Rubber Catfish Worms

I use rubber catfish worms for my channel cats. Normally I take out the treble hook it comes with and replace it with a 4/0 Gamakatsu circle hook and line of my own. This has worked really welly, but it got expensive quick.

I bought a pack of Lake Fork 4″ Ring-Fry worms, which have nice ridging that the kitties seem to love. Anyway, they work great, but I don’t like the way they slide down over the hook when I dip them in stink bait (shown in picture), and that doesn’t seem to happen with the actual catfish worms I have.

I was thinking about a few solutions:
1. I could put a little bit of duct tape on the hook to stop it from moving down, but I don’t know how long it would last.

2. I could try and rig it like a weedless bass bait.

3. Or I’d could switch to sponges (but I’ve already got worms).

I’d like anyone’s suggestions on possible solutions.

-Mike

A dab of superglue should hold it in place.

I have something in the making as we type,designed just for dipping stink bait.. when finalized will post results

Bk will be my tester and no doubt my 1st customer.

Rig it wacky style, get yourself some small O-rings and thread them on half ways up the worm. Then thread the hook through the o-ring. It may or may not work but its worth a shot. Dan

Is this the first ever post on improving a stink bait rig? Sweet!

Mike, might want to think about dumping the plastics altogether.

Jeff Williams turned me on to SUDDEN IMPACT Fiber Bait this spring and it’s been doing quite well on just a bare hook!

It’s pliable in cold weather when other sink baits are hard.
It stays on your hook in hot weather when other stink baits are soft and “fling” off your plastic tube.

AND we don’t need to putts with a bait holder of any kind.

Just by stirring it up we can see it’s different than any other kind of stink bait.

So how does it stay on the BARE hook? It falls back to the fiber again. Using a #6 treble hook, we “punch” the hook into the bait and them pull it out. With it comes a nice wad of bait that stays on the hook.

Then use it as you would any other stink bait.

The first thing out of my mouth when Jeff was telling me about this was…”a treble hook? I would much rather use a circle”. My experience is exactly what Jeff said would happen. The treble has always (so far) been hooked right in the front lips of the channel cat. Just like this one.

The only trouble I’ve had is when the treble goes into the top and bottom of the mouth at the same time. I have bent hooks working them out. They can be worked back into shape with a pliers or just replaced.

I haven’t tried it yet but Sudden Impact can be used on a circle and a bait keeper just like you have in your photo’s Mike.

Right now, ordering is the only option from http://www.TeamCatfish.com I hope to have some at Everts by Memorial weekend.

That is an interesting concept B, Here is what I do. I go to Catfish connection and buy a bulk bag of the surgical tubing they have on there $5.56 per bag of 20. I then use 30lb big cat mono to a number 8 or 10 xtra strong Eagle claw treble. Run the line in and out of the holes on the tube. They are nearly weedless and as long as you don’t let them chew on them for a long time they hook up in the corner of the mouth or the roof of the mouth. You can tie up 20 rigs for 10 bucks and the tubes can be used over and over again. I tried circle hooks and I don’t like them at all for this presentation. I tie a double loop in the top and you can switch a rig on to a swivel in 2 seconds. I would throw that plastic crud you have up there in the trash.

Your’s work nice Kev. Thanks for sharing them with me.

I’m going to try some of that fiber stuff too. It is hard to take something off I know works for something I don’t know of for sure. I kind of like the bait coming off a bit it makes a nice chum slick. Some of the bait always stays inside the tubes for them to find. If you are using those premade catfish tubes, throw out the hooks and the line that come with them. 10lb cheap assed line and weak hooks will cost you a good fish one day.

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So how does it stay on the BARE hook? It falls back to the fiber again. Using a #6 treble hook,

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Brian, I would really like to try this method out, but isn’t a treble hook considered three hooks if not a part of an artificial lure?

Nice, who would have guessed fishing with a treble would be breaking the law in MN!

They just changed the laws on those, I’ll have to go look it up.

Kev – does CC sell standard surgical tubing or is it special? We tried this with regular surgical tubing and found it nearly impossible to punch holes in it..

Seconding throwing out the junk trebles and leaders that come with store bought setups. I throw a #4 Gamakatsu on mine and never have a problem hooking up.

So Brian, you just turned me on to stinkbait and tubes last year and now you are pimping this fiber stuff?

Hmm, maybe I should rephrase that.

You’re getting to the age a little fiber won’t hurt you Pug.

Sure as stink bait.
“
Angling Methods
• Anglers may use only one hook. An artificial lure is considered one hook.
A treble hook, when not part of an artificial lure, is considered three hooks
and is not legal. The exception is that three artificial flies may be used
when angling for trout, crappie, sunfish, and rock bass.”

Guess I’ll have to attach a yellow attractor above the treble. Lucky I have some sinker bumpers that’s just the ticket for this!

Thanks for the heads up!

I thought they fixed this rule with the quick strike rig clarification.

I ‘spose it’s going to be a phone call to find out if adding fiber bait to a treble would make it “a lure” and thus be legal.

Dfresh,

CC bulk tubes come 20 a pack they are 2.5 inches and have the holes already drilled. you can cut them down if you like them shorter. I bought a 2 20 packs about 10 years ago and I still have 37 tubes (I gave three to Brian). They are indestructable. The hooks and line need to be replaced from time to time but that is it. They come in 7 different colors. I like white and red. They even have pink for Brian. your CC order number is TWRD20 for red and TWWH20 for white.

Ah, I must have misread your first post. I thought you meant you were making your own out of bulk tubing. My bad!

Well, while I’m waiting for a DNR reponse on a treble covered with a stink bait, we put a 1/2 inch of tube on the treble to keep it “a lure”.

Three rods held bullies and one rod in the faster water held Sudden Impact fiber bait.

Everyone could use a little fiber!

Just over 12 pounds…

Nice channel cat Brian!