Catfish Soap Bait

Does anybody ever use catfish soap bait for jug lines or trotlines

Yes.

Many years ago I used P and G. It worked.

I just heard about this and was advised to get ZOTE soap from the Mexican market.
Keep us updated.

My Dad & my best friend's Dad used to use P&G soap in the late 50s & early 60s. They swore by it, meaning they loved it. They used it in places they went locally here on the Navasota River, mainly off OSR. Sadly, they don't make it anmymore.

Former Governor Ann Richards reflected back to her childhood, in a book (I assume her biography), and spoke of using soap bait to catch catfish.

In 1979, I & my first wife went camping & fishing at a KOA Camground on the east side of Lake Corpus Christa (formerly called Lake Mathis). There at the KOA campground store, they sold cakes of catfish soap, I think that the guy made it nearby. It was really white & only had a soap smell, if I recall correctly. But one good thing, was that it would float. In other words, you put it on a hook. And even if your main line was laying on the bottom, the soap would float at the heighth of your leader line. We did really great on that soap up at the mouth of the river on the lake.


Back in 2002 I somehow ran across Chad Ferguson's Redneck Catfish Soap Bait. He said he knew the guy that sold that soap bait, but the guy had passed away. On Lake Limestone, as I first tried it out in cooler weather in November 2003, I caught some nice Blues & Channels, ranging from 2 to 12 pounders. Chad & I talked about the other soap floating, as his "Redneck" soap did not. He surmised that perhaps the guy had infused air bubbles to make it float, anmd if time, he might experiment with a batch. However, over the years, Chad got successful as a catfish guide in north Texas, plus got into designing & marketing products along with getting sponsors. Sadly, he had to set aside the soap business die to lack of time. His son & him were one of those who had pics & stories shaed in one of my hard copy (printed versions of my 2013 Catfish Calendar). His son had caught a junior record & got quite a few TP&W certificates.

In 2018, there was a discussion about soap bait. One guy surfaced in the conversation that makes it (or did in 2018). He makes several different flavors (scents), plus it is also available thru Ebay, as well as some bait shops/stores. I bought several different scents back in 2018 & was going to do some testing. But sadly, I got hit with high winds as I tried to get out in late Spring (April & May 2018). I had a small window to fish in at that time, but got delayed due the windy weather, as well as testing my new 12 foot flat bottom out. Then I had to abruptly pull out the first weekend of May as I had to do a lott of things to get my Metro inspected before the end of the month. Sadly I was unable to get back in the Fall. So I did not really get to fish much with the soap. When Gary posted info on his soap bait, I snipped the data for future reference. Here it is below again---

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#12686648 - Today (3-23-18 Fri.) at 07:05 PM Re: Soap catfish bait [Re: stinkywon]
Gary Chandler
Green Horn
Registered: 03/22/18
Posts: 1

this is the guy that makes and sells Ace's Catfish Soap Bait in Sweet home, Tx. I make the soap as it was made three generations ago. Given to me from an old friend. Ace's Catfish Soap Bait does not crumble, is slow dissolving and catches fish. I have been making it and using it on the Guadalupe River to catch blue and channel cats since the early 70's. Just put it on the market last year to help supplement my income. I have one distributer in Texas as of now. It is sold in over 200 stores across the state. If you try it you will catch channels and blues. I use it during the day because of the gars steeling my perch off lines and have very good results with it. If you can not find it you can contact my distributor @ 512-398-6899 Matt's Bait and Tackle. You can also go to E-Bay Catfish Soap Bait and buy it there. If you have any questions I will be glade to try and answer them, Thanks Gary
++++HAVE FUN FISHING!++++++++++++

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#12686954 - Yesterday (3-23-18 Fri.) at 10:57 PM Re: Soap catfish bait [Re: stinkywon]
Gary Chandler
Green Horn
Registered: 03/22/18
Posts: 2

Ace's Catfish Soap Bait comes in anise flavor, garlic flavor, chicken liver flavor and shrimp flavor . The anise is the original and is white in color. No it does not float and the Schultz soap that I have used did not float either. Ace's Catfish Soap Bait is made from animal fat, lye, water and sweet smell of anise oil. All my soap is hand made in small batches. It comes 8-10 oz. bars, in vacuum packs which stays soft easy to cut the size you like and stays on hook in swift moving water, dissolves slowly.
++++++++++++++++HAVE FUN FISHING!++++++++++++
I have a 14 x 48 aluminum river boat 15 hp motor and am always looking for a fishing partner to fish with during the week, I fish in Gonzales county on the Guadalupe River. We can use my soap bait to show you how it works, give me a call: 361-293-0324.( Must know how to swim have a current fishing license, wear a life jacket and be 21yrs. of age.)

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As I noted, I got mine on Ebay & typed in <Ace's Catfish Soap Bait>. I am hoping this Fall I can get back to fishing & really check out his soap bait. Maybe I can get Gary to try & inject air bubbles to make it float, like the ind at Lake Corpus (Mathis).

I just checked Ebay & Hmm, either my U-6 glitched, as it showed no listings. But I'm using an old browser plus on trickle dial.

Maybe you can type in Gary's TFF nickname [Gary Chandler] to see if he's still out there. Or you can call that telephone number listed above. I checked his TFF profile & he has not been seen or posted since June of 2018.

I guess I need to stop by the Bait Barn to see if they may have his or another soap bait.

Here is the thread URL from 2018---
<https://texasfishingforum.com/forum...687308/re-soap-catfish-bait#Post12687308>

Here is some more Catfish Soap Bait research data from since I put up the previous post (response):

I punched in Catfish soap Bait on Ebay & came up with this...

