Punch baits come in a variety of compositions. Still, they’re usually made of a cheese-based doughy paste with a huge amount of fiber incorporated so that when a hook, especially a treble one, is “punched” into a bait container and then pulled out at an angle by the fishing line, the hook is covered by an aggressively smelly and tenacious catfish “candy ball.”
Many people get confused when we talk about punch baits. Some think they are like dip baits or dough baits. There are many prepared baits for catfish with countless ingredients that give them different flavors, smells, and colors.
Some are more effective than others depending on the type of fishing we are going to do. There are several categories of baits, and one of the most common when catching fish is stink baits. Within this category, we can find three types of baits:
Table of Contents
Dough Bait
Catfish are caught using a compacted dough-like combination of components. The key feature of these baits is that they can be picked up and shaped into a ball before being pressed over a hook with your hands.
The treble hook is the most common kind of hook to use with this bait. It’s worth noting that they’re both sticky and soft.
Dip Bait
In contrast to dough baits, Dip baits will have a lighter texture, more of a sticky substance that resembles peanut butter. You certainly don’t want to lift it up with your hands and put it on a hook because it has a stronger odor than dough baits.
Dip bait is made by dipping your hook into the jar and covering the entire hook with this peanut-buttery sort of bait with a stick. A dough hook could be used for dip bait; however, a sponge one or a specialist dip bait hook is preferable.
The mesh enables the bait to gradually dissolve, distributing its fragrance along the current or nearby water for the catfish to locate.
Punch Bait
Punch baits are a cross of the 2 kinds of baits discussed above. Punch baits are less thick than dough baits but thicker than dip baits.
Punch baits are a type of dip bait with cotton added to it. The fibers probably stabilize the bait on the hook and keep it in position.
The method of putting your treble hook into the bait tub and “punching” it down with a stick gives them the name of punch baits. Take your hook out, and it will be coated in bait and fibers, and you will be prepared to fish.
Catfish Punch Baits: How to Bait a Hook with Them?
It is important that you follow these steps to bait a hook with punch bait correctly:
Select Your Favorite Catfishing Rig
There are several catfish rigs that may be used when catfishing with punch baits, but most fishermen choose to use a slip sinker rig or a slip bobber or floater rig when targeting catfish, especially channels. The procedure of baiting the hook is the same irrespective of which catfish rig you favor.
Place the Hook on the Bait’s Top.
Prepare to bait the treble hook by placing it on top of the bait.
Punch the Hook
A lengthy stick can be used to do this. With it, push the hook into the bait container. As previously stated, this action is known as “punching the hook.”
Extract the Hook from the Bait
To extract the hook from the bait, grasp the fishing line using your hand and draw it up at an angle. The bait must be loaded onto the hook.
If it doesn’t, continue the cycle until the hook is fully loaded with bait.
Important Aspects to Consider When Using Punch Baits for Catfish:
- Catfish baits such as punch baits are particularly popular for capturing channel catfish.
- They stick on a standard treble hook because they’re so thick, so there’s no need for a lot of additional catfish tackle. This is an incredible advantage over other types of baits.
- Because they’re made of cheese, they’ll get runny in the warmth and won’t hold on the hook very well, making them useless. This disadvantage puts these baits below others, especially during hot weather.
Recipe for Making Punch Baits
There are many recipes with different ingredients and combinations. Here we will show you one that can give you a punch bait with excellent results during your catfish fishing days.
The main ingredients of this recipe are:
- Stinky cheese (1 lb.)
- Garlic salt (3 tbs)
- Chicken livers (1/2 lb.)
- Cattail fluff or flour
- Oil (preferably from a can of sardines)
How to Prepare?
- Grate or crush the cheese until it is finely chopped.
- Cut the ripening chicken livers on a chopping board that will only be used for this.
- In a container, mix these components, add the garlic salt and sardine oil, and slowly whisk in the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Add cattail fluff for further thickening till you get a thick and firm punch bait.