BTW, there is dang near full tub of CJs shad in the trash at Wheeler Branch ifn you want it



Obviously, I don't know where the fish are...

Ok, if you are where the catfish are you will catch fish on all punch baits that I am aware of. Now I have my favorites cjs, sure shot, quanna, sudden impact all work if fish are biting. Now I have found that I prefer dough bait over punch and mostly fish with Stubbys, but yes catfish Charlie still works. I think maybe you should try chumming at the lakes you want to fish before throwing your CJ's bait in the trash. If you are set on throwing it I would be interested in your old bait as CJ's in my book is a fine bait.

Ive been catching channels in 2-4ft of water in the willows or grass using only Danny Kings punch bait preferably blood and soured milo but I hear range cubes also work well

Don't give up yet. We normally chum an area with sour maze and range cubes before we fish. The only time punch bait hasn't worked for me is when the fish just aren't there or there are big predator fish in the area (Needle Nose Gar this weekend). If you haven't had any action in 15 minutes or so, then they probably just aren't there.

I like using #2 treble hook to eliminate the little fish bites. CJ's Monster or Danny King's Blood are my favorites.

You might try Stubby's as HumanSeine mentioned. It' a good bait too.

CJs always came off the hook in the water after 15 minutes. Danny Kings or Mr Catfish are my go tos for that reason. Take your punch bait to a creek like I do and see if you don't catch catfish.

Eric

You gotta get mobile and hunt them down Shallow water around weeds islands and roosting trees early from 530am till 9-10am brush piles..... i recommend you watch some team catfish videos that show you everything you need to know about prepared bait fishing. Also Little D's guide service does some punch bait fishing this time of year and Dave is good at it.... and its cheaper this time of year..... go fish with someone who is good at it... i learned how to use it from Danny King in 2003 and the new line of prepared baits in 2008 from Jeff at Team catfish.... if you went 30 times with no sucess something is wrong No offense intended.

Punch bait is supposed to come off the hook in 15 minutes. If you haven't gotten bit in 15 minutes on a hook filled with punch bait, move spots.

Don't give up just yet!

I consider punch bait a finesse bait, and it takes a certain feel so that is why I downsize my tackle to a medium weight spinning outfit with about 14# test line, a #6 treble hook with a large lead split shot up about 12" to 14" above the hook.
I fish the punch bait straight down by letting line out, not casting, and when the weight hits the bottom I turn the reel handle about 1 1/4 turn so that the bait is just off the bottom. I mostly fish with the rod in my hand so I don't miss a fish, but have caught fish with the rod in a rod holder.
Sometimes the catfish will knock the bait hard, but most of the time you will barely feel a tap or you will just notice your rod tip start to pull down and not feel anything.....When either of the above happens, set the hook.
You would be surprised how a cat can just mouth the bait and you not feel a thing.
Once you get the hang of it you will drive your fishing partner nuts and to really make him mad, invite him to fish right next to your bait while you continue to pull out the cats.
You can also fish the same setup above but under a pencil cork. The cork has to be small enough so that the fish pulls the cork under but doesn't drop the bait due to feeling the cork. A large cork won't always work.
Summer time is the best time to fish punch bait and right now it's about all I use.
Don't let the small size of hook and line fool you. I've caught many large cats all the way up to 25# blues on that exact rig I mentioned above. I've had tiny cats and huge cats hit the bait pretty much the same, and why I like fishing that bait so much, you never know what is on the other end of the line until you set the hook.

No offense taken. I clarified my post in the last sentence.

My fishing for a while has been strictly bank fishing but I just recently got some kayaks so will be a little more mobile.

Kayak's add to the experience of punch bait fishing! Lol! My question is: do you catch fish on other baits in the same place you are fishing? I use punch bait on occasion and have found it to be quite rewarding for channel cats mostly. Some blues. The trick is to put it where fish are. That kayak will gain you some extra fishing waters. Keep trying!

Don't get discouraged my spot never produce trophys or any fish at all somtimes . I only fish it because it's convient and need the get away escape .I know where there at and the effort it takes to go for the big ones and harvest a freezer full. TWOK AND SOME TROTLINES BABY! BAR S WEENIES FOR LIFE HOMIE !!! but honestly it's the location not the bait brother

Before you do away with using punch bait all together ask yourself this question.Was grandpa's freezer full on that homemade bait? Before I learned from good people on this forum how to fish punch bait I through many tubs buckets of bait in the lake.

Always

I guarantee mine if you don't
Like I will give u your money back.not trying to hitchhike thred.Just trying to help that all.

My wife and I went fishing with Stubby this past weekend. We fished 4 hrs Saturday and roughly 3 hrs Sunday. We caught right at 160 catfish. We had a big fish fry at his house and also helped a group of police officers out with fish for their big fish fry.

That's funny I'm opposite usually punch bait is the only thing that works for me

Where I am fishing (in a creek) now punch bait is the only bait that gets a bite. Secret 7 or Sudden Impact get bites consistently. I have not tried other punch baits.
Other baits I have been trying are the fishbites, powerbait dough balls and the shad in a bag stuff and they do not get any bite at all. Nothing.
I can switch back to punch bait and get bites right away.
My problem is there seem to be only small 6-8" channels in this creek. The little beasts suck the bait right off my #4 treble hooks. I have only hooked one cat this summer longer than twelve inches in this creek. I guess I still need to find the right hole for the big ones.
Oh I forgot to add I got bites with hot dogs too but had the same problem with the bait getting stolen except for a big turtle. Thought I had the mother of all catfish until I pulled him up out of the water. DOH!

Fresh cut bait or live bait will outperform any prepared bait 24/7 (yes even for channel cats) I like a small piece of cut shad, shad gizzards, a single threadfin shad, or something oily like carp or buffalo.

was @ Fork this weekend. My buddy from Texarkana came down. Fished same punch bait (that I make), same exact set up. Both of us @ front of boat. Lines just a few feet apart. Both fishing 1 to 5 turns from the bottom. I filled the live-well he didn't even catch a fish. Might be luck, maybe technique. I say technique. Most often they wont slam on punch bait.

This is what I always go to.

Chumming is the secret. Without chum you will not be successful. Pour some chicken scratch in a 5 gallon bucket filling bucket about half full. Cover scratch with water and let it sit in sun for 3 days. Find a tree in the lake and pour a few scoops of the soured scratch right by the tree. Do not throw scratch or spread it out. Pour it right by the tree. Mark that tree and find another tree at right on a drop off at a different depth than the first tree. Pour some more scratch right by that tree. Mark that tree. Do this to a 3rd tree on a drop off at a different depth than the first 2 trees. Now go back to the first tree and drop your punch bait right down on top of the chicken scratch. If no bites in 20 minutes move to the second tree you marked. If no bites go to the 3rd tree. Between those 3 trees you will find fish at one of them.

There is no luck in catfishing. Catfishing is 90% planning, preparation and pre-baiting. Only 10% is catching. them.