Should You Use Stink Bait Or Live Bait For Catching Big Catfish?

A long-lived debate amongst catfish anglers concerns which bait is most effective for catching big catfish: stink bait or live bait.

The answer is both.

This is why: Catfish possess a sense of smell more powerful than a bloodhound’s and they target wounded prey with shark-like ferocity.

But this is the bottom line: Stink bait catches the most catfish, but live bait catches the biggest.

Favorite live baits include night crawlers, minnows, crawdads, shad, menhaden and freshwater clams. Bluegill can also be used as live bait where it’s legal to do so. Live baits also include chicken livers, shrimp and cut bait–such as shad, anchovies, carp, sardines or mackerel–even those these baits aren’t technically “live.”

The type of live bait used should be dictated by the type of catfish you’re fishing for. Flatheads are attracted to bluegill, whereas big blue or channel catfish prefer minnows, shad or menhaden. Catching big catfish can be as easy as using bait like crawdads and waterdogs.

If you’re using cut bait, it can be aged for a few days to until it becomes sour bait, which adds stink bait attraction. Just place a few chunks in a canning jar and leave an inch of air space below the lid. Add a few drops of water, close the lid fairly loosely, and bury it in the ground in a sunny location for a few days. It’s quite stinky, but it’s a delicacy for catfish. Sour bait is particularly effective in early spring, when catfish are naturally feeding on other fish that have died over the winter.

Anglers typically use single hooks for live bait. But treble hook rigging is also possible.

As for stink baits, they come in a variety of pastes, dips and nuggets. If you’re adventuresome, you can experiment with making your own, or they can be purchased.

Dip baits require a special lure, which is usually a treble hook equipped with a sponge to absorb the stinky bait. Paste baits are typically squeezed from a tube into a soft plastic lure that’s attached to double or treble hooks. And of course, nuggets are threaded directly onto single or treble hooks. Limburger cheese is considered a type of stink bait!

Stink baits can be placed on a leader behind a swivel and a sliding sinker. Alternatively, they can be placed off a three-way swivel or dropper loop above a weight, or simply on the main line with split shot. The variety of rigs, swivels and weights used is basically the same as those used with live bait.

Then, of course, you can enjoy the best of both worlds and double your chances of success by dipping live bait into stink bait! Then you’re likely to catch a load of fish and the big one. Many locales allow using multiple fishing rods or multiple-hook rigs, so you can even use stink bait on one rig and live bait on the other to experiment with which is working better at a particular location.

Beyond stink bait and cut bait, some anglers use dough bait. They may roll white bread into dough balls or include cereal flakes or flour in homemade stink bait recipes. Carp are attracted to dough baits, and catfish sometimes school with carp.

Some anglers have reported catching big catfish on nothing at all–just a shiny hook! Shiny lures and spinners work, too.

Catfish are also attracted by chumming, but this method is not legal everywhere. Chum can be purchased in cans, blocks or bags. Other effective chum includes cheap canned cat (as in feline) food, finely chopped bait, ground-up fish innards or even road kill in a weighted burlap sack.

So whether you use live bait or stink bait depends on whether you want to land that trophy fish or need to feed an army of people! For more great tips on catching big catfish, check out the blog below.

To read more great catfishing tips check out this site Catching Big Catfish

“sam”

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The Beauty of Butterfly Koi Fish

The beautiful Butterfly Koi Fish gets its name from the decorative finnage that resembles the delicate wings of a butterfly. Being of a hybrid variety, these fish are not considered by many breeders as a true Koi. Butterfly Koi fish have been bred only since the 1980s, along with Dragon carp and Longfin Koi. The earlier varieties of Koi were distinguished by their coloration, pattern, and scalation. However, new variants like the Butterfly Koi have distinct characteristics with unusually long, flowing fins.

The true origin of Butterfly Koi fish is often debated due to its crossbreeding. Some aquarists are of the opinion that they are a cross between ordinary Koi and Asain carp. Today, most breeders strive to create ornamental and colorful Koi, with butterfly Koi being a popular variety. Traditional Koi shows tend to disregard them because of their hybrid origin. Like traditional Koi, butterfly koi come in different patterns and colors, with white, yellow, and orange in combination being most common.

Apart from long, flowing fins, butterfly koi fish have longer barbells and bigger nares as compared to traditional koi. The smaller varieties are kept in aquariums, while the bigger that reach up to 36 inches are bred in ponds. They don’t require much maintenance as long as they are fed properly and kept in a stable environment. Butterfly koi fish have a peaceful temperament and don’t mind the company of humans at any time.

