You can also use bait made of dough. Known as dough balls, they’re commercially made and sold in cans labeled for different species of fish, like panfish, catfish, trout, etc. Dough balls are a great bait to choose when trying to catch scavenger fish. To use a dough ball, simply mold it around the fishing hook, or put it on a treble hook that has a bait holder attached.

We’ve included a recipe below if you prefer to make your own dough balls.

How to Make Dough Ball Bait

Here’s what you need to do to make your own freshwater fishing dough balls:

1. Mix 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, 1 cup of flour, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl.
2. Get a 1-quart jug of water and slowly pour it into the mixture until it starts to take on a heavy, doughy consistency.
3. Rip off pieces of dough and roll them into balls that are about ½ to 1 inch round.
4. Take the leftover water and pour it into a pan with 1 cup of molasses.
5. Add some flavoring – like licorice, garlic, strawberry gelatin or anise.
6. Place the pan on the stove and bring the contents to a boil.
7. Once the water starts boiling, drop the dough balls in, making sure to leave some space between them.
8. Cook the balls for 2 to 3 minutes, then take them out and let them cool.

You can use dough balls to catch many different types of fish. They’re simple to make and you can experiment with different flavorings until you find the one that works best.