You want to put your hook in it but not so far that the soap begins to crack. Most soap baits aren't pliable enough to keep this from happening. I usually stick a hook in mine just to the point where the soap piece (an inch or less squared) hangs on good w/o it cracking.

I do alter my soap bait (Ivory) by melting it in a little water, adding a cup of sugar to 4 family size bars and 4 drops of Anise oil. The soap is shaved so it melts quicker and once it's all melted, pour it out aluminum foil and while it is still WARM & PLIABLE, you want to cut it up in your desired pieces and store in a air-tight container. NOTE: Do not let it cool down, otherwise it will become brittle.

how hard could it be to use soap fer bait?????

In order to work the soap onto the hook, the soap has to be fresh, not dried out, and soft like Velveeta cheese, then you can work it into a ball like dough bait

I bought the soap from the people that make the standup jugs. I tried it diligently over the course of about two years and never caught squat on it.

Fortunately I was also using shad and other things during that time period so I actually caught some fish.