# Catfish Bait



## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

Has anyone sold their soapmaking mistakes as catfish bait?

The question arises out of the use of ZOTE soap (a superfatted soap sold to the Hispanic market) as a catfish bait by many fishermen. Apparently, the unsaponified fat in the soap attracts catfish. Google it and research it.

May give many of you a way to make lemonade out of lemons.:lonergr:


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

Most soaps have been superfatted (unsaponified fat). It is usually not a mistake to have more fats/oils than necessary in proportion to the lye/water. 
(similar to a proportion of 2:1, fats/oils: lye/water) A superfatted soap will be gentle on the skin.

A mistake is when there is too much lye/water in proportion to fats/oils leaving the soap caustic. If it is caustic, it can burn skin, it is difficult to work with and usually has to be reprocessed with more fats/oils to make it usable.

Your post is interesting though. What type of oil do you believe would attract catfish? Something smelly like anchovy oil, or more like dead leaves in oil? Do they like corn (corn oil), meat (lard/tallow), fruit (olive oil)? And fragrances, do they have a preference?


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

There's lots of catfish baits that work. There is also many different species that have their own preferences. BUT, one thing stand out more than any other. That' is ivory soap.It seems to work on all species of catfish at any time of the year.
It seems ivory is the only(or one of the only) soap on the market that is a true soap using animal fats instead of petroleum by products in it;s manufacturing process. We have used it on occasion since childhood in the 50's so it stand to reason your home made product would do the same.

Wade


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

1shotwade said:


> There's lots of catfish baits that work. There is also many different species that have their own preferences. BUT, one thing stand out more than any other. That' is ivory soap.It seems to work on all species of catfish at any time of the year.
> It seems ivory is the only(or one of the only) soap on the market that is a true soap using animal fats instead of petroleum by products in it;s manufacturing process. We have used it on occasion since childhood in the 50's so it stand to reason your home made product would do the same.
> 
> Wade


That's true Wade. Ivory is one of the only true soaps. Many of the 'body bars', 'face bars', 'almost soaps', begin as soap, then the glycerine is squeezed out of it somehow and that glycerin is sold separately, leaving behind part of the soap. Then, part of the soap is reprocessed with surficants, petroleum by products, and all kinds of chemicals, for all kinds of reasons (skin softening, moisturizing, bubbling, solubility etc). Glycerin does not have to be added to soap, it is produced in the chemical reaction when oils/fats saponify--during making soap. Whether it now has glycerin or not is up in the air depending on it's new formulation.

I used Ivory for years before making our own soap. I don't recall anymore what fragrance it has, or if it just smells like soap. Soap has it's own unique smell without fragrances added. It is the soap that floats (air is whipped into it). Is floating soap of importance in fish bait? Ivory is white, would that make it more visible to catfish?

I did read that Ivory is made with tallow, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil. I also read that it is very drying to skin and not particularly superfatted to any extent.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Feather In The Breeze said:


> That's true Wade. Ivory is one of the only true soaps. Many of the 'body bars', 'face bars', 'almost soaps', begin as soap, then the glycerine is squeezed out of it somehow and that glycerin is sold separately, leaving behind part of the soap. Then, part of the soap is reprocessed with surficants, petroleum by products, and all kinds of chemicals, for all kinds of reasons (skin softening, moisturizing, bubbling, solubility etc). Glycerin does not have to be added to soap, it is produced in the chemical reaction when oils/fats saponify--during making soap. Whether it now has glycerin or not is up in the air depending on it's new formulation.
> 
> I used Ivory for years before making our own soap. I don't recall anymore what fragrance it has, or if it just smells like soap. Soap has it's own unique smell without fragrances added. It is the soap that floats (air is whipped into it). Is floating soap of importance in fish bait? Ivory is white, would that make it more visible to catfish?
> 
> I did read that Ivory is made with tallow, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil. I also read that it is very drying to skin and not particularly superfatted to any extent.


My understanding is that in the production of soap the glycerin is removed by heat. The manufacturer uses a high heat production method as a time savings whereas individual producers like you or I use a much lower temperature that allows the glycerin to stay with the product.If you go to the drug store and by glycerin it's going to cost you about $1 per ounce.That's a big deal when you are producing by the ton.
As for bait,just cut of a 1" cube and run a hook through it and use a sinker about a foot up the line and you're ready to go.The sinker keeps it near the bottom and the soap floats up off the bottom where it can be seen bobbing around in the current because it's white,and the fish can smell the animal fat in it which also attracts them. It's a win,win!

Wade


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

1shotwade said:


> My understanding is that in the production of soap the glycerin is removed by heat. The manufacturer uses a high heat production method as a time savings whereas individual producers like you or I use a much lower temperature that allows the glycerin to stay with the product.If you go to the drug store and by glycerin it's going to cost you about $1 per ounce.That's a big deal when you are producing by the ton.
> As for bait,just cut of a 1" cube and run a hook through it and use a sinker about a foot up the line and you're ready to go.The sinker keeps it near the bottom and the soap floats up off the bottom where it can be seen bobbing around in the current because it's white,and the fish can smell the animal fat in it which also attracts them. It's a win,win!
> 
> Wade


Good information Wade, I didn't know about the heat used. I'm in WI, love fishing but I don't think we have catfish around here, or at least I haven't caught any in the past few years. I might have to try soap as bait just to be able to say 'I did'. At the very least I'll leave the lake cleaner than before I got there.


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

Feather In The Breeze said:


> Most soaps have been superfatted (unsaponified fat). It is usually not a mistake to have more fats/oils than necessary in proportion to the lye/water.
> (similar to a proportion of 2:1, fats/oils: lye/water) A superfatted soap will be gentle on the skin.
> 
> A mistake is when there is too much lye/water in proportion to fats/oils leaving the soap caustic. If it is caustic, it can burn skin, it is difficult to work with and usually has to be reprocessed with more fats/oils to make it usable.
> ...


My use of the term "mistake" was referring to color problems, fragrance errors or poor mold results.

Since ZOTE or similar soaps have ordinary perfumes and oils, nothing unusual would be needed.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Want catfish soap????? Add Anise essential oil...trust me, it works! And yes, I have tried this myself!


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

I thought zote worked because of the citronella in it.


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