Pink Zote already cut & ready to go for baiting hooks. I did not do any figures on how much for the bars & how much that way would cost. Nor do I know if Zote might float.

Forty (40) 1/2" blocks of Zote Soap prepared for catfish fishing - classic bait!
New (Other)
$11.99
10% off 3+
Buy It Now Top Rated PlusFree shipping

at $12 divided by 40, that is 30 cents per bait.

On Google, it pulled up Ivory soap, as well as Velveeta cheese. If I recall, I've tried Ivory, but never caught anything. I don't recall that it floats either.

I might add Cheetos or other cheaper brands. I have used the cheese balls, I think it was Sam's Choice brand, but that was long ago. And we are talking about soap for the moment.


Also listed on Google further down was this:
www.catfishconnection.com › Store › COOL-CAT-BAI...
COOL CAT BAIT SOAP | Catfish Connection
We Sell - Rods, Reels, Hooks, Line and Bait.
<https://www.catfishconnection.com/Store/BAITSOAP/CATBAITS/CATFISH-DOUGH-BAITS/COOL-CAT-BAIT-SOAP/><https://www.catfishconnection.com/Store/BAITSOAP/CATBAITS/CATFISH-DOUGH-BAITS/COOL-CAT-BAIT-SOAP/>

1(800)929-5025

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MANUFACTURER: COOL CAT BAIT COMPANY

NAME: CATFISH BAIT SOAP

TYPE: DOUGH - ANISE SCENT

WEIGHT: 1 LB.

TYPE OF CONTAINER: POLY BAG

OUR STOCK NUMBER: CCBSA

OTHER INFORMATION:
EFFECTIVE ON BLUES AND CHANNELS -
PROVEN 55 YEAR OLD RECIPE STAYS ON THE HOOK, GREAT FOR JUGLINES, TROTLINES, LIMB-LINES AND ROD AND REEL.
STORE IN A COOL DRY PLACE.

Price: $7.60
for bar/cake

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++++++++++++++++++
MANUFACTURER: COOL CAT BAIT COMPANY

NAME: CATFISH BAIT SOAP

TYPE: DOUGH - MENHADEN

WEIGHT: 1 LB.

TYPE OF CONTAINER: POLY BAG

OUR STOCK NUMBER: CCBSM

OTHER INFORMATION:
EFFECTIVE ON BLUES AND CHANNELS -
PROVEN 55 YEAR OLD RECIPE STAYS ON THE HOOK, GREAT FOR JUGLINES, TROTLINES, LIMB-LINES AND ROD AND REEL.
STORE IN A COOL DRY PLACE.

Price: $7.60
for bar/cake

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Shipping Information

Sales Tax:
Illinois Residents - add 7.25%
mutliply subtotal by .0725

XL Shipping:
Add $8.00 to all orders that include a Rod(s) & / or Rod & Reel Combo
The additional $8.00 is per order NOT for each Rod or Combo

Shipping & Handling:
*Next Day and 2nd Day Air available Call for pricing*
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It seems they have two scents available & looks like it ships from Illinois.

Also, I have no idea how big the bar/cake comes in, nor how many baits you can get out of each batch.

And not sure if it would float or not.

Lynn,
As usual thanks for saving the day with this info.
Just a FYI the zote soap rubs $1-3 max at the store.
So it's worth a shot

Ol Wally mart has it cheaper at $1.08.

https://www.walmart.com/grocery/ip/Zote-Laundry-Bar-Soap-Pink-14-1oz/16935505

I have used zote soap. I have used it several times with very little success. I think the pink has fabric softener in in it the blue labe if you can find it smells more like the old home made soap. Any way Walmart has it in the fabric soap area

Sweet thanks for the heads up

How many 1/2" squares can you get out of a bar of pink Zote? I just looked at a tape measure. Hmm, I have been cutting bigger squares, about 3/4 to 1" squares of previous soaps.

Interesting thread I make bar soap for my wife every now and again using caustic soda olive oil and caster oil along with dried orange peels. I wonder if you substitute for fish oil and maybe dried out shad that was finely chopped might make a good bait.

Grandpa used to use before making his own stink bait. I heard it was Lye soap? Not sure. Can't ask him now

When I first joined TFF back in 2003 Chad Furguson had started guiding and his screen name was "RedneckTexan" and he started making his soap bait.
I bought some of his soap and it worked pretty well on my jug lines.
One of the key ingredients on those early soaps was the high percentage of animal fat. The newer versions like Zote have a lower content.
Chads was made more like the originals.
Soft, easy to cut and punch a hook through without it crumbling.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing animal fat floats.

Yes, animal fat does float. However Chad's soap did not float. And yes, the old soaps were lye soap. My grandmother used to make lye soap in the 1960s. I forget if P&G had lye in it. I want to say, I think it did.

Most people that have made soap lately, have some type of scent infused it it. However, the soap we we got at KOA Campground (noted earlier in the thread), I do not recall that it had any type of scent. It was white, not off white. And of course it would float.

Lye soap is caustic soda or sodium hydroxide mixed with any animal fat or oil. When mixed it reacts with the fat and gets hot. You stir it and pour into molds and hardens in a day or so. Easier than making a cake. Follow recipes for cold process body soap and put whatever kind of oil or additives you want during cooling process. Old school lye was just the sodium hydroxide and pig fat or Crisco. Wear gloves and eye protection the sodium hydroxide is the same used in drain cleaner and from experience it will burn you and is not good to inhale fumes when mixed.

Want to thank catfish Lynn and Jsouther for info

Did a little bit of google-fu and found this instructions for soap making.
https://frugallysustainable.com/how-to-make-lye-soap/
Also...
https://www.catfish1.com/threads/how-to-make-soap-bait.4211/
Hope it helps.