While searching for Southern Illinois outdoor forums, I visited " Illinois Outdoors" site and hooked up on that forum. I asked about Catfishing and got hit with a commercial on Hoss's Hawg Bait. Never heard of it, I'm not much into dip baits, or stink baits etc. but I got bombarded with pictures and a very avid testimonial on the virtues and success of this product. Has any one here tried this before?

but I got bombarded with pictures and a very avid testimonial on the virtues and success of this product. Has any one here tried this before?


That right there is a red flag to me.

Yep, red flagged me too. I dont know annyone who has ever caught much on that type of bait, so have never really tried using it. Generally sounds like a PIA to use. I'll stick to livebait, shrimp or chicken innards unless someone "shows me" a better way.

Is this Illinois Outdoors site related to the magazine ?

The magazine is a pretty good mag usually, didn't know anything about a site.

Here is the one I am talking about & looks like they are having another photo contest.

http://dnr.state.il.us/oi/index.htm

No, I dont think they are affiliated, but I linked into them from that site

stink bait is really all i use and i have heard of teh bait but never used it i stick with BJ'S stink bait good stuff catch alot every wher and i always have shad of shrimp or liver just in case you know

we use nightgrawlers, chicken livers, beef liver, anything that is bloody and stinky...LOL the guys down at Evansville swear by cheap hotdogs....they say the catfish by the barges at FS think the cheapest hotdogs you can find are the bomb...go figure..

I've heard of the hot dog thing before, I little girl caught a 28lb channel cat up here last fall with a Vienna Suasage!

Crab Orchard which will be pretty close to you has big catfish in it! I grew up going out to check the trot lines at 11pm! lol......and always ate catfish out of crab all my life.
We used to put out trot lines over by wolf creek rd. My dad took me for a boat ride one night and decided to check the lines. Sure enough there was a huge one on there. Problem was NO DIPNET! My dad didn't bring it because we were just taking a boat ride. I remember my dad reaching in there and of course his hands got all scratched up and by the time he got him in the little jon boat I was screaming from the blood runnin down his hands! Then off to cookseys bait shop(on 148 and rt13) to get my pic made. I was so proud of my papa for fighting with that fish and winning! I still have the pic somewhere, if I find it Ill upload it......
Isn't it funny the things we remember......

We've been catching em on crawlers and minnows. The biggest one we've caught (OK, my WIFE caught it) was on a minnow when fishing for crappie.

I can believe that about the cheapest hot dogs. After all, the ingredient list on those isn't much different than some stink baits only not aged as much.

bam bam...my dad and I always ran trot lines together, tighlined at night, and had some in our farm pond that I swear were nearly tame...I remember the time one broke my pole, but not the line and Dad and I wrestled with that thing forever...but kinda like your dad, he made sure by God I got it in. I really miss my Dad this time of year, because catfishing was one of our favorite things to do together. We solved a great many problems sitting on the bank by a fire tightlining all night. (I think that was his way of keeping me away from the boys too! LOL)

Isn't it nice.... all the memories! I had so many just from camping and fishing. From allways having to go pee to hooking my dad time and time again! lol..

Take a kid fishing....they'll remember it forever!

I have a lot of good memories fishing with my dad, camping with our family, and fishing with my grandpas. Now my daughter talks about the times I took her fishing when she was a youngun. Just carrying on an old family tradition.

Good to hear that stuff... My ma was always takin us boys out to the creek. Started when we were in a playpen. Later we'd wade and fish, and she'd sit up on the bank readin a book.

Good ma...

Now, she let you float on a big cruise ship...right? lol.

My grandpa (RIP, GP)was the one who taught me how to fish, and according to that wise ol gent "no fish but a catfish was dignified enough to grace his pole" so thats all we went after. As I got older I broke away from the sitting still, and started jerking top waters over his line! Wow he used to get hot!! I'd be catching Bass, and he'd be yelling at me to stop my "(I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)(I'm an idiot for swearing)ed fool" behavior",and "put that trash back in the water", and "aint no way that POS is going home in my truck!" I would laugh and keep on fishing, as time went, I branched out and have caught most fresh water species available (no Muskies yet) But now I spend most of my time chasing cats.....and every now and then when I land a big one I hold it and holler at the sky, "what do you think of this one Papa?!!!" Then I let it go, which I know makes him roll over in his grave!

Just wait until you fish Kinkaid..it's close to Cedar....You'll catch a Muskie even if you don't try..lol.
You know alot of people don't like catfish, I personally luv em. Cut up into nuggets and deep fried with a beer batter..yummy!
It's my favorite fish..but alot would disagree..

I also have great memories of cat fish.My grandpa taught me to trotline.He was a strict flathead fisherman.We did catch alot of big blues but our main goal was a big ole flathead.Lots of good memories of the Big Muddy.



