Homemade Panfish Bait

Panfish include a wide variety of fish species including bluegill, perch and crappie. Most species of panfish are good to eat and simple to catch. Common baits used include worms, crickets and even minnows. If these items are not available, a simple homemade dough can be made out of items already present in your kitchen pantry. The bait will not fall off the hook when it hits the water.

  1. Dough Mixture

    • The most basic ingredients needed to make dough are flour and water. Place a small amount of flour into the bottom of the bowl and mix in a small amount of water. Mix with a spoon. The mixture should take on the consistency of cookie or bread dough. Add more water if the dough is not binding together and more flour if the dough consistency is too runny.

    Additional Ingredients

    • You may be able to increase your chances by adding additional ingredients for scent and taste that will attract more fish. The best scents are strong and will diffuse in the water to bring in more fish. Some examples include garlic powder and vanilla or orange extract. Some anglers like to add sweetener to the bait. Add sugar to the dough mixture or substitute the water in the dough with either fruit juice or soda. Using juice or soda will also change the color of the dough, which may make it easier for the fish to see in the water.

    Microwave

    • The dough mixture will be wet and sticky. A common practice is to allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to tighten the dough. The problem is that when the dough warms up, it will return to its original condition and will fall off the hook or be too easy for the fish to remove with a nibble. To counteract this problem, place the dough ball on a sheet of wax paper. Microwave the dough for 30 seconds. The dough will no longer be sticky but pliable and workable.

    Test It

    • Since the dough is easy to create, test different variations of the dough at the same time. Try fishing with a few different recipes of dough and added ingredients to see which is the most successful at catching fish. You may be surprised at what you catch. Dough is not only good for catching panfish, but also attracts catfish and carp.