Lye Soap for Fishing

[mattd]

I will be making some soap for the first time this weekend using lye and lard. I have used a soap calculator to determine volumes. The soap will be used for catfishing, and I would like the finished product to remain soft. How can I achieve the soft texture? Maybe a 25% superfat? Packaging the bars in plastic bags quickly to reduce the water loss? Adding more water to the recipe? Thanks in advance for you help.

 

[dibbles]

@SoapWitch has generously shared a soap dough recipe. This soap dough stays soft for a long time if kept sealed from air.

 

[mattd]

@SoapWitch has generously shared a soap dough recipe. This soap dough stays soft for a long time if kept sealed from air.

Thank you SoapWitch, you are awesome!

Thank you SoapWitch, you are awesome!

SoapWitch, out of curiosity, would substituting the coconut oil with peanut oil make a difference in the texture of the soap? I assume it would.

 

[dibbles]

Not @SoapWitch but yes, I am sure that subbing peanut oil would make a difference. I know many people use their regular recipe and that seems to work fine. You just want to prevent gel and don't let the soap get exposed to the air to keep it pliable.

 

[BattleGnome]

How is soap used for catfishing? Does the soap need to be pliable long term? Would soap paste help?

if you don’t get the texture/results you need from soap dough you can always try a soap paste with potassium hydroxide (KOH). You’d be following instructions for liquid soap without diluting (the final step).

 

[dibbles]

@BattleGnome I don’t make liquid soap, so soap paste didn’t come to mind, but that might be better.

 

[KiwiMoose]

How is soap used for catfishing?

I was wondering the same.

 

[Relle]

Googled it - curious too.

Why would one put a piece of soap on a hook and use it for catfish bait? Because it works, that's why. ... Pieces of soap can be hooked and fished using rod and reel, but old-timers swear it works better on trotlines and limb-lines because these sets give it time to melt and attract cats from afar.Aug 4, 2016

Soap is a universal winner for all catfish species -- they love it. To use: Chunk soap into 1-inch pieces and thread onto your hook. Soap works great and it has staying power in the water.

 

[Obsidian]

I think using both NaOH and KOH would be the best way to achieve a soft soap. I'd start with 20% KOH, just a small batch to test.

Increase superfat wouldn't do anything besides make the soap oily and melt away quicker.

Not sure using a soap dough recipe would work either. If I'm remembering right, it's lard soap that is used for fishing.

 

[dibbles]

@Obsidian, the soap dough recipe is 50% lard.

 

[mattd]

Not @SoapWitch but yes, I am sure that subbing peanut oil would make a difference. I know many people use their regular recipe and that seems to work fine. You just want to prevent gel and don't let the soap get exposed to the air to keep it pliable.
[/QUOT

How is soap used for catfishing? Does the soap need to be pliable long term? Would soap paste help?

if you don’t get the texture/results you need from soap dough you can always try a soap paste with potassium hydroxide (KOH). You’d be following instructions for liquid soap without diluting (the final step).

The fish are attracted to the lard, and keeping the soft soap allows small pieces to be easily cut and placed on a hook without crubmling. This type of bait usually is more effective than other baits on trotlines and juglines since turtles, gar and snakes are not attracted to it.

I think using both NaOH and KOH would be the best way to achieve a soft soap. I'd start with 20% KOH, just a small batch to test.

Increase superfat wouldn't do anything besides make the soap oily and melt away quicker.

Not sure using a soap dough recipe would work either. If I'm remembering right, it's lard soap that is used for fishing.

Thank you. Yes, lard soap is what a fisherman typically to use. Then fragrances such as Anise, garlic, peanut oil etc can be added but are no necessary. I used soap for catfishing growing up and I recall buying it in approximately 4"x4"x8" blocks. The hardness was close to a block of cheese, so it could be cubed and a hook threaded through it without crubmling. One of the local mfgs of of the soap bait would reclaim the oil used at the local fried chicken restaurants.

Googled it - curious too.

Why would one put a piece of soap on a hook and use it for catfish bait? Because it works, that's why. ... Pieces of soap can be hooked and fished using rod and reel, but old-timers swear it works better on trotlines and limb-lines because these sets give it time to melt and attract cats from afar.Aug 4, 2016

Soap is a universal winner for all catfish species -- they love it. To use: Chunk soap into 1-inch pieces and thread onto your hook. Soap works great and it has staying power in the water.