What is distinctive about butterfly koi fish is that their dorsal, pectoral, ventral, and caudal fins are almost featherlike in appearance. The Japanese call them ‘living jewels’ or also as Dragon Koi because of their colorful appearance. They can also easily be interbred with standard koi. Their entry into the US was through breeder Wyatt Lefever who crossed Asian Koi with metallic colored Koi.

Although butterfly koi fish cannot be judged in competitions according to the rules for standard Koi, many breeders still hold butterfly koi competitions. Their fin to body ratio exceeds that of standard koi by over 500%. Therefore, they cannot receive the same points as standard koi in a competition. Moreover, the patterns and color variations are different. The new version of butterfly koi is slender, which is more noticeable when you look down on the fish. The American Koi Club Association has set new standards to judge these fish.

If you wish to breed butterfly koi, make sure you provide them a pond with at least 1,000 gallons of water. Fill the pond up with sturdy plants since they like to nibble at the roots. However, make sure the base of the plant is protected with large stones. Make sure the pH levels of the water are between 6.8 and 7.2. dH levels must be maintained between 2 and 12. Like carp, butterfly koi are sturdy and can live comfortably in temperatures from 33 to 90° Fahrenheit.

As like all other koi, the gentle nature of butterfly koi make them excellent pond fish. They are tolerant and resistant to disease which makes them a popular choice among breeders all over the world. Taking care of butterfly koi fish is a pleasurable experience that can give you priceless hours of enjoyment and fulfillment. The little bit of effort you put into bringing them up will be worth it in the long run.

 

Nelson writes koi fish here: http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com/butterfly-koi. He has raised, studied, bred and cared for hundreds of varieties of Koi. His twenty plus years of practical experience and research are available in his latest book,<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’, ‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’]);” href=”<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push([‘_trackPageview’, ‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’]);” href=”http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com”>http://www.koifishinformationcenter.com”> Insider’s Secrets To Raising Healthy Koi: The Ultimate Guide</a>.

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Favorite Hiding Places of Fish

Before you attempt to catch fish, you need to find out where they are. Remember that fish are found nearly everywhere there is water with sufficient levels of food, oxygen, and cover. You are certain to be within a relatively close distance to a body of water that has fish living in it. For an angler, this is good news. They are there – now you have to find them!  

All fish are different. Because of this, they do not all live in the same kind of waters. Fish tolerate different environmental conditions. Some of these include differing levels of salt, amounts of oxygen, types and amounts of food, water temperature, and hiding areas. The most distinguishing element of fish is salt. Some fish do not live in areas where there is a lot of salt.

On the other hand, some fish need salt to survive. There are also some types of fish that can live in both saltwater and freshwater.  Freshwater ponds, reservoirs, and rivers contain significantly less salt than the ocean. North America has a majority of freshwater bodies. Some of the fish that you will find in these freshwater bodies are the bluegill, carp, catfish, crappie, and bass. In contrast, many species of fish live in the ocean’s salty water. Thanks to their kidneys, these fish are able to keep the proper balance of salt in their body. The more popular saltwater fish are the bluefish, cod, sea trout, tuna, and flounder.   

Another factor that weighs heavily on where you will find certain fish is oxygen. All fish must have a certain level of oxygen to survive. Some fish, such as carp, survive on less oxygen than fish like trout. The living plants within a lake or stream directly affect the amount of oxygen in the water. They add oxygen to the water through photosynthesis. This process uses sunlight to make food. Oxygen also makes its way into water from the surrounding air.  You will find certain fish in certain bodies of water based on what kind of food is there. It is based on the amount and type of food available in a setting. All fish need to eat, so the amount of competition with other fish is a factor that determines which fish will be in certain areas.   

Fish prefer different water temperatures. Some fish are flexible. They have the ability to live in a wide range of temperatures. Other fish, however, need either cold or warm water to survive. Trout is an example of this. You will only find trout in cold water. Your best bet for finding a certain type of fish is to learn about the type of water it prefers. They are most often found in water that is close to their preferred temperature. We, as humans, can control one factor when it comes to where fish live. Water quality often determines where a fish will live and we have the means to ensure a high level of water quality. All fish must have water that has adequate levels of oxygen. Good-quality water will obviously support more species of fish than water that is polluted. Water that is stagnant, polluted, or lacking adequate oxygen simply cannot support a large group of fish.

While some fish, such as carp, live in water that is not very clean, most fish need a high quality of water in order to survive.   Discovering the places where fish live is the first step to successful fishing. Several factors come into play when looking for a fish’s habitat. Some of these are the levels of salt and oxygen found in water. Another factor is the temperature of the water. All fish are different. Because of this, it benefits you, the angler, to take the time necessary to find the bodies of water in which they live.

Want to find out about bowhunting pigs and bowhunting turkey? Get tips from the Bowhunting Tips website.

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