And back to the bait subject I was on another forum and guys down on the Ohio are useing Ivory Soap cut into small chunks for bait? Anyone ever heard/done this with any luck ?

And back to the bait subject I was on another forum and guys down on the Ohio are useing Ivory Soap cut into small chunks for bait? Anyone ever heard/done this with any luck ?

My mom used to use Zest on our mouths, but that's a different story. Maybe their fish either have a soap fetish going or they've interpreted them grunts catfish make to be something profane.

I used to use Ivory soap all the time. It was kind of a pain to get on the hook as it's kind of brittle. I use to carbe a little hole w/ my knife to get the hook through and let it hang off the hook. I caught many a channel cat on that soap. I'm not sure why I quit but I just might bait up some of my jugs next weekend with it while camping down at Rend and see if I've still got the old magic.
Speaking of memories about catfishing. My great grandmaw lived to 107. When she was 99 she still camped out w/us and slept right on the ground. She never learned to swim but swore that if she ever fell in, she would go to the bottom and crawl her way out like a turtle. I fondly remember fishing a neighbors pond that had to be packed w/ small yellow cats. I was a wee nipper back then and I remember the thrill of nearly every swing of that cane pole and bobber landing and going under a few seconds later. We used to bring back 30 or more of those little cats and she and my Ma would gut them and pan fry them that night after my Dad and Gramp and Great grampa would come back in from hunting or farming or whatever they did. She used to pick the bones out for me as she didn't want me to swallow one like my great aunt did. Worked out well for me the chowhound..LOL Very fond memories indeed God rest her soul.

kittens isnt that like mississippi river bait :D

dave - loved your memory of the little yella cats and your grandma...did you guys ever just gut em and put on a stick and roast em like hot dogs? (which proves the theory that little kids will eat anything...) We used to do that when we were little, and boil crawdads in a coffee can.....

my dad started me off fishing for cats in Crab. Jug fishing or trotlines. we mostly fished rt 148. the only bait he would use was fresh cut shad. man some times we would come home with a boat full. caught a few flatheads but mostly channel cats. he works all the time now, the boat aint been in the water in i bet 3 years. he said at one time the thought he had cleaned over ten thousand pounds of cat fish. mostly from crab, not hard to believe, they would run hundreds of jugs each weekend! always with shad.

We never did roast them like that. The fellas Pa and the Gramps) were all about fried this, fried that...had to be meat and taters an d bread..otherwise, don't call 'em for dinner. I remember the day we had to quit fishing that pond. My Great Gramp died of leptospirosis and a few of the cattle that grazed around that pond came down w/ it a few years after he passed. Grandmaw would never let us go back after that.

do any of you guys or girls use stink bait

i was jsut wondering what is the best in your desicion i use BJ's but i have heard about sunnys i heard they were catching them at rend on that stuff

the best boughten stink baits i have ever used is either Lucky 7 or Sony's dip bait. both work good for me. I do experment alot with making my own and am working on one now but havent got it prefected yet. Using cheese trimmings, chicken livers, and cattail fuzz

Cattail fuzz? Isn't that a little hard to keep on the hook? ;) I'd never heard of using that in catfish bait, but then cats are known to eat just about anything that'll fit in their mouths.

Is this Illinois Outdoors site related to the magazine ?

The magazine is a pretty good mag usually, didn't know anything about a site.

Here is the one I am talking about & looks like they are having another photo contest.

http://dnr.state.il.us/oi/index.htm

I sent them an email last year asking about the "outdoor Illinois" tv show, they replied that they are not affiliated with the outdoor illinois tv show and they only show on up north channels and northern Indiana? thats what I was asking them why they are not down state and the main reply was because they could not get any sponsors :confused: or local down state tv slots :confused: I replied back asking if they ever shoot down south and have not received any answer to that????
Have any of ya seen the outdoor illinois tv show????? any where?
Also we do use BJ bait once in a while at Coffeen LAKE, it seems to work pretty good there on the cat, but so does most everything else.......;)
So I am in the need of an occasional fishing partner? pretty much any type of fishing too......:)

I do experment alot with making my own and am working on one now but havent got it prefected yet
10 gallons of ground shad, 30#s of hog/beef brains and all the old cheese you can get your hands on, mix well set FAR away from house for 2-3 weeks in direct sun, then mix with 4-5 boxes of gelatin!!! you'll be set for the year or 2!

Jeez, I live about 1.5 miles from town and I think the local gendarmes would still have me strung up for making that mixture..LOL

Cattail fuzz? Isn't that a little hard to keep on the hook? ;) I'd never heard of using that in catfish bait, but then cats are known to eat just about anything that'll fit in their mouths.

you use the cattail fuzz in the mixing of the other 2. It helps hold the bait togather to stay on the hook:)