When I run trotlines, the more baited hooks I have in the water, is usually an indicator to the volume of fish I can harvest assuming there are feeding catfish where i am fishing. When i use baits such as gizzards, hearts, shad, liver etc, the turtles, gar and catfish are attracted to the bait which reduces the number of baited hooks for catfish. When fishing with soap, the only thing that I have found feeding on it is catfish. There are always exceptions, but generally speaking this is true.

Not @SoapWitch but yes, I am sure that subbing peanut oil would make a difference. I know many people use their regular recipe and that seems to work fine. You just want to prevent gel and don't let the soap get exposed to the air to keep it pliable.

Thank you. Sounds like I just need to control the time the block is exposed to air to achieve the proper hardness. I am going to try a batch of regular lard soap and then a batch of 25% superfat soap and determine which one can stay on the hook for 24 hours and which one harvests the most fish.

 

[Belindasuds]

I will be making some soap for the first time this weekend using lye and lard. I have used a soap calculator to determine volumes. The soap will be used for catfishing, and I would like the finished product to remain soft. How can I achieve the soft texture? Maybe a 25% superfat? Packaging the bars in plastic bags quickly to reduce the water loss? Adding more water to the recipe? Thanks in advance for you help.

I am completely fascinated with this thread. I love soap making and I also enjoy fishing. Have I got this right, you are actually using the soap as bait?

 

[DeeAnna]

"...I have used a soap calculator to determine volumes. ..."

I saw the word "volume" here and want to mention this -- Soap recipes from a recipe calculator will always be in ounces by weight (or grams or pounds). They never do recipes in ounces by volume (or milliliters or cups or whatever). Your batch will be really out-of-kilter if you measure by volume.

My husband grew up on the Mississippi River and has talked about using soap as catfish bait.

He also used to "noodle" for cats, not that noodling has anything to do with soap as fishing bait. I'm not sure I would want to do that. Ewwww!

 

[Relle]

While they use soap for bait in the US, it's not a common thing here in Australia. Usually here we use pilchards, yabbies, prawns, lures are a lot in favour as you always have them ready to go.

 

[Sally Scheibner]

@Obsidian, the soap dough recipe is 50% lard.

Would you please post fish bait soap recipe? I love plain lye soap for cleaning pots, stains, feet, stopping poison ivy, etc. I’d love to try my own fish bait!

 

[dibbles]

@Sally Scheibner did you mean me? I don’t have a fish bait recipe. The recipe for soap dough is linked in post #2. This is a recipe shared by Bee of Sorcery Soaps.

 

[SoapWitch]

Thank you SoapWitch, you are awesome!


SoapWitch, out of curiosity, would substituting the coconut oil with peanut oil make a difference in the texture of the soap? I assume it would.

Indeed, it would make a difference. Having worked on 20 soap dough recipes, to ensure they have an appropriate texture, I won't suggest a substitution without testing it. With that said, run the new recipes (your substitutions) through the soap calculator and make it with different colors. Colorants will affect the texture of the soap dough as well. Hope this helps and thank you for the mention.

I am completely fascinated with this thread. I love soap making and I also enjoy fishing. Have I got this right, you are actually using the soap as bait?

Superfat is extra oils in the recipe, and will created a sticky soap. If you want to make a pliable soap dough, the qualities of the ingredients, along with maintaining a certain amount of water will created this pliable texture. Does this make sense?

 

[Sally Scheibner]

I’m still a newbie at distinguishing exactly who is

I will be making some soap for the first time this weekend using lye and lard. I have used a soap calculator to determine volumes. The soap will be used for catfishing, and I would like the finished product to remain soft. How can I achieve the soft texture? Maybe a 25% superfat? Packaging the bars in plastic bags quickly to reduce the water loss? Adding more water to the recipe? Thanks in advance for you help.

 

[Belindasuds]

Superfat is extra oils in the recipe, and will created a sticky soap. If you want to make a pliable soap dough, the qualities of the ingredients, along with maintaining a certain amount of water will created this pliable texture. Does this make sense?

Thanks Bee! great tips and thanks so much for sharing. What's blowing my mind right now is soap dough being used as bait lol Who would have thunk it?

 

[Sally Scheibner]

Would you please post fish bait soap recipe? I love plain lye soap for cleaning pots, stains, feet, stopping poison ivy, etc. I’d love to try my own fish bait!