10 Weird Things to Use as Fishing Bait

There are all kinds of fancy lures and baits available on the market today that “guarantee” you to catch fish! But you know, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to hook a fish – chances are, you can round up some bait from what you already have in your home! Check out these 10 odd, yet effective things to use as bait the next time you head out!

1. Corn. A tried and true classic. This was my Pappap’s bait of choice back in the day, and let me tell you – a can of corn goes a long way! Pro tip: sprinkle some around your fishing spot in the water to help attract more fish. (Please check local fishing regulations to make sure using corn and “chumming” are legal where you are fishing.)
2. Bread and cheese balls. You can make these separately or together! So simple, just grab a loaf of bread and some slices of cheese and smush them together in little balls that you can slide onto your hook. The bread falls apart fast, so be sure to mold together tightly with the cheese. A strong squish is key here. Pro Tip: use a three-prong cheese hook with spring!
3. Hot dogs. Ok now we start to pick up on the weird factor. But think about half of the baits out now – they are about the smell! Hot dogs have a good, strong twang to them, so it isn’t the most surprising that this would work well. Use small bits and chunks. The three-prong hook mentioned above also does a STELLAR job with hot dogs, too!
4. Shrimp. I assume if you are grabbing these from what you have on-hand, you will be using frozen or dead shrimp. If that is the case, break off the tail (and the head if you have whole shrimp) for a bigger scent to attract fish.
5. Worms. An obvious, I know! But it had to be included because they are so easy to find! Just dig down in the dirt around your house and boom. An endless supply! It is best to just grab living worms, as their movement is what entices fish in! You can bait the hook by threading the worm onto the hook and leaving some of its body dangling (you will lose more worms this way, but it does a great job hiding the hook!) or you can just loop the hook through the body a few times.
6. Bologna. Similar concept to the hot dogs. Be sure to compact it together so that it sticks on the hook better! The smell will attract fish.
7. Cat or dog food. This one might get tricky depending on how small the food chunks are that you feed your pets! You can use both wet and dry food for this – both have a good odor.
8. Soap (I KNOW RIGHT?!) – unscented and no added chemicals. I don’t even know what to say about this one. I discovered this when I started really looking into it (with obvious disbelief), I couldn’t believe how many people swear by it to catch catfish in particular. You can use chunks of ivory soap as-is (a little tough to get on the hook without breaking, but doable with some patience) OR you can melt it down and add some bacon grease to create the perfect bait that is moldable.
9. Canned meat. Just crack open the can and squish it onto your waiting hook! If the meat you have on hand is especially soft, you could also form it into a ball with some bread to help give it a little more shape. Once again, a cheese hook (listed in #2) comes in clutch here!
10. Golden raisins. The golden color does well to catch the light in the evenings (a prime time to fish!) and they also swell in the water a bit. Like the corn, slide a few onto your hook – no need to be stingy!

Try using these various baits and pairing with a small sinker and a small bobber! That way you can adjust the depth to dangle these fish treats. Just a little extra knowledge to drop around that: if you are a more experienced angler and have never tried fishing with a slip bobber, it is time to discover something new! They are a bit more complicated to rig than the traditional bobber, but allow more flexibility with water depth. If you are into traditional baits and lures, we have a full line-up to check out that are tried and true (because who doesn’t want to set out with a full tacklebox?!).

For more tips on fishing, check out our blog on how to get started here! Be sure to share pictures with us on social media using #ScoutShopBSA – you might even get featured on our social channels!