There are all kinds of fancy lures and baits available on the market today that “guarantee” you to catch fish! But you know, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to hook a fish – chances are, you can round up some bait from what you already have in your home! Check out these 10 odd, yet effective things to use as bait the next time you head out!
- Worms. An obvious, I know! But it had to be included because they are so easy to find! Just dig down in the dirt around your house and boom. An endless supply! It is best to just grab living worms, as their movement is what entices fish in!
- Bread and cheese balls. You can make these separately or together! So simple, just grab a loaf of bread and some slices of cheese and smush them together in little balls that you can slide onto your hook. The bread falls apart fast, so be sure to mold together tightly with the cheese. A strong squish is key here.
- Corn. A tried and true classic. This was my Pappap’s bait of choice back in the day, and let me tell you – a can of corn goes a long way!
- Hot dogs. Ok now we start to pick up on the weird factor. But think about half of the baits out now – they are about the smell! Hot dogs have a good, strong twang to them, so it isn’t the most surprising that this would work well. Use small bits and chunks. The three-prong hook mentioned above also does a STELLAR job with hot dogs, too!
- Shrimp. I assume if you are grabbing these from what you have on-hand, you will be using frozen or dead shrimp. If that is the case, break off the tail (and the head if you have whole shrimp) for a bigger scent to attract fish.
- Bologna. Similar concept to the hot dogs. Be sure to compact it together so that it sticks on the hook better! The smell will attract fish.
- Cat or dog food. You can use both wet and dry food for this – both have a good odor
- Soap (I KNOW RIGHT?!) – unscented and no added chemicals. I don’t even know what to say about this one. I discovered this when I started really looking into it (with obvious disbelief), I couldn’t believe how many people swear by it to catch catfish in particular. You can use chunks of ivory soap as-is (a little tough to get on the hook without breaking, but doable with some patience) OR you can melt it down and add some bacon grease to create the perfect bait that is moldable.
- Canned meat. Just crack open the can and squish it onto your waiting hook! If the meat you have on hand is especially soft, you could also form it into a ball with some bread to help give it a little more shape. Once again, a cheese hook (listed in #2) comes in clutch here!
- Golden raisins. The golden color does well to catch the light in the evenings (a prime time to fish!) and they also swell in the water a bit. Like the corn, slide a few onto your hook – no need to be stingy!
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