07-11-2007, 04:50 AM
27 inch channel catfish. I got him on my own special home made dough bait. I caught all the decent minnows. So I made my own special confection as my bait spot was dead. It doesn't smell bad it reeks but not bad but not good. I have seen dough bait recipes for sale on ebay and I may at one point make it available for purchase and also sell it already made. I figured I would get a small itty bitty catfish as well I never expected to hook into a monster. For PA anyways especially Lake Arthur that is a darn big fish. My best this year is the 30 inch one but by the end of Summer I am hoping to get a 3 foot one. I am so glad I don't have to rely on minnows anymore. They are expensive after awhile of every day of fishing and well hard to find once you catch them all. I made a nice size dough ball. I am going to keep fishing with the dough ball and see how I do and keep pictures of them all. I can't wait to post pictures. My girlfriend was with me. She netted the fish when I got it to shore. She went with me and she thought I was just wasting my time with a dough bait recipe of my own. I figured I would have to work on it before I got it right as I wanted to invent my own recipe. Well go figure I got it right on the first try and landed a 27 inch monster channel catfish. I was in shock to get it right the first time. I have tried all sorts of short cuts such as catching my own bait and I have tried store bought dough balls and nothing works for long the dough bait from stores is worthless and the minnow population dwindled to almost nothing. I have to test it more just to make sure it was not a fluke. I don't think it was. It swallowed the whole hook. It was deep in its mouth. I mean it swallowed it deep into its mouth. I have always caught them in the lip. I have never seen one swallow the hook. I was shocked. I had a blast fighting this fish in. It was probably the best fight I have ever had with a fish. I also may just keep the recipe a family secret. I have not decided yet. I need money but then also it is so cool to have my own secret original recipe. It makes me 
to have invented my own fishing bait I can make myself and go ahead after making it and go fishing. I may just make the bait myself and sell it by the bag on ebay and just keep it a secret. I am sure the longer it sits out the stronger it will be and the better it will work as that seems to be how most catfish dough baits work. I probably am just going to keep it a family secret. I just know I don't have to trap minnows anymore thank god cause I caught a snake and that was not fun at all. I only am after catfish right now as they taste good and they give me one heck of a fight and anyone who says fishing is not a sport has never hooked into a catfish. Fighting them makes me tired. It really puts me through the paces. I love fighting the monster catfish. My girlfriend was shocked as she thought I was wasting my time making my own bait.
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to have invented my own fishing bait I can make myself and go ahead after making it and go fishing. I may just make the bait myself and sell it by the bag on ebay and just keep it a secret. I am sure the longer it sits out the stronger it will be and the better it will work as that seems to be how most catfish dough baits work. I probably am just going to keep it a family secret. I just know I don't have to trap minnows anymore thank god cause I caught a snake and that was not fun at all. I only am after catfish right now as they taste good and they give me one heck of a fight and anyone who says fishing is not a sport has never hooked into a catfish. Fighting them makes me tired. It really puts me through the paces. I love fighting the monster catfish. My girlfriend was shocked as she thought I was wasting my time making my own bait.[